This year's Breydon Regatta was blessed with sunshine and lighter winds than in recent times, which had the benefit of leading to an incident free weekend.  The downside of that is that there isn't much to report on!

As last year, the original format was used, with two races being run on Saturday round buoys on Breydon Water.  The first was held over lunchtime, when the tide was slacker, meaning the beat against the flood to a mark two thirds of the way to Great Yarmouth was not too onerous. The top buoy was laid near the confluence of the Yare and Waveney rivers and two laps were reasonably comfortably managed by all except Lucky Breeze, who nobly retired in order to leave time for all competitors to return to Berney for a beer and lunch before the second race.  Beth had the best of it, coming home in first place ahead of Pollywog and Matilda.

The lower buoy was brought further up Breydon for the afternoon race, making for a shorter course on the strong ebb tide.  Fortunately, the tacking leg was now with the tide and all boats were able to finish the two lap course.  However, the same yachts filled the first three slots, but in a different order, with Matilda doing enough to take first place, despite a time penalty for touching one of the marks.

On Sunday there were early doubts about the feasibility of racing at all, due to the almost complete absence of wind, causing Rebecca to call it a day and head back north.  There was great regret at  their departure, and possibly they regretted it too, as the breeze later filled in to produce the best sailing of the weekend.   After delaying the briefing by an hour, it was decided to run the usual passage race from Breydon towards Reedham, but with a prudent shortening of the course by bringing the turning buoy half way down the Yare to Polkey’s Mill.

A time slot between noon and one o'clock was offered, but this may have been set a little early (with the prize-giving in mind) as all ten helmsmen chose to start within the final ten minutes.  Melody, by entering last, was able to gain an advantage by going first in a start of her own.  This meant she had clear water for the first half of her race and, crucially, in the tricky tack against the tide away from the top mark, being eventually rewarded with third place.  Most of the rest of the fleet arrived at the buoy close together and were then cross tacking away from it in a bunch.  Helpfully, the very high tide gave more room in the river than usual, which meant no-one ran aground at the edges.

Fastest home to take the Greyhound Trophy was Matilda, but Pollywog, with the advantage of clear air to tack in at the rear of the fleet, took the prize for corrected time.  David Hopwood also took the Breydon Tankard as best slow boat for the weekend and, with Glynn Howarth, shared the Breydon Barometer, each having a first and second place.

RESULTS

Saturday morning - Snipe Tankard: 1. Beth (Glynn Howarth)  2. Pollywog (David Hopwood)  3. Matilda (Anthony Landamore)  4. Dryad (David M. Walker)  5. Melody (Mark Wells)  6. Anne (Kelvin Halifax)  7. Mischief (Steve Seeney)  8. Honey (Dave Mackley)  9. Henrietta (Pete Charlton)  10. Rebecca (Philip Scott)  11. Wisp (Denis Kilner)    DNF Lucky Breeze (David Walker)

Saturday afternoon - Berney Arms Cup: 1. Matilda   2. Beth  3. Pollywog  4. Melody  5. Anne  6. Mischief  7. Dryad  8. Rebecca  9. Henrietta  10. Honey  11. Wisp  12. Lucky Breeze

Saturday overall - Breeze Yard of Ale:  1. Beth  2. Matilda  3. Pollywog

Sunday Passage Race - Greyhound Trophy (elapsed time)  1. Matilda  2. Beth  3. Melody

Sunday Passage Race - Sambroke-Sturgess Trophy (corrected time)  1. Pollywog  2. Beth  3. Melody  4. Honey  5. Matilda  6. Mischief  7. Henrietta  8. Anne  9. Dryad  10. Wisp

Overall (15% and over) - Breydon Tankard:  1. Pollywog  2. Honey

Overall - Breydon Barometer:  =1. Pollywog  =1. Beth  3. Matilda  4. Melody  =5. Honey  =5. Mischief  =7. Anne  =7. Dryad  9. Henrietta  10. Wisp