Either because of the weather forecast, or perhaps because of the late date of the YNR this year - or perhaps for entirely different reasons - the turn out for this year's Autumn Regatta was lower than normal.  However, those boats that did turn out, including several from the northern rivers, enjoyed some excellent sailing in the fresh breeze.  This looked unlikely initially, with the river shrouded in fog first thing on Saturday, but eventually it burnt off and conditions improved.

Having said numbers were down, they were in fact healthy for the Junior (under 30s) race with six yachts entered.  A relatively short course was set for this, with boats reaching up to a mark below Langley, then running back down to one alongside the factory and then looping round.  The first start was very competitive, with two of the three boats over the line, but they soon sorted themselves out and all six eventually finished in good order.  It was tight at the top, with Jack Copping on Swallowtail beating Jasper Richardson on Ladybird by a mere five seconds.  Wilum Johnston steered the borrowed Glory into third place.

After lunch it was time for the pursuit race.  By now the tide had turned and a strong ebb had set in, but the wind was strong enough to overcome this, with some even choosing to put reefs in.  Valkyrie II, as the slowest boat there, set off first in a stiff breeze, which suited her perfectly and she had set up a strong lead by the time the next boat, Honey, started nine minutes later.  However, by now, the wind had already died a little, leaving those with reefs regretting their life choices.

Lee deliberately put Honey into a reed bed to shake out his reefs before resuming, but Pirate shot into the vegetation less deliberately and had to be towed out, thus ending her race.  Morning Calm was doing well, until the same fate befell them and although they were able to sail out again, the great bundle of reeds around the rudder meant they had lost steerage and also had to retire.  Meanwhile, at the front, Glory eventually overhauled Valkyrie II, followed by Ladybird and Swallowtail, who then battled valiantly for second place; the former managing to get ahead only minutes before the end.  Glory was uncatchable, though and Tinkerbell just squeaked past Valkyrie II to claim 4th place.

After all that excitement, about twenty enjoyed a meal in the pub before many retired early to their beds.  Around midnight huge winds struck, sending great rolling waves down the reach just at high tide. With water washing over the bank top and the yachts doing rocking horse impressions, it was an uncomfortable couple of hours for those on board.  Happily, as the tide turned, things calmed down and by the morning the worst of the wind had blown itself out.

Conveniently, the first Sunday race took place around high slack water, meaning there was little tide to contend with and the fleet could enjoy a long course up towards Beauchamp, then a loop back to just above Langley, back to Beauchamp and then a return to Cantley to finish.  The woods, with a good number of trees now removed by winter working parties, seemed not to be a great issue for anyone.  Sparklet unfortunately had to retire for the weekend when screws in their jib track started coming loose, but everyone else that started finished in good order.  Valkyrie II, enjoying the strong breeze, claimed first place, with Glory just 17 seconds behind on corrected time.  There was then a gap to Ladybird and Swallowtail, finishing in 3rd and 4th respectively, just 13 seconds apart.

In the afternoon, with the ebb creating a tack against the tide on many sections of river, the OOD made the decision to send the yachts round a mark just below Langley and then downriver on a with-the-tide run and reach to beyond Hardley Dyke.  It was then a tack back but, in order to avoid the tree-lined stretch through the factory and the sweeping tide on the bend below the pub, the race was finished at the Hardley pontoon.  This seemed to work well, with all boats completing the course.  This time Glory took the honours from Valkyrie II, with Ladybird again in third place.  Wandering Rose, unhappily, became another reedbed victim, ploughing in behind the start line buoy about a minute before their gun.  Having been pulled out backwards, they also discovered they had picked up subterranean vegetation, this time wrapped around the propellor.

At the prize-giving, Valkyrie II collected the John Mann trophy as overall winner for boats built before 1940 but Glory, with two first places, was an unassailable winner for the Nelson Trophy for the regatta overall.  The Diamond Jubilee Trophy was also presented, for the Rockland/July/Autumn series and was also won by Glory on the back of her excellent season.  Tinkerbell was the only other qualifier this year.  The raffola was then drawn, with most prizes going to a small group of club members.  Perhaps they purchased more tickets?