Norfolk Punt Championship at the Norfolk Punt Club
by Alastair Drew 23 Aug 2017 00:54 PDT
19-20 August 2017
Norfolk Punt Club Championships © Robin Myerscough
The Norfolk Punt championships held at Barton Broad has in recent years been raced in windy conditions and for the 21 competitors for the 2017 championships, this year proved no exception.
Wind on the Saturday (19th August) was steady in a westerly direction, but variable in strength ranging from a force 3, gusting up to force 5. The inconsistency of wind speed proved a real test for the competitors with Andrew Friend in Blackbird (74) the biggest victim of the sudden increase in wind, capsizing his boat onto a channel marker having just taken the lead over the water on race 1. The first race was won by a traditional boat, Gamecock (37 - helm Ruth Owen). The two other races on Saturday were won by Richard Whitefoot in Comet (102) who was having a close tussle with multiple previous winner James Jarvey (Harnser - 51) who finished second in both.
The wind had reduced slightly on Sunday but was still westerly and variable in speed to keep competitors on their toes. Richard Whitefoot won the 4th race with James Jarvey coming again a close second and whilst Jarvey won the last race from Jane Pye in Snowgoose (96), Richard Whitefoot had done enough over the previous races to win the overall Championship Cup, the Hardchine Trophy and the Progress Challenge Cup. James Jarvey was second in the Championships with Jane Pye third.
Emma Daniels won the Broads Haven Trophy for the first 'traditional' punt and Elska Wilton for the Cuckoo Cup (under 18 helm or crew).