On Saturday 5th of September 2026, our team of 16 junior sailors travelled to Barton Broad for the Broadland Youth Regatta, hosted by Norfolk Punt Club. The forecast promised strong westerly winds and fierce gusts, with the small consolation that conditions were expected to ease during the afternoon. The previous Friday Practice had provided an excellent warm up for heavy-weather sailing, with capsizes and encounters with the mud featuring heavily in Races 1 and 2. Our juniors battled the testing conditions all day!
The event began for Rollesby on Friday evening, when a convoy of boats set off for Barton Turf. The team secured a prime position beside the marquee and rigged as much as possible before darkness fell. Saturday brought an early start, with the breeze already building as the sailors arrived, eager and ready to race. There was a final flurry of rope adjustments, toll sticker fitting, snack eating and, most importantly, strategic duct-taping before the boats headed down to the water. The Green Boat was heavily laden with ‘the podium’, around 100 kg of mud weights and a considerable number of bags, so the tow to the pontoon was necessarily slow and careful.
For many members of the team, this was their first event away from ‘home’ and for some it was their first open event altogether. Roger arrived shortly afterwards to collect the parents in the hire cruiser and our support boats were dressed to the nines in bunting. Shortly after the boat decorating, what felt like some of the world’s heaviest mud weights were lowered overboard to keep our floating base secure. The juniors arrived at the pontoons then everyone settled in to await briefing and the start of the first race.
Unfortunately, inaccuracies in the published results mean that it is not possible to confirm the final positions in each individual fleet. Even so Rollesby is extremely proud to have achieved the important milestone of ‘not coming last’. We are believed to have finished fifth overall in the team competition, from the eight entered NSBA affiliated clubs, which represents a significant improvement on last year’s result. None of our juniors were ranked last in their overall fleets which was the main goal shared amongst the team!
Every sailor received a Rollesby bib and burgee. With the R flag displayed proudly both on their backs and at the masthead, our sailors were easy to identify among the other 100 competitors. During the ‘Royal Visit’, James, Hattie and Henrietta met Princess Anne and spoke to her about sailing at Rollesby. Tamsin also explained what makes our club so distinctive and special.
Rollesby was represented in the fast-handicap fleet by Emily in a Laser Radial (ILCA 6), James in a Laser Standard (ILCA 7), and Harvey and Matthew in their Splashes. Sailing a Laser for only the second time, Emily handled the gusty conditions with impressive consistency. From the support boats, we watched her finish in the top third of the fleet in every race. Our venerable club boat held together admirably and proved to some much shinier Lasers that, with the right sailor at the helm, it still has plenty of speed. James brought his characteristically relaxed approach to the racing. His humour and laid-back manner shone throughout the day and, when he spoke with Princess Anne, she was soon laughing along with the group.
After suffering gear failure in Race 1, Matthew returned with a repaired boat and came flying out of the blocks, beating several of the faster boats home in each subsequent race. Harvey followed close behind and, at his first major event in his new boat, consistently finished ahead of a rival yellow Splash.
Ella and Bronwen represented Rollesby in the double-handed fleet in their RS Feva. As two of the youngest and smallest sailors on the team, but with the biggest boat, they faced a considerable challenge in the fresh breeze. Despite several capsizes and spending much of the day towards the back of the fleet, the pair completed every race. They showed tremendous determination, worked together throughout and kept smiling from start to finish.
The combined Topper fleet, which included both the 5.3 and 4.2 rigs, was the largest fleet of the day. Dalton, Hattie, Una, George, Harry, Solomon and Tilly represented Rollesby in the 5.3’s, while our smaller sailors, Monty and Stanley, raced with 4.2 rigs.
George and Dalton produced the strongest results of the Rollesby Topper group, regularly finishing in the top third of the fleet and at times even inside the top ten. George was our Top Ranked Topper overall, often among the first five boats to round the windward mark, although congestion caused by the other fleets occasionally created difficulties. His boat seemed permanently full of water because of a leaking bailer, but even that could not slow him down. Dalton followed closely behind George in the overall results, one of our aspiring ‘Topper Circuit’ racers, this event was good practice for the years to come.
Tilly showed real perseverance after losing her burgee in Race 1 during a lengthy encounter with the mud. She kept her spirits up and achieved much stronger results once the wind began to ease. Harry and Solomon breathed new life into the ancient Club Toppers. Purple and Red sped across Barton Broad with fresh sails and rigging recovered from the depths of the shed, and both sailors enjoyed some good results. Hattie and Una sailed consistently in the middle of the fleet, while also taking on a big sister role for some of the younger competitors. Both recorded good results during the day. As two of Rollesby’s longest-serving team members, they have been part of the Junior Programme from the very beginning.
Good friends Monty and Stanley faced some particularly ferocious gusts and both experienced their share of capsizes. Although they sometimes found themselves towards the back of the fleet, neither gave up and neither was the last boat home in their races.
Henrietta sailed her Optimist in the slow-handicap fleet, competing against Teras and several familiar local rivals. She was the first Optimist home in three races, securing the overall Optimist fleet victory during the first half of the day. Because the races were short, Henrietta remained close enough to the faster Teras that she was also likely to have taken the handicap win. The Oppies enjoyed several close tactical battles, but Henrietta stayed calm, found the necessary boat speed and performed strongly in the sprint-style races.
Prize Giving proved eventful as the results were still not in the correct order. Henrietta’s place at the top of the podium was secure, but there was some confusion when Monty was announced as the winner of the 5.3 fleet, despite having raced with a 4.2 rig! Monty was also later nominated for the endeavour prize, although he was sadly not permitted to collect two medals.
Every Rollesby sailor represented the club superbly. They were polite and respectful, demonstrating outstanding sportsmanship, resilience and determination. Tilly summed up the day perfectly when she said, “Rollesby is like a family.” Her words captured the camaraderie and sense of belonging that ran through the whole group. We hope the team made lasting memories and will look back on the Regatta as a challenging, rewarding and enjoyable experience. Our sincere thanks go to every parent and Rollesby volunteer who helped to support the team over two long days. The only question that remains is: are you ready to do it all again next year?
For more coverage of the event, you can view our Flickr Album; see these lovely photos taken by Trish Barnes and read the Yachts & Yachting Article.
Report By Ellie Edwards