Next Saturday, hundreds of sailors from across the UK and further afield will make their way to Horning Sailing Club, in a small pretty Broadland village, for the start of the internationally renowned Three Rivers Race. Once billed as Europe's toughest inland sailing race, it provides a unique challenge for the newcomer to the race and the seasoned sailor alike, with each and every one of the 118 entrants hoping to make it round the course - and the three rivers: the Bure, the Ant and the Thurne - in a test of seamanship.
With sixteen starts spanning almost an hour and a half, the boats will leave Horning Sailing Club from 11am, making their way through the village out onto the more open waters of the Broads, the skippers tactically choosing their own route dependent upon the wind and tide conditions on the day. The course will include sailing (in any order) to Ludham Bridge on the River Ant, South Walsham Broad, down the Bure through Acle Bridge to Stokesby or beyond, and through Potter Heigham Bridge to Hickling on the River Thurne. The Bridges in particular are always popular with spectators, especially as some competitors choose to "shoot" the bridges - meaning that they leave lowering the mast to the very last second, some even sailing between the old and new bridges at Potter Heigham, much to the excitement of the crowd!
Whether competitors are racing for the first time, for charity, to win, or for a personal challenge, it truly is a unique Broads spectacle which needs to be seen to be believed! The action kicks off at 11am on Saturday 1st June from Horning Sailing Club. If you cannot make it to see the Race in person, you can view all the action via webcams on the Horning Sailing Club website :- www.horning-sailing.club/webcams
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