Barton Regatta 2024: Join the Excitement at Norfolk Punt Club
Barton Regatta 2024 at the Norfolk Punt Club
24-26 August 2024
Barton Regatta 2024 © Trish Barnes
August bank holiday weekend saw competitors returning once again to Barton Broad and the Norfolk Punt Club for the historic Barton Regatta.
Despite challenging weather leading up to the event, the three-day regatta attracted over one hundred and fifty boat entries. Competitors raced across multiple classes for 30 trophies, with 55 race starts throughout the weekend. The edges of the broad were filled with anchored rafts of competing sailors and spectators on motor boats, canoes, paddle boards, and sailing craft. For those without onboard accommodation, camping was available at Barton Adventure Centre. A free water taxi provided easy access to the club pontoons from Barton Turf Staithe, where copious amounts of tea and cake were available for all.
Racing began on Saturday with the first of the three-day series races featuring 16 Norfolk Punts. Following the initial display from the punts, the day’s racing evolved with starts for Allcomers, Juniors, followed by more races for Punts, Allcomers, and Juniors. The Keelboats then took to the water, racing in classes including Yare and Bure One Designs, Broads One Designs/Yeomans, and finishing with a Combined Allcomers race. Event conditions were quite challenging due to a light westerly wind that was inconsistent in both strength and direction, along with some light to heavy rain. Though some races were postponed to adjust course settings, all fleets managed to participate.
Saturday evening featured a lively regatta party held in the boat shed at Cox’s Boatyard, catered by Cawstons Butchers and the Neatishead White Horse, with musical entertainment provided by the covers band, Cutting The Mustard.
Sunday’s racing began early with the Crews’ race series, showcasing a remarkable shift in conditions with a brisk south-westerly breeze and bright sunshine. The day’s races continued across all fleets, intensifying in difficulty during the lunch series, which resulted in multiple capsizes. The safety boat crews remained busy before conditions improved slightly. Following further races for Keelboats and River Cruisers, a highly anticipated Pursuit Race allowed all except the Junior fleet to compete. The evening’s planned Water Frolic was postponed due to the strong breezes, but a ‘Bring Your Own BBQ’ event and a delightful visit from the ‘Ice Cream Float’ ensured a festive atmosphere.
The final day of the regatta opened with the concluding races of the two-day and three-day series, offering pleasant sunshine and moderate breezes. Rowing races from the postponed Water Frolic also took place, culminating in the drawing of the regatta raffle as prizes and trophies were prepared for presentation.
The Regatta committee and competitors extend their gratitude to all volunteers and community members whose support made the event possible, including The Norfolk Punt Club, Barton Turf Adventure Centre, Barton Turf Parish Council, The Peel Family, Snowflakes Sailing Club, The Nancy Oldfield Trust, The Seafarers Trust, Cox’s Boatyard, Cutting The Mustard, Jeckles Upholstery and Covers, Simpsons Boatyard, Neatishead White Horse, Cawstons Butchers, The Ice Cream Float, and all those who donated raffle prizes.
Regatta Trophies were awarded as follows:
Regatta Series Trophies
Presidents Cup for crew who do not usually helm, ‘Peregrine’ Laura Aitken
Forbes Cup for Norfolk Punts, ‘Swallow 2’ Emma Daniels
Dinghy Trophy for Allcomers A excluding punts, ‘Kelpie’ Sam Woodcock
Balholm Salver for Allcomers B, ‘Dinghy Skipper’ Martin Thompson
De Quincy Salver for Junior Allcomers, ‘Padfoot’ Zoe Barnes
Domino Trophy for Fast River Cruiser Class yachts, ‘Whisper’ Johnnie Kerridge
Pollitt Trophy for Slow River Cruiser Class yachts, ‘Harrier’ Jack Copping
Nancy Oldfield Trust trophy for Allcomers A excluding punts, ‘Laser 179851’ Edward Wildman
Seafarers UK for Allcomers B, ‘Marmoress’ Sue Funnell
Sundog Challenge Cup for Norfolk Punts, ‘Razorbill’ Richard Parker
Junior Members Cup for Norfolk Punts, ‘Swallow 2’ Amelia Daniels
Lycaena Trophy for Yare and Bure One Designs, ‘Fritillary’ Will Pank
Puffin Trophy for Broads One Designs, ‘Peregrine’ Laura Aitken
Ali Moore Trophy for Yeomans, ‘Anaoh’ R. Pettitt
Waxwing Trophy for Combined Allcomers, ‘Kelpie’ Sam Woodcock
Single Race Trophies
Alec Simpson Trophy for Fast Allcomers, ‘Kelpie’ Sam Woodcock
Junior Challenge Cup for Junior Allcomers, ‘Spectre’ Kit Bentall
Barton Broad Challenge Cup for Slow Allcomers, ‘Laser 179851’ Edward Wildman
Sally Webster Trophy for Junior Allcomers, ‘Kelpie’ Sam Woodcock
Pursuit Race Trophies
Moore Challenge Cup for the overall winner, ‘Laser 175688’ Edward Clifford
Anne Mackintosh Cup for Yare and Bure One Designs, ‘Iris’ Malcolm Kemp
Barton Silver Cup for Broads One Designs, ‘Merlin’ Richard Whitefoot
Loynes Challenge Cup for Allcomers, ‘Laser 175688’ Edward Clifford
Rogue Tankard for River Cruiser Class yachts, ‘Harrier’ Jack Copping
Ant Challenge Cup for boats wintered on the river Ant, ‘Woodpecker’ Freddie Scott
Punt Challenge Cup for Norfolk Punts, ‘Woodpecker’ Freddie Scott
Wherry Cup for Yeomans, ‘Turnstone’ Alastair Drew
Water Frolic Trophies
Open rowing, Jack Aitken
Other Trophies
Ramuz Trophy for Best Dressed yacht, ‘Bewitched’ Colin Chettleburgh
Oliver Hayes, a seasoned sailor and marine journalist from Southampton, has a profound love for the sea that has shaped his career. Holding a degree in Marine Journalism from the University of Portsmouth, Oliver is celebrated for his compelling and insightful storytelling. His work vividly captures the excitement of sailing and the rich maritime heritage of the United Kingdom, making him a respected figure in the sailing community. When not writing, Oliver enjoys exploring the British Isles’ diverse coastlines and participating in local regattas, always on the lookout for his next nautical adventure.