WELCOME TO THE 50TH NAVIGATORS & GENERAL THREE RIVERS RACE, said to be the longest inland water race in Europe!  Organised by HORNING SAILING CLUB and sponsored by NAVIGATORS & GENERAL, this year’s Race will take place on the Norfolk Broads over the weekend of Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th June 2010.  Crews from all over the World travel to Horning to take part in this popular handicap event, for which there are expected to be around 150 entrants!  A variety of craft take part, including the impressive Thames ‘A’ Raters, Norfolk Punts, Half-Deckers, Yeomans, Yare and Bure O Ds (“White Boats”), Reedlings, Rebels, Wayfarers, Enterprises and other dinghies, traditional Broads River Cruisers and Production Cruisers.  No single-handed craft are allowed.

Back in the 1950/60s, for a number of years Horning had raced against, and with, the Great Yarmouth & Gorleston Sailing Club.  In 1961 David Hastings – then Secretary of Horning Sailing Club, Yarmouth & Gorleston Commodore and fellow members Peter Mallender, Dickie Keogh and Eric Smith proposed a new sailing challenge for Club members.  The concept was to sail the three major rivers of the Broads:  the Bure, the Thurne and the Waveney.  However, concern was expressed regarding large numbers of small craft negotiating the bridges at Vauxhall and Breydon Water in the early hours of the morning and continuing out to sea to the head of the Waveney, possibly in adverse weather and tidal conditions, thus it was decided that the boats should turn before Great Yarmouth, thereby losing the Waveney.  Instead the boats would turn at a moveable mark above Stokesby and below Six Mile House on the Bure, the position of the buoy being decided by the race officer on the day, depending on conditions. To save this becoming a two rivers race, and to add further navigation and distance, it was agreed that the boats would turn before Ludham Bridge on the Ant.  Thus, HORNING SAILING CLUB’S THREE RIVERS RACE (BURE, THURNE and ANT) run over a distance of approximately 50 miles, came into being.

The very first THREE RIVERS RACE took place on Saturday 16th/Sunday 17th June 1961. 42 boats started in a brisk breeze, but overnight conditions turned to gale-force winds.  First home at 11.30 p.m. on that moonless night was a Yare and Bure One Design “Brimstone” helmed by Hugh Tusting, who had to hail a sleeping race officer for a finishing bell!  David Hastings was awarded the Bosun’s Call B Trophy in his dinghy “Flying Enterprise”.  In those days there was no radio contact and only 3 safety boats.  Competitors had to jump out their boats and run along muddy banks to mark their passing of a turning point.  Nowadays safety is very much at the forefront of the organisers’ minds, but the Race is every bit as exhausting and exhilarating for the participants and as thrilling for the hundreds of spectators

click here for previous years' results