In a part of the UK lives a small class of yachts which I have lived with all my life and wanted to show you. The RCC (River Cruiser Class)

Posted by Westward5@reddit | sailing | View on Reddit | 84 comments

The Norfolk broads (you probably only know from that David Bowie song life on mars) is a large group of inland waterways and broads created when medieval peat excavations were flooded to create waterways.

during the late 1800s they started using these waterways for recreational sailing and racing. Some of these yachts designed solely for the broads are in my opinion some of the prettiest sailing vessels I've ever sailed on, originally wooden but modern versions made with fibreglass.

I have sailed on the broads all my life and wanted to show you some photos of these beautiful boats as unfortunately people are less and less interested in sailing these beautiful boats and as costs go up so does maintenance especially for the wooden yachts. the people/company's that originally built these boats do not exist unfortunately.

the racing can be incredibly intense especially at the starts lines, 10+ boats along small rivers can lead to some incredible racing. I have been racing for 15+ years and it's been some of the most intense and sometimes most stressful sailing I've ever done.

I hope you enjoy

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kaese_meister@reddit

I proposed to my ex-girlfriend (now wife 😉) on one of Hunters Yards boats... "Hustler 4".

Spending all day tacking against the tide on a narrow stretch of river with low wind obviously drove me mad enough!

Fantastic boats!

(photo taken by passing canoe who I managed to shout my mobile number over to)

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russellcoightscousin@reddit

First thought was "imagine the amount of tacking in a small waterway" 😅

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Westward5@reddit (OP)

Incredibly small world. I grew up on the hunters boats, my family's boat was moored there for a while. Hustler 4 was the last boat I ever sailed from hunters and the first boat I ever took out on my own. She was always my favourite. So much so my Xbox name as a child was Hustler 4 😂

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kaese_meister@reddit

Small world indeed! Though I'm amazed more UK sailors aren't aware of Hunters/these boats. They're so unique and beautiful!

I hope to get back someday...my kids are too young currently. tried taking my 1 year old out on a Heron over winter....ended about as well as I should have anticipated 😅

Next time I may take one of Hunters boats that has a motor though. Being entirely reliant on wind was fun, but required a lot of patience!

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Zealousideal-Ad-7618@reddit

I took Brown Bess for a few days with my daughter when she was about 8, we slept on the deck under the tent cover. Lots of fun :)

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Westward5@reddit (OP)

I wish they were more known, but unfortunately the new management at hunters isn't very good and it's letting it down.

I'm glad they put some motors in them, I think it makes it more accessible for more people which they need.

Im glad to see other people that enjoyed them as much as I had and i hope your children grow up to enjoy them as well.

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Whole-Quick@reddit

This is the kind of conversation that makes this little corner of the internet so pleasurable.

Thank you for brightening my day.

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flashdognz@reddit

I wonder if Arthur ransome sailed here in these boats...

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Westward5@reddit (OP)

Possibly I don't know, it is also rumoured it was where Horatio Nelson learnt how to sail but I'm not sure that's a fact or not

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flashdognz@reddit

Seems Horatio certainly grew up in the area so he would have had a chance of sailing there before his official naval career began. If I ever holiday in UK I'll be putting the Broads high in the list of destinations to visit, looks great.

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Strict-Air2434@reddit

Pretty AF.

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Raneynickelfire@reddit

I have a serious question about picture #6...

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Kanthaka@reddit

Very beautiful! Thank you for sharing!

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Vostok-aregreat-710@reddit

I knew them from Arthur Ransome.

Sadly the two Dublin Bay One Design Yachts ended up like that.

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Elses_pels@reddit

You have to find a video of those boats sailing under the tiny bridges. Spectacular.

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Westward5@reddit (OP)

You can find a load of videos online, it's called the three rivers race, to reduce lost time they sail as close to the bridge before lowering the mast and passing through it

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Elses_pels@reddit

Thanks for the keywords

Here is one link for Reddit ;-)

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gc1@reddit

This is fantastic; thanks for sharing. Going under one of those bridges is definitely a “Plan B? There is no Plan B” moment.

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dangitaboutit@reddit

Ah folding mast. I was expecting them to lay it over on the rail or something crazy.

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Whole-Quick@reddit

That is delightfully bonkers !

I love a sailing race where paddles are allowed. So much fun.

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Hordearius@reddit

Amazing - how does this not have a million+ views?

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Vaelos@reddit

Very few people sail 😅

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Hordearius@reddit

Most sailing makes lousy spectating - the bridges add some drama ;-)

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DefectorChris@reddit

This rules.

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SevereSherbert4275@reddit

Wow, super inspiring, as a sailor who thinks I’ve done a pretty decent job of navigating the marina with no bridges in sight! Seeing these folks sail a river with boats along either side and traffic in the middle and low bridges shows what is possible.

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lampsslater77@reddit

That's wild

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RobinsonCruiseOh@reddit

oh that is very neat to see.

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cptmoose@reddit

Beautiful boats! Do you know the class of #30 in your sixth photo? My family has one that is similar, possibly a little larger known as an Ontario 16. I'm just wondering if that one is in the same or similar class.

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Westward5@reddit (OP)

I do indeed. They are called the "Yare and Bure one design"

It's the same design for over 100 years

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jambo3000uk@reddit

I have come second in a three rivers race (in my class) and can say it is the best race ever! After 24 hours racing I finished 2 minutes after the boat in front despite taking different routes! Fully recommend people to visit Norfolk and see the race and even take part themselves!!! Any questions… AMA I suppose!

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Westward5@reddit (OP)

Which class were you racing?

Ive only done it once while crewing for someone else on a river cruiser and some of the most memorable moments was when it was about midnight and the helmsman fell asleep mid tack and we went straight into the bank 😂 and also getting stuck on the mud on hickling sound. Good fun.

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jambo3000uk@reddit

I have crewed in the river cruiser class a few times but I got my own Yare & Bure OD a few years ago (sold now because children!) and helmed that. Getting stuck at Potter is not fun. I’m bored of those houses now!

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PoutineMeInCoach@reddit

What a beautiful post, just awesome. These are such romantic examples of old-fashioned sailing. Thank you for a great post.

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Ghia149@reddit

what is the draft of these? they sure look to have a lot of sail up i'm assuming they also have pretty short keels, would be an exciting combination.

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EminenceGris3@reddit

Not sure of the draft, but it won’t be much in those waters. Although there’s a lot of sail up, if I remember correctly, it’s to get a lot of sail up high so it catches the wind over the top of the banks and hedges. There’s probably a lot less wind over the water much of the time.

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Westward5@reddit (OP)

About 3ft/4ft, any deeper without a lifting keel you would bottom out on the shallow areas of the broads.

You're right about the sails, that's why a lot of the yachts that race have big topsails to catch the wind over the trees

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Westward5@reddit (OP)

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the_mustard_king@reddit

A deeper keel than I would expect, and a much different rudder, really cool little boats though!

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carpy1974@reddit

Looks 🤩 fun ⛵️

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Acrobatic_Pace_5725@reddit

Beauties!

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RKScouser@reddit

So very yar

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paddleyay@reddit

These are beautiful. Reminds me of growing up in Kingston where you can find a lovely small dinghy class called Thames A-raters, the design being over a century old. Dinghy always seems relative because they carry a huge sail area, glide gracefully over the chop of the Thames, and make for comfortable three person racing.

https://www.thamessailingclub.co.uk/TSCsailing/thames-a-raters-1

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Greenmooseleg@reddit

Wow! Great pictures! Very cool

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bigmphan@reddit

That’s some skill navigating a river under sail.

And then doing it in anger is another story. Cohones.

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madrigal87@reddit

Strong reading recommendation:

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Aortapot@reddit

Came here to say this! I loved this book (and all of Ransome's work) Strongly atmospheric; you can really feel the weather and water through the pages.

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PSPistolero@reddit

What do they draw? I’m curious how their keels are designed given the assumed need for very shallow draft with large sail area.

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Westward5@reddit (OP)

Not too much, about 3/4ft, there quite long however. If you tried really hard in a strong wind you could tip one over. When you get a good gust you have to ease the mainsail to try and flatten the boat again. Can get quite hairy if you have too much sail on a very windy day 😂

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PSPistolero@reddit

I bet! Thanks for the info.

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Substantial_Impact26@reddit

Fantastic. Used to sail on the broads with The Green Wyverns so this is very nostalgic!

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247fish@reddit

Beautiful boats mate!!

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melmerby102@reddit

Sweet looking boats.

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elmalabarista65@reddit

Awesome photos. Thanks very much brought back so many memories of my youth crewing on the Broads.

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PresenceLeft2074@reddit

Beautiful boats, very similar to US Catboats, which makes me suspect that's where the New England colonials got their idea from.

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Westward5@reddit (OP)

Just had to Google this as I've never heard of them, they're absolutely stunning and have very similar features to the broads cruisers. Thanks for mentioning them I've learnt something new. I wonder what came first.

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PresenceLeft2074@reddit

The US Catboats were developed in the early to mid 1800s in the Cape Cod region of Massachusetts, they were meant as working boats, wide and shallow for cruising harbors and hauling up fishing nets. Most of the fishermen there at the time were English colonists.

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jackspinnaker@reddit

gorgeous

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SpirulinaNelCulo@reddit

utter maddness.

i'd love to try it at least once in a lifetime.

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kinga_forrester@reddit

Lmao I always thought “Norfolk broads” referred to women!

Gorgeous boats.

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johnbro27@reddit

I visited a friend of a friend in Westminster who does this. When he learned I was a lifelong sailor, he suggested we go for a sail which I was gung-ho for, but alas the weather was uncooperative.

He explained how they drop the rig to pass under low bridges; needless to say I was gobsmacked at the very idea of how much work that sounded like. He also astonished me by saying these boats have the engine in the bow with propeller shaft running the length of the bilge. He couldn't say why that particular idea was used, except perhaps these boats have been retrofitted for an auxiliary and that's the only way to fit one it?

Thanks for the pictures as they are lovely classic boats (which I personally favor over the modern Chlorox-bottle designs).

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Westward5@reddit (OP)

I actually know the answer for the engine one. It's for weight I believe, the engines are put as close to the mast as possible I believe. The masts have big lead weights for counter balance. So putting the engine centre of mass helped with weight distribution. We used to own one which engine was mounted off centre at the stern and it was too heavy, caused the boat to sit to low at the back and list slightly. Caused drag. (This might be wrong but that's what I've learnt)

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FrostnJack@reddit

Pic 6: did he make it?

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Monkey_Fiddler@reddit

probably. that looks like the 3 rivers race where they drop the mast as they approach the bridge and leave it as late as possible. Some seriously impressive sailing.

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