Racing

Rater sailing at Thames SC, where the bulk of the fleet has always been based, is healthy with up to eight boats racing regularly, but we struggle to get a good turnout at Bourne End despite having six boats, more than a quarter of the fleet, based there.  A typical turn out for BEW is twelve to fourteen boats but on one occasion we managed sixteen which was quite exciting on the start line!  Apart from the boats on the Thames there is Bonito (22) on Wroxham Broad and Champagne (21), formerly a UTSC boat, on the Trent.

Of the boats which survived the 1950s only Viva no longer exists.  She was broken up in the 1990s having been sold off the river.  Saucy Sally, Estelle, Surf and My Lady Dainty are laid up at Thames awaiting major refurbishment.  Their future is uncertain both because of the expensive work needed and because the boatshed at Thames is about to be redeveloped and may not in future have storage for these old hulls.

The main regatta for the class is Bourne End Week which was started in 1887 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee.  Initially a different club ran the racing each day but now it is run by UTSC.  Other open meetings are held at Thames SC for the China Bowl (1903) and the Tamesis Club for the Braganza Bowl (1904) and Yeats cup.  The main trophy is the Queen’s Cup presented to UTSC in 1893 by Queen Victoria.  It is thought to be the only Royal Cup presented to an inland club; to a sailing club not a yacht club; and for perpetual rather than one off completion.  The second most important BEW trophy is the Thames Champion Cup which dates from 1887.  Initially it was a single match race sailed at Surbiton but moved to Bourne End in 1890 also as a single match trophy.  It became the series trophy for BEW in 1900.  A newly arrived trophy for 2018 is the Ruby Salver which goes to the highest placed boat in the Thames Champion Cup which was not place first, second or third in any race.  It was originally won by Ruby on the Monday of the second BEW in 1888 and is the oldest known BEW trophy.