2024 season:
Here is a breakdown of the whole season’s regattas, with dates, who is eligible for which races, trophies and championships.
May Regatta – Late May Bank Holiday, Monday 27 May 2024, 2pm: all entries taken at the pond on the day. A series of regular races (two lengths of the pond), followed by the May Cup: for younger sailors – in which their true ‘seamanship’ is tested by being asked to sail a different boat to the one they have practised with! – as well as the Norwich & Peterborough Trophies, also for all B and C Class sailors.
Pick-up Regatta – Wednesday 24 July 2024, 2pm: Another informal regatta to ‘find your sea legs’ and get your boats dusted off and running smoothly again for the new season. A programme of regular races (two per boat), probably with a point to point (when you have to try and sail in-between flags at the other end of the pond) – all entries are taken at the pond on the day, but please try to arrive at least 30 minutes in advance.
First Regatta – Saturday 27 July 2024, 2pm: a programme of regular races (two races per boat), followed by the Pout Cup, for sailors of 16 and under, comprising of a modified ‘point to point’ course in which each boat has to sail to each bank before returning to the start bank.
Second Regatta – Tuesday 30 July 2024, 1pm: a regular programme of races followed by the Family Relay Race, in which 4 boats of the same ‘fleet’ (aka owned by the same family) sail one leg each, as well as the Quincentenary Salver for Beach Yawls, which is for sailors of any age but only sailing a Beach Yawls (which is a rather unusual East Anglian rig of boat).
Cups Regatta – Saturday 3 August 2024, 10:30am and 2pm: an all day regatta: in the morning, the Golden Jubilee Cup for adult sailors (aged 16 and over) – a knockout competition with heats, semi finals and final, in which adults can sail any boat, large or small; The Sole Bay Bell for large boats (hull length of 32 to 36 inches); The De Lacroix RoseBowl for homemade boats – any size boat or age sailor but the boat must be completely homemade and sailed by the builder or by a child of the builder during the builder’s lifetime. In the afternoon, the Cripps Cup for ‘Beat and Run’ – a rather complicated race in which boats have to tack ‘to windward’ (into the wind), pass around a buoy, before returning back between two flags, but still only using manual setting of the sails! This cup is open to sailors of any age, but boats of 24 inches and over only.
Annual General Meeting – Saturday 3 August 2024, 6:30pm – details of the venue will be confirmed at the pond at the Cups Regatta. Anyone who sails in SMYR is welcome to attend the AGM. The Club is run entirely by volunteers and we always welcome new thoughts and ideas or opinions – so if you want to see SMYR thrive please do feel free to get involved.
Third Regatta – Wednesday 7 August 2024, 1pm: a regular programme of races (2 per boat) followed by the Collett Cup for Veteran Yachts (sailors of any age, but only boats built before 1957) and the St Edmund’s Cup, which is only for boats who received a burgee in the previous season. Anyone can sail a qualified boat, even if they did not sail it the previous season.
Fourth and Annual Regattas – Tuesday 13 August 2024, 10:15am and 2pm: another all day regatta – in the morning, a regular programme of races. In the afternoon, the Championships, for each of A, B and C boat classes – according to age of sailor and length of boat, as follows: Class A: boats of 27-36 inches, sailors of any age; Class B: boats of 21-26 inches, sailors of 18 or under; Class C: boats of 15-20 inches, sailors of 13 and under. Boats must qualify for the Annual Championships by coming first in a regular race during the current season. The Championships are then contested by qualifiers through knockout heats and 4-lap final. Also this afternoon are sailed the Nigel Boult Trophy for new boats (any age sailor and any type of boat, provided it is sailing in its first season), the Waveney Shield for sailors 16 and under sailing Class B and C boats which have won a burgee in the current season. The Commodore’s Invitation Race, in which local Town and District Councillors and other local dignitaries are invited to race each other, assisted by children, concludes the day’s sailing.
Final regatta – Wednesday 21 August 2024, 2pm: an informal pick-up regatta to round off the season.