UK Archives - Small Boats Magazine

Swallows & Amazons – Open Boat Event

Our premier open boat event for everyone, now in its 25th year! Join us once again at the Walton & Frinton Yacht Club to race around the Island, and explore the backwaters.

This year we are extending the event to three days. High tides are: Friday 13:08, Saturday 13:51, Sunday 14:51. Sailing will start on the Friday for those that can make it, with a race round Horsey Island on Saturday, weather permitting. On the Friday or Sunday, again weather permitting, we might creep up Bramble Creek to say a quiet hello to the seals. Join on Thursday evening to make the most of the three days!

To mark our 25th year, Tessa Hodgkinson has written a lovely history and description of the event as it has evolved over the years:

The annual Swallows and Amazons Race is a delightful celebration of the diversity found in small Gaffers, the sailing adventures of the Walker & Blackett children, the wonderful back drop of the Walton Backwaters and of course, the ever forgiving, ever clinging Essex mud.

It all started some 35 years ago when Jon Wainwright and Brian Hammett started a “race around the island” for the smaller boats and dinghies at the Shotley Classic Boat Festival in 1989. It proved very popular with all the open boats and even some smaller cruisers, so eventually it broke away to form its own weekend event. The title of the weekend seemed an obvious choice, paying homage to Arthur Ransome and his inspirational books about the youngsters, delighting in their adventures and their freedom with their small gaffers in these very waters.

In the early 2000s we were regularly hosting 40 to 50 small boats at Swallows and Amazons, it was often the largest East Coast event. The boats were a wonderful collection, including real classics over 100yrs old, ex fishing boats including Lune whammels, winkle brigs, smacks boats, barge boats, whalers, also racing dinghies, 1920s one designs, dinghies and self-built boats, and they came from all over England and Wales in a spirit of goodwill and fun.

Saturday was race around Horsey Island, launch as soon as there is water and try to get back before the mud reappears. There were always adventures and spills, dinghies full of families and dogs, some definitely had pirates aboard, some pausing to seal watch and others offering tows to those becalmed without an outboard and needing a helping hand home.

Being a race, of course, there are prizes, but having such an eclectic fleet, handicapping is virtually impossible, so we made many classes, many prizes and a rule that each boat could only be awarded one prize, to share them around as much as possible and encourage all.

Sunday is fun day (just in case the race was not fun enough) we have had dinghy treasure hunts, sail in company to a picnic spot, visit the actual Swallow Island (by landowner invitation), seal trips and exploration into the furthest, shallowest backwaters.

As the years have gone by Swallows and Amazons has reduced in size, but the spirit of fun and inclusivity remains, prizes for all and never more than one each. There is an increasing fleet of east coast smacks boats that regularly support the event and all small gaffers and assorted classics are very welcome. Come by sea or land, enjoy the secret waters and friendly pirates, watch out for seals and mastodons … they can all be found here.

The English Raid – Plymouth Raid V3

The Raid will be based at the Mountbatten Water Sports and Activities Centre in Plymouth as in 2017 and 2015.

The Raid is taking place in school holidays in order to help those Raiders who have children (or Grandchildren) still at school. It is also the only dates that were available

We have booked all of the bedrooms as accommodation for the Raid.

Cars and trailers can be parked at the Centre.

There are spaces for up to 8 camper vans. Plug-in facilities for camper vans are available.  All Camper Van users will have 24-hour access to the Centre for showers and WC included within their charge. There are very few camping facilities nearby, although plenty of B&Bs and rental properties.

The boats will be launched, moored and recovered at Mountbatten Centre (MC).

The exact programme needs to remain as flexible as possible and will depend on tidal and weather conditions.  Thus, apart from Monday and Thursday evening/Friday morning, everything is fluid.

MONDAY 19th August

Day:

Arrival and registration

Evening:

18.00 Welcome reception

20.00 Supper

DAY A

Breakfast 07.30- 08.30

Briefing 09.00

Sail to Newton Ferrers

Racing on passage to and from Newton Ferrers

Lunch on beach and or pub

Return  Mount Batten

Supper 20.00 ( Location TBA )

DAY B

Breakfast 07.30- 08.30

Briefing 09.00

Sail to Cawsand for lunch,

Racing in Harbour

Return Mount Batten

Supper 20.00 ( Location TBA )

DAY C

Breakfast 07.30- 08.30

Briefing 09.00

Sail up the Tamar

Lunch possibly at Saltash Sailing Club

Racing on passage to and from
Saltash Sailing Club

Supper 20.00 ( Location TBA )

Thursday 22nd August EVENING

Some recovery of boats

Supper at Royal Western Yacht Club 20.00

Prize giving after supper

Friday 23rd August

Breakfast 07.30- 08.30

Recover boats/free sailing

ACCOMMODATION:

We have booked all of the bedrooms as accommodation for the Raid.  Cars and trailers can be parked at the Centre.  Plug-in facilities for up to 8 camper vans are available.  All Camper Van users will have 24-hour access to the Centre for showers and WC included within their charge. There are very few camping facilities nearby, although plenty of B&Bs and rental properties.

FOOD:

Breakfast for those with beds in the Mountbatten Centre is included. Camper Van residents and live-aboards can buy breakfasts at the Centre for £8.00 per head per day but these need to be booked the day before.

Packed lunches will be provided on the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for all Raiders.

Supper will be provided on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings for all Raiders.

COST:

The cost of participation in the Raid is expected to be £300 per person (this includes 3 packed lunches, 4 dinners, mooring fees and car and trailer parking).

In addition the cost of room-based accommodation in the Mountbatten Centre (including breakfast) is £160 per person (Monday evening to Friday morning).  Please note that you may end up sharing a room with crew from another boat as there are only 26 rooms in the Centre. Couples will not be asked to share and will be given their own room.

If you wish to stay in a camper van on the premises the cost is £28 per day per van (including electric hook-up) i.e,£112 for the 4 nights from Monday to Friday.  Those in camper vans (or live-aboards) may purchase breakfasts from the Centre at £8.00 per head per day.  These breakfasts can be booked in advance or the day before.

There is no charge for children under 5 and children 5 – 12 will be 50% of the adult cost.

To book your place on the Raid please go to Register 2024  and complete the form and send it to us.   A booking deposit of £75 per boat will secure your place.

402410 61420933 and Raid England are the details you will need if using online banking

If you are making an overseas transfer you will need to know that HSBC is the bank and that Market Place, Henley-on-Thames, UK is the address together with some or all of the below.  I have recently been using a system called Wise (https://wise.com) very successfully with much better exchange rates than most banks but contact me first to discuss the best way of paying.  If you insist upon using a traditional bank please can you “pay” the transfer fees as well because UK banks charge us a lot for accepting money from outside the UK.

IBAN: GB58HBUK40241061420933

Branch BIC (BIC 11): HBUKGB4113V

Bank BIC (BIC8): HBUKGB4B

otherwise please send an old-fashioned cheque made payable to:

Raid England

to
Geoff Probert

60 St. Marks Rd.

Henley-on-Thames,

Oxon

RG9 1LW

Geoff Probert

01491 577220

geoffprobertatgmaildotcom

Peter Chesworth

01209 822054

peteratwillowbridgecottagedotcodotuk

(substitute at & dot with the usual symbols  in order  to defeat the automated spammers)