Down River Race – 3rd June 2023
The BRCS Down River Race is a highlight of the sailing calendar, bringing together crews of greatly varying abilities and experience, sailing in boats of greatly varying vintage, some hoping for a podium place, others simply to enjoy the time on the water. On Saturday the Gods were smiling, with conditions similar to the 2022 URR, meaning a northerly wind and a blue sky.
Assembled on the start line was a record fleet of thirty scows, with seven ‘newbie’ boats, including one crewed by Lola and Arthur, both Phipps grandchildren.
Our CRO, Gerard, set us a short windward leg towards Beaulieu, then straight to the finish, laying a buoy 10m from the far bank to keep us away from the reeds at the start.
Victoria had pointed out the importance of a good start and team Bonham Carter was fast out of the blocks, along with Jay and Simon Shaw (assisted by Baba and Mimi). In a very short time the leaders stretched away, trailing Jay.
The DRR race is a marathon not a sprint and, barely out of site of the start line, the leaders duly found themselves in an almost windless hole. The remainder of the fleet were relieved to have this opportunity to catch up, and positions changed quickly, with June and Cassie joining the leading group.
Simon Shaw dropped off Babar to continue without crew (and without jib), quickly getting back to the front of the fleet. By the time we reached Bucklers Hard, having been running, beating and everything in-between, the wind again chose to disappear and the fleet concertinaed again, closing on the leaders.
After Bucklers Hard, with the wind returning, Bea McGill pulled away from the ‘peloton’ at incredible speed, pursued hard by Richard Chitty in his concourse wooden scow and George, Henry and Kit Nurton (with Henry helming).
With a big fleet and a long race there were many ‘races-within-races – Sam van Holthe and Simon Knott both had their moments mid-race, before slipping back and Nick Bentley-Buckle, (crewed by Sally Hutton) enjoyed sailing a scow many years younger than his own ‘ancient’ craft – ‘just shows’, he said afterwards! Lucy Markby dropped back to keep her daughter Beattie company, in the first Topper home.
John Phipps’ son-in-law Gerald Tremlett and crew Harriet were in John’s very old red scow 252, but the prize for the oldest scow, number 106 went to Charlie Dudbridge , new to the club, and sailing his first DRR, who had the exasperating misfortune of choosing the right hand fork at Buckers Hard marina, finding himself in a dead end, eventually having to accept a tow home; very bad luck.
The final leg, from Gins to the finish was full of position-changes; at the front, June and Cassie, having built themselves an impressive lead, over-hauled first by Jay, who sailed on the get the gun, then, in a tense tacking duel, by Charles and Ned Nicholson and Simon Shaw.
Pre-race both June and Cassie had said they were going to potter along at the back, June saying she hadn’t sailed a scow for 50 years, but their success shouldn’t have been a surprise, as both grew up on the river and were taught by Ginna Gaynor’s mother, the legendary Bunny Borthwick.
Team Nurton finished in fifth, followed by Bea McGill, Richard Chitty, Symon Stratton, the Bonham Carters and Nick Bentley Buckle and Sally Hutton. An honourable mention goes to Carl and Zoe Leibat in fourteenth, the first newbies to finish.
Need Ore is looking spick and span, with the slipway clean of slime and the dinghy park newly gravelled, and our post-race picnic was as splendid as ever – a huge thank you to everyone who helped.
And an equally huge thank you to the team who managed the fleet so well – Gerard as CRO, ably assisted by Gerry Marling-Roberts, her daughter Clemmie and grand daughter Martha on the starting platform and a fleet of safety boats – Peter and Angela Hayward-Broomfield, Gerard with Alison Moore-Gwyn, Vova Karavan and Oli Stanley and Simon Gibbs and James Evans. Thank you to Bill Osbourne-Young for the use of his horse-box and Ross McGinn for the very welcome glass of Pimms.
Charles Nicholson