Welcome

The Crouch Yacht Club is situated in a fabulous waterfront building in Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex, UK. Equipped with a fully licensed bar and The Moorings Restaurant it is always a lively spot during the season.

Visiting Yachtsmen are always welcome. Tie up on our pontoon, pick up a nearby mooring or stop off at the Burnham Yacht Harbour and then come into the club for a drink!

And we are always keen to welcome new members! For further information Email - Enquiry

Crouch Yacht Club Programme

The programme gives details of the Crouch Yacht Club racing events, EAORA and SailEAST races, together with social events. (CYC Prog_2011.pdf).
Flag Finishes sponsor the printed version of the programme.
Documents for CYC Club Series can be accessed here: (Club Series Entry Form.pdf); (Coursecard 2011 version 1.pdf); (Sailing Instructions 2011.pdf)

Sail Faster Sail Safer Series with Pip Hare

Yachting World in association with Pantaenius have launched the first of twelve monthly videos on Advanced Sailing Techniques. Every month this year there will be a two page article in Yachting World with online videos relating to Advanced Sailing Techniques. In this video, professional sailor and coach Pip Hare guides you through how to deal with a Chinese gybe when flying a spinnaker. To get the best out of this series, combine this video with the detailed feature published in the February 2012 issue of Yachting World.

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Royal Burnham Yacht Club: Payne James Icicle Race

Four IRC boats, one Portsmouth Yardstick yacht and two motor boats made the start line on January 1st for the last race of the season from the Royal Burnham Yacht Club for the coveted Payne James Icicle Trophy.

The course took the racing yachts up to Number 9 and then down river to Greenward, then up the Roach to Jubilee, before going to Redward, returning to Jubilee before returning up river to Number 11, down to Number 5, up to Number 9 and then finishing. The motor boat section had a course up river for their predicted log, which was won by Grey Lady.

Mantra had a good start, but was overhauled by the higher rated SJ320 Quencher, owned by Roger Noble, with Double Trouble also managing to power through the...

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Christmas Grand Prix 2011

On Sunday 18 December five yachts braved minus temperatures to race in the final race of the Crouch Yacht Club 2011 programme. The course was Number 11 port, Number 7 port as many times as can fit into about an hour. Boats were dressed appropriately for the festive season, as were the crews. Erotic Bear modelled a huge inflatable Santa from their transom, and Double Trouble had two Christmas Trees, one aloft. Mantra had dressed in tinsel with a tree in the pushpit, and Encore was festively festooned with tinsel.

The converted 707 owned by Gary Shaffer got a good start, as did Double Trouble. Encore, however, soon caught up Duncan Haley’s Double Trouble and the two of them enjoyed close racing throughout the hour. Encore eventually holding the lead,...

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Message from RNLI Commercial Training Team

The RNLI College is opening its doors to the boating community, to allow people the opportunity to come along and experience a taster of our crew training, and pick up some valuable skills as well. The Nautical Skills weekend takes place over the 4-5th February 2012.

We currently have an ‘early-bird’ price of £275 per person, if booked before 31 December 2011, after this date the standard cost is £325 per person.
We have attached a flier with further information about the weekend. (Link to Flyer is at end of article)

We appreciate that many of you may be involved in local sailing/yachting clubs, or other organisations who may be interested in this event. It would be fantastic if you could pass this on to anyone who...

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Nutcracker Series: Race 3 - 11 December 2011

The final race of the Nutcracker Series on Sunday 11 December saw eight boats start in a southerly breeze of just over 10 knots. Four boats started on the North Shore not setting spinnakers. Quencher and Mantra set spinnakers and opted to start mid river, and the converted 707 started on the South Shore, without spinnaker.

The Geek and Inn Spirit got away and Double Trouble stayed close to the leading boats. Inn Spirit quickly took the lead on the water and held onto it throughout the race. The Geek settled into second, with Double Trouble third on the water. The boats went up the Roach, turning at Wade, before returning to Greenward, and rounding Jubilee before heading back up to finish.
On corrected time, The Geek won, also...

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Nutcracker Series: Race 2 - 04 December 2011

Eight IRC boats raced in super sailing conditions in the Crouch Yacht Club Flag Paints Autumn Series Race Two on Sunday 04 December. Amazon sailed across the line on starboard before starting and got a good start. The boats got a fair tide beat with the last hour of flood tide up to Short Pole Reach, Amazon rounded Cliff ahead of Inn Spirit, but to leeward, and the higher rated boat sailed over her, maintaining her on the water lead for the remainder of the race. The Geek sailed up into second place having also got through Amazon on the beat up to Short Pole Reach. Double Trouble settled into fourth place on the water, ahead of Quencher. The fleet then had a downwind leg to Number 13, with...

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Nutcracker Series: Race 1 - 27 November 2011

The first race of the 2011 Nutcracker Series from the Crouch Yacht Club took place on Sunday 27 November in winds gusting up to 38 knots. The five boats headed up river with the tide, beating up to Short Pole Reach. Inn Spirit rounded first, with The Geek second, Double Trouble third, Quencher fourth and lowest rated Mantra just behind.
Inn Spirit set her spinnaker for the run home, and suffered a most spectacular broach, narrowly avoiding going up the bank, when gybing at the first river bend past short pole reach. The Geek and Double Trouble also set spinnakers, and The Geek suffered the same fate as Inn Spirit when she tried to gybe at Number 13. Her broach saw her turn 180 degrees heading up river...

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Flag Paints Autumn Series Race 8

The final race of the Flag Paints Crouch Yacht Club Autumn Series took place on Sunday November 20th in brilliant sunshine and fickle winds after a delay to allow the fog to lift.
The three Hunter 707s had a close race, with Beaver Hunter and Baby Beluga racing for the series. A reach and run up to Number 13 was followed by a fair tide beat back to the finish, taking boats about an hour. Beaver Hunter beat in Baby Beluga to take the series on count back.
In the IRC fleet, eight boats started, most choosing to start in the middle of the river, with Gary Shaffer’s converted Hunter 707 taking the North Shore, and The Geek crossing over to the South Shore, to join Inn Spirit,...

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Flag Paints Autumn Series Race 7

The penultimate race in the Flag Paints Autumn Series took place in fantastic sunshine on Sunday 13 November. The fourteen strong fleet all picked up moorings off the War Memorial before racing to observe the two minutes silence at 11 o’clock.
At half past eleven, the Hunter 707 fleet started, with all boats spot on the line, being able to bear off with the flood tide ensuring they weren’t over the line. Beaver Hunter won, with Baby Beluga second and Joe Blob third.
In the IRC class, the fleet were bang on the line on the gun, ready to beat down river against the strong flood tide. Amazon and Double Trouble and The Geek all got good starts, with Sapphire crossing through the fleet on port, avoiding Quencher...

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Flag Paints Autumn Series Race 6

The 6th race of the Flag Paints Crouch Yacht Club Autumn Series on November 6th started in a fresh Northerly breeze, an hour and a half into the ebb tide. The IRC fleet spread right across the river at the start, setting spinnakers to reach to Greenward. Double Trouble got the best start, spinnaker filling quickly and working well on the North Shore. The new entrant Sapphire also got a good start in the middle of the river.
Inn Spirit took the lead and maintained it with Amazon rounding ahead of The Geek!, followed by Double Trouble, Mantra and Erotic Bear. The boats ran up the Roach, dropping kites to fetch up to Wade, and then fetched back to Roach, with a fast fair tide beat to Greenward again....

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Flag Paints Autumn Series Race 5

On Sunday 30 October five Hunter 707s and ten IRC boats raced from the Crouch Yacht Club, going right up to short pole reach, before returning to number 13, going back round Cliff and Canewdon, then rounding Number 7 before being shortened on the way back up to Number 13.
In the IRC Class, Harvest Moon was OCS, but was on her way to clear the line when the starting gun went, and cleared the line before starting. Amazon and Inn Spirit got away quickly, and beat up to Number 15, before fetching to Cliff, with another beat towards Short Pole Reach. The Geek made her way into second place on the water, and Amazon settled into third, Ninjod in fourth. A spinnaker hoisting error by...

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Flag Paints Autumn Series Race 4

On Sunday 23 October the fourth race in the Crouch Yacht Club Autumn Series yet again took place in brilliant sunshine, but this week with good southerly winds. The fleet went down river to Greenward, and up to Wade before returning to Greenward, rounding Jubilee and up to the Club to finish.
In the Hunter 707 class, the fleet all started bang on the line, and headed off down river at a pace. The race was close throughout, with Joe Blob eventually winning , having taken a flyer on the opposite shore to the other two. Just 4 seconds separated first from second, and 14 seconds first from last.
The IRC fleet were very keen on the start line, with several boats being recalled for being over the line...

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CYC Members Collect Silverware

On the evening of Saturday October 15, members of the Crouch Yacht Club were at two prize-givings picking up lots of silverware. Phillip Harbott owner of Mantra collected 6 out of a possible 7 Class 1 trophies at the Burnham Sailing Club for Wednesday Evening Racing, with his 9 year old son Charlie picking up an award for most dedicated crew, completing all bar one race.

The EAORA Crews were up at Haven Ports Yacht Club for the EAORA AGM and prize-giving. Tony Merewether took over as Chairman from Judy Payne James. Stan Fenton’s Fay J are overall EAORA champions for 2011, as well as Class 2 winners. They also took Class 2 in the Royal Thames Series, and were third in the Coastal series, being...

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Flag Paints Autumn Series Race 3

On Sunday 16 October race three of the Crouch Yacht Club Flag Paints Autumn Series got underway in brilliant sunshine, but fickle winds. The boats went upriver to Cliff and Canewdon before returning to Number 7, and Cliff Reach, then being shortened before continuing down to Number 3.
Joe Blob was OCS in the Hunter 707s, but returned and cleared the line. Beaver Hunter got away and led the fleet, with Joe Blob in second. Baby Beluga were in third and went aground just past Burnham Yacht Harbour but managed to get off on the rising tide.
The ten IRC boats were shy of the line as it was a fair tide start. Frank Curtis’ Just Is was first to cross the line as the boats all...

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Flag Paints Autumn Series Race 2

Eight IRC boats and three Hunter 707s raced in super sailing conditions in the Crouch Yacht Club Flag Paints Autumn Series Race Two on Sunday October 9. In the IRC fleet Amazon sailed across the line on starboard before starting and got a good start. The boats got a fair tide beat with the last hour of flood tide up to Short Pole Reach, Amazon rounded Cliff ahead of Inn Spirit, but to leeward, and the higher rated boat sailed over her, maintaining her on the water lead for the remainder of the race. The Geek sailed up into second place having also got through Amazon on the beat up to Short Pole Reach. Double Trouble settled into fourth place on the water, ahead of Quencher. The fleet...

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Flag Paints Autumn Series Race 1

The first race of the Crouch Yacht Club Autumn Series took place on Sunday 2 October. The fleet finally got away after an hours delay. Only one Hunter 707 started, and were over the line at the start. However, they came back and cleared the line and sailed the course, to ensure a first place.
In the IRC class, eight boats started, and sailed a course locally called ‘round the houses’, going to fairway 11, then fairway 7, twice. Amazon, Just Is and Mantra were closest to the line, hoping the flood tide did not sweep them the wrong side of the line, but Mantra couldn’t power up, so were soon overtaken by Paul Drew’s Harvest Moon. The Geek sailed to the front of the fleet and rounded Number...

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Forthcoming Events - Autumn Series

Eight races one per week from Sunday 02 Oct to Sunday 20 November
Download Notice of Race here: Autumn Series 2011 NOR.pdf

Pursuit Race - Whirlwind Trophy

The final race of the prestigious Victory Cup Series took place on Sunday 25 September from the Crouch Yacht Club, taking the form of a pursuit race, for the Whirlwind Trophy. Five boats were given start times, with Mantra, the lowest rated entrant going off at 10 30 exactly. The last boat to start was the highest rated entrant, Inn Spirit, starting at quarter to eleven.
The course took the boats down to Greenward, then up the Roach to Wade, before heading back up river to Cliff and Canewdon, the finish time being 12.30pm. Mantra kept her lead until The Geek sailed under her 12 minutes before the end of the race, just before Cliff. Double Trouble kept on her heels and as Mantra suffered a spinnaker issue, Double Trouble...

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Two Handed Series Race 2

Peter Overend Memorial Trophy

The second and final race of the series took place from the Crouch Yacht Club on Sunday 18 September in light and often fickle winds. Four boats started, with Ian Langston’s The Geek, crossing the line first. The boats turned up to Short Pole Reach, with the tide, with The Geek and Inn Spirit leading the fleet, with Mantra ahead of the higher rated Just Is until Bridgemarsh. The fleet rounded Short Pole Reach and set spinnakers to run down the river, although the odd wind shift meant boats reached at times. The CYC Committee Boat sent the boats straight home from Number 13, with The Geek having a big lead on the rest of the fleet. Just Is retired, and Inn Spirit finished next under...

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CYC EAORA Successes 2011

Extracts from EAORA website News Flash 1. Select here for full details

Stan Fenton’s Fay J are overall EAORA champions for 2011, as well as Class 2 winners. They also took Class 2 in the Royal Thames Series, and were third in the Coastal series, being beaten by the winners, Inn Spirit, and Tony and Chuffy Merewether’s Amazon.

Inn Spirit have had an excellent season, winning Class One overall, the Libya Cup for seasons points with no discards, the Coastal Series and Class One in the Royal Thames Series. Alan Bartlett and his crew have also picked up a couple of extra trophies, taking the Colonel’s trophy, which combines the results of the West Mersea Yacht Club Races, this year the Pattinson Cup, Sunk Race and Buckley Goblets....

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