NRV Hamburg visits Burnham

On the weekend of the 12th and 13th of May a team of 12 Dragon sailors plus partners from Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (NRV), Hamburg visited the Royal Corinthian Burnham to team race against the home fleet. This is part of a long-standing relationship between the two clubs that goes back over 75 years, but in its current form this was the 4th meeting between the two clubs in Dragons with the results standing RCYC 2, NVR 1.
The NRV in fact arrived early on the Friday for a sightseeing tour of Cambridge before arriving late in the afternoon at Burnham where a tour of Petticrows factory and a cocktail party awaited them.
Saturday morning and the wind was blowing 20-25 kn, with the gusts coming through well over 30 kn. well above the previous nights forecast, and not ideal team racing weather. After a short delay it decided to get the teams afloat for a sail, even if it was not prudent to race. Here I might add each lent boat had an owner's representative on board so 6 German teams were to race against the RCYC team. The Race Officer Edwin Buckley took the fleet up river to look for more sheltered conditions in the lee of Canewdon hills where a windward leeward course was laid. In a short lull in the wind the Race Officer gave us a start. In a fast and furious race the RCYC won, having the first two boats at the finish with the best NRV boat 3rd. With more black clouds on the horizon it was felt prudent to “can” the rest of the races for the day and as the fleet returned to the moorings the wind did kick in harder and the rain lashed down!
In the evening 100 people sat down to a gourmet dinner with 6 different wines for which the members of the NRV. were guests of the Royal Corinthian. I hope the Hamburg club don't think we eat like that every Saturday!
Sunday morning the wind had moderated and the fleet sailed down river in the direction of the River Roach. The first of two starts was at 10:30, close racing was enjoyed in both, but may be because of the tidal conditions the RCYC came out convincing winners in both races, winning the event 3-0 On returning to the club a roast beef lunch and prize giving ensued, this went on at a leisurely fashion until 4:30 when it was time for the visitors to leave for the airport.
Tokens and presentations were made by both sides to cement the really great relationship that the two clubs have developed.

The junior section of the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club is a separately recognised Yacht Club with its own Commodore and registered as such with the RYA. The Corinthian Otters were set up in the 1930's after the then Commodore of the RCYC had visited the NRV in Hamburg and saw how their own junior section was formed. Until the war exchanges took place between the two junior clubs and it had subsequently lapsed until this year when the members of the NRV Dragon Fleet brought 9 young sailors across to race against the Corinthian Otters. On this occasion the “Otters” won but I am sure that it will be the restart of many similar exchanges.