Yare & Bure One Designs, Yeomans and Mixed Keelboats at Norfolk Punt Club, Barton Broad
by Rachel Clayton 15 Jun 04:53 PDT
13-14 June 2026
Due to its unique location on a pontoon on beautiful Barton Broad, the Norfolk Punt Club is a popular venue for travellers to open events as well as for club racing and cruising.
Centenary events at this idyllic club continued this weekend with an open meeting for Yare & Bure One Designs (YBODs) and Mixed Keelboats which comprised Broads One Designs (BODs), a Yarmouth One Design and Yeomans who were sailing for their own trophy.
Five visitors made the journey from Wroxham Broad, including last year's YBOD winner, Fox sailed by Chris Bunn and Nikki Tansley. On Saturday they and a handful of others defied the F4 westerly and its hefty gusts by sailing the usual 2-up and with full rig. Others decided to take an extra crew and/or reef and some sat it out; everyone knew their limits. There were screaming reaches, nosedives on the downwind legs, and some weaving round on the gybes.
By the third and final race of the day there were fewer gusts and the Yarmouth OD joined the Mixed Keelboat fleet. Of note in this fleet were the 6 youngsters in the two Yeomans, 2 in each boat being siblings. Sibling rivalry? Never. Emily Drew and Ella Elson swapped helms and crewed by Mark Elson took two 1sts and a 2nd to Henry Drew, Finn Elson, Bertie Walker and Ben Cohen. NPC is proud that these four represent our club in the national Feva class. With their light weight and the Yeomans' powerful rig all 6 youngsters showed a remarkable level of boat control.
Visitors Rob and Gill Johnson in their BOD Water Rail won all the Mixed Keelboat races from Kathy Gill and Simon Learmount, also swapping helms, in BOD Greenshank. In the YBOD fleet, despite Jack Barnham and Alice Palutikov in Peacock taking an initial lead in race 2, Fox took the lead from the first mark to the finish in all three races. First NPC boat was Silver Blue with Simon Daniels and Alastair Drew taking a third in race 3
The pleasant conditions on Sunday brought all 12 YBOD entrants to the water. Sunshine and a lighter wind more from the north enabled easier course setting and a long beat up the broad and goose-winging on the downwind legs. There was a distinct differing of opinion as to which side of the beat would pay. Those who chose the east side were proved right. James and Simon Driver in Grizzled Skipper on their first sail of the season led the pack to the windward mark from Swift sailed by James Dugdale and Rob Ferrier-Hanger, and Peacock, with NPC's Reed Leopard sailed by Matthew Scott and Caroline Dixey arriving fourth.
On the ensuing downwind leg there was some dramatic gybing and luffing at the front of the fleet, with Swift taking the lead from Grizzled Skipper and Fox and Reed Leopard also in the mix. Jack Copping and Marty Thompson in Scarce Copper had found themselves in a part of the fleet where they did not wish to be, so took their chance in looping round the east side of the island and tightening up for the mark, but it did not to pay. Fox took the lead followed by Swift and in the final 100 metres there was some extremely tactical beating between Grizzled Skipper and Peacock, who finished seconds apart in that order.
Meanwhile in the Mixed Keelboat fleet there was also a split on the beat with the BODs taking the eastern side of the beat and the Yeomans the west. Kathy Gill and Simon Learmount in BOD Greenshank arrived first followed by young Ella and Emily in the club Yeoman Razzle Dazzle. Despite Henry and the boys in their Yeoman Turnstone being close, a riding turn took its toll and they could not re-catch the girls. Water Rail recovered from being on the wrong side at the start to overhaul Greenshank, and the Yarmouth OD sailed by Simon Jenner and Murray Corke took third.
By the final race the wind had gone more northerly still and the course was tweaked accordingly. Scarce Copper immediately tacked onto the east side and took a good lead, followed by Peacock and Silver Blue. With some bad headers affecting the first three boats shortly before the finish, Peacock held the lead and Fox had pulled through for a close 2nd just seconds ahead of Swift.
This time Henry, Finn, Bertie and Ben in Turnstone had a clear win over the girls in Razzle Dazzle, but it was Ella, Emily and Mark who triumphed for the Helios Trophy for Yeomans, counting three 1st and a 2nd.
Counting all 1sts Rob and Gill in Water Rail won the Pleasure Island Trophy for the Mixed Keelboats. With their one discard, Chris and Nikki in Fox were able to discard their second place, counting four 1sts to take the Consortium Trophy for YBODs. James and Rob in Swift were 5 points behind for second place, and 4 points behind them in third were Jack and Alice in Peacock.
The Whelpton Trophy for first Norfolk Punt Club boat was won by Simon and Alastair in Silver Blue. With such perfect conditions the club's afternoon all-comers races sailed the existing course. When handicaps were converted to corrected time the first 5 boats finished within 13 seconds of each other; despite being tired from their previous 5 races Simon and Kathy in Greenshank were 2 seconds ahead of Phil and Liz Ollier sailing their new Yeoman Fire Opal and Bart and Rosie Sawyer's Norfolk Punt Cormorant only 4 seconds behind them. In the final race, sailing on the average lap system, Cormorant won from Harry Scott's Elver.
Race officer Simon Clayton thanked all the participants, with especial welcome to the visitors, and his teams in the rescue boats and tea hut.
Overall Results:
Consortium Cup (YBODS) - Fox - Chris Bunn & Nikki Tansley
Whelpton Trophy for 1st placed NPC boat - Silver Blue - Simon Daniels & Alastair Drew
Helios Trophy (Yeomans) - Turnstone - Emily Drew, Ella Elson & Mark Elson
Pleasure Island Trophy (Mixed Keelboat) - Water Rail - Rob & Gill Johnson