Nine Yeomans started what was to be a tempestuous contest for the NBYC Yeoman Cup and Crocq trophy on Wroxham Broad – at any rate on Saturday when winds of 20 plus knots, gusting to over 30, sent them on their way shortly after lunchtime.

That race sorted, as it were, the men from the boys and resulted in victory for Adam and Janet Barker, with Stephen and Tim Haines coming in second and Ivan Ringwood third, but also saw the retirement of Carl Brady and Guy Coleman, winners of more races in this class than any others when their three-year-old mast succumbed to a stress fracture.

Unsurprisingly the class, and club, adopted Plan B, deferring the second race until Sunday morning, when conditions were altogether easier, and Brady and Coleman had negotiated the use of Commodore Chris Hanson's boat, helmed by Coleman, apparently because his arms were longer than Brady's, and Hanson's tiller was shorter.

Only six sailed and young Barker again showed his skill by beating Coleman, with Eric Diffey pipping Haines for third. The two final races saw Coleman getting into his stride with convincing wins over Barker, Gordon Wishart taking third gun in the third race while Haines fought back to take third in the fourth. Coleman and Brady took the Yeoman Cup on the last race tie-break from Barker, who won the Crocq Trophy.

On Hickling, 11 Bitterns lined up, their yellow sails filling in the stiff south-westerly for three races over a figure of eight course encompassing most of the broad.

Pat and Paul Tegerdine and John Atkinson and Leona Levine dominated, the latter emerging on top with two wins and a second against the Tegerdines' first race win and two seconds. Atkinson's second race victory was the decisive point as he powered past Tegerdine on the long reaching leg to the finish after having paused to execute penalty turns at the first mark, while, despite the strong wind, Bruce Thompson, sailing solo, hung on to take third gun.

The final race was the closest, Atkinson leading all the way and making no mistakes while Tegerdine, Thompson, and Rodney Lake and Chris Dunster fought for second, which, after several changes, went to Tegerdine on the last lap.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

The big event over the Bank Holiday weekend is the Punt Club Open Regatta on Saturday and Sunday followed on Bank Holiday Monday by Barton Broad Open, winding up the traditional events for this year.

Other holiday meetings are on Sunday, Buckenham's third Cantley Race and RNSYC's visit to Scroby. Yare Valley SC commence a week long cruise on the Yare on Saturday, and the Waveney class has its annual picnic race to Somerleyton on Sunday.

Fast forward to the end of the month, when, on Saturday 31st WOBYC host the NSBA Youth Regatta, drawing something near 100 boats and competitors aged under 19 for a full day of racing and celebration.

There is only one other Open scheduled, Horning's Open YBOD event on Saturday and Sunday September 1.