Please select your home edition
Edition
Savvy Navvy 2024

RORC East Coast Race and EAORA Week

by Paul Wood 8 Jul 18:25 UTC
EAORA East Anglian Week © Claire Scott

The start of the biannual East Anglian Week in southern Holland was thrown into turmoil with strong winds in the RORC feeder race from Harwich to Ostend.

The weather forecast had predicted a possible force 9 for a while, therefore a few yachts who had entered decided against competing. Two Belgium yachts had sailed over to Harwich ready for the start, but they choose to cruise back and delay their departure back to Ostend to miss the bulk of the bad weather.

The committee boat Windrunner with chairman and race officer onboard sailed over on the Friday in 30 knot winds. Windrunner suffered engine failure on the edge of the shipping lanes. ETA in Ostend was about 2300 hours, the Search and Rescue RIB Brandaris from Nieuwport was called upon who safely towed the committee boat into Ostend.

Congratulations to Paul Scott in his bulletproof Sigma 38 for winning overall with a shredded leach on the mainsail. Paul has been blessed with a good regular team for many years now. 2nd was Arcadia of Harwich the Arcona 400 owned by Mark & Penelope Gillett. The only two boats who raced across.

On Sunday the course was set just off of Ostend for the Medway Yacht Clubs Cannonball race to Breskens. An interesting start as the buoy in the sailing instructions wasn't on station... therefore with the committee boat at anchor and a church steeple due east on the shore it was good enough to start a race. But steer well clear of the pin end!

Congratulations to Mark Lyons in his Dehler 34 Martinique for and overall and class win. Second to Spirit, third to Brillig.

Related Articles

EAORA Buckley Goblets 2024
The final race of the Offshore series for EAORA at West Mersea YC On Friday 13th September it was the final race of the Offshore series for EAORA. It turned out to be lucky for some and not so lucky for others. Posted on 24 Sep
EAORA Week
6 yachts enjoy everything that the Netherlands has to offer The second part of the week found us racing in the calm waters on the Veerse Meer, Oosterschelde and Grevelingenmeer and is still a hidden secret for so many. But this year six yachts enjoyed everything that the Netherlands had to offer. Posted on 19 Jul
EAORA Pattinson Cup & Ralph Herring Trophy
Double whammy for our Sigmas Race two for the EAORA season, the West Mersea YC's Pattinson Cup was won by a Sigma 33, Magic Moments and sailed two handed. Posted on 31 May
Extra Djinn wins RORC North Sea Race
The 2024 edition had 53 boats racing from Harwich to Scheveningen The Royal Ocean Racing Club's North Sea Race is hosted by the Royal Harwich Yacht Club in association with the East Anglian Offshore Racing Association, the Yacht Club Scheveningen and the North Sea Regatta. Posted on 12 May
RORC North Sea Race Preview
A fleet of over 50 boats will set off from Harwich to Scheveningen on Friday The Royal Ocean Racing Club's North Sea Race, hosted by the Royal Harwich Yacht Club, has attracted over 50 boats. The North Sea Race is one of the oldest in the RORC Racing Calendar dating back to 1931. Posted on 8 May
Sheltered racing in South Holland returns for 2024
The revived EAORA Week takes place 6-12 July Organised by the East Anglian Offshore Racing Association, the first EAORA Week was held in 1981. It set a new style of regatta: a week of sailing and socializing abroad during which skippers and crews live aboard, racing from port to port. Posted on 2 Jan
End of season report for EAORA
Magic Moments for everyone at the East Anglian Prize giving and AGM EAORA's end of season prize-giving took place on Saturday 11th November at Haven Ports Yacht Club. There was an impressive array of trophies to be divided up amongst the competitors. Posted on 15 Nov 2023
1,2 for S&S classics in WMYC Buckley Goblets
Annual EAORA 90 mile race from West Mersea to Ostend On Friday 22nd September at 7am, eight IRC yachts and one MOCRA Trimaran raced in the annual 90 mile race from West Mersea to Ostend. The Glass Goblets were first presented to the West Mersea Yacht Club in 1968 by J.C. Buckley. Posted on 26 Sep 2023
A magic weekend at Ramsgate for Magic Moments
Brave Trophy in Round the Goodwins after a retirement in the Fastnet! East Anglian Offshore Racing Association had 10 of their regular competitors race in this year's challenging Fastnet. Only three yachts completed the course. One being Woozle Hunter who was second in class IRC 4B. Posted on 10 Aug 2023
EAORA Offshore Regatta
East Coast Race / RORC Fastnet Qualifier, Cannon Ball Race & Graham Wallis Trophy On Thursday 15th June it was the RORC East Coast Race, the IRC yachts faced tricky conditions as the forecast was very mixed. There was a total of 23 yachts on the start line, racing from Harwich to Ostend. Posted on 23 Jun 2023
Maritimo 2023 M600 FOOTERSavvy Navvy 2024