Banner – Rollesby Broad Sailing Club

Come and do some sailing, learn about Rollesby, start racing and see what the club has to offer! Plenty of opportunities for both club organised and ‘self’ organised sailing or racing.

The new season is now underway and we look forward to welcoming you all back onto the water. As we are now on the ‘summer’ programme, you are allowed to sail any day of the week on Rollesby Broad! However, please remember to ensure there is adequate safety cover for your sailing activities – you can organise this via the WhatsApp Members Community.

First Friday Evening of the Season – Whole Group Briefing 17/04/2026

Racing:

The Wednesday Evening Series has just started and this is a good opportunity for more novice racers to gain experience. Its typically a more calm environment compared to a Sunday morning, both in terms of the usually lighter evening winds and a less congested start-line. Its a ‘Pursuit Race’ where a boats start time is based both on your boats ‘PY’ and your ‘personal handicap’ – a unique Rollesby Experience!
Race 3 on a Sunday afternoon is also a good time to practice the more traditional racing where all boats start together. After lunch, most competitive sailors are heading home after two long races which means there are usually less boats on the course for the third race.

Last Sunday morning with 15 boats arriving at the Windward Mark all together! – Rhiannon Alger

Social Sailing & RYA Training

Adult Course Saturday 2nd & 9th of May – we are looking forward to supporting our new members in learning how to sail! There will be light safety cover available on these days, so feel free to come sailing. However, please be aware the instructors will be focusing on course tuition and will be using club boats. If you missed out on this course and still want to learn to sail, or wish further develop your skills, we are running a second adult course in September – https://webcollect.org.uk/rbsc/event/rya-adult-training-2026
Junior Block 1 on Friday Evenings – this coming Friday will mark the halfway point for the first block, everyone has been doing really well so far! If your young person has taken to sailing and wants to continue to improve, it might be time to consider purchasing them their own boat and encouraging their participation on a Wednesday Evening and Sunday Afternoon. More information about upcoming training dates here: https://www.rbsc.org.uk/rya-training/
Bank Holiday Mondays – there are two of them this month! You might find if the weather is favourable, people may be heading down to the club for a sail. Again good practice is to ensure adequate safety cover by sailing in a small group, understanding the prevailing condition and knowing limits.

Drone Footage of Friday Evening taken and edited by Junior Assistant Instructor George.

We hope to keep up Social Media and updating our webpages. There is a new Flickr Album for General RBSC Training pictures and videos- https://www.flickr.com/photos/rollesbybroadsc/albums/72177720333396576/with/55240798788/. But we can’t keep the pages active if we don’t get content! Therefore, if you are on Race Duty or are just spectating, providing you have time and it doesn’t interfere with your required activities, you could try to do some action photography or race footage! If you get some good ones, please send your photos/videos to either the WhatsApp Group or direct message Ellie Edwards.

Sixteen competitors faced a day of unpredictable, often testing conditions at the Eastern Area Solo Open hosted by Rollesby Broad Sailing Club on Saturday 18th of April.

With six visiting sailors joining the ten‑strong home fleet, the racing quickly proved both close and tactical. Local knowledge helped in moments, but it was the visitors who consistently occupied the sharp end of the results. Positions changed constantly throughout the day, and several tie‑breaks were ultimately needed to separate the overall standings

Race 1 began in a shifty westerly, and an early pile‑up at the windward mark allowed a handful of boats to escape. Jasper Barnham seized the opportunity, breaking clear and leading unchallenged to the finish. Godfrey Clark steadily closed the gap on the final lap but settled for second, with Chris Bunn taking third.

After a course change, Race 2 got underway in very light airs. Despite the wind being all over the place, Clark again emerged as an early leader, being able to extend this into a comfortable win. Daniel Bull, normally seen in his ILCA at Rollesby, handled his borrowed wooden Solo impressively, holding off Bunn for much of the race. However experience told in the final stages, and Bunn slipped past at the last mark to secure second.

Race 3 saw a developing sea breeze prompt a major course adjustment and the sailors set off after lunch down to the far end of the broad for a committee-boat start. Clark continued his strong form, taking his second win of the day. Barnham followed closely in second, while John Saddington used his knowledge of Rollesby’s quirks to claim third.

Start of Race 3 at the Committee-Boat End

Race 4 almost finished without any wind shenanigans until the final lap when the wind dropped further and swung more easterly. Barnham again claimed another race win after successfully holding off Bryan Morum, with Martin Brooking in third. With results extremely tight, competitors gathered eagerly as the Race Team calculated the final standings.

The overall winner was Jasper Barnham, representing Snettisham Beach. Godfrey Clark from Fishers Green was second overall. Chris Bunn completed the top three in third overall, representing Lady Yacht Club. The visitors rounded out the top six and first Rollesby Solo was Robert Hawkings, who finished seventh overall.

Full Event Results available on the club website – linked here. Event media can be found on the club’s Flickr, Facebook and Instagram.

Report By – Ellie Edwards

Category: Banner

Eastern Area Solo Open 2026 – Race Report