Burnham Week
Burnham Week is a week of yachting events held on the River Crouch at
Burnham in late August each year.
Competition takes place in the following classes -
Class 1, Class 2, Class 4, Class 5, Class 6, Hunter 707 , RS
Elite , Dragons, Squibs, Sandhoppers, RBODs , RCODs , ECOD , Osprey ,
Dinghy Fast Handicap, Dinghy Slow Handicap, Phantom , Laser.
The four host yacht Clubs - Royal Burnham Yacht Club, Royal Corinthian
Yacht Club, Crouch Yacht Club and Burnham Sailing Club all host Dinners
and entertainments during the evenings to allow the competitors to
socialise and discuss all those ' if the wind hadn't changed then'
moments.
What is the standard of yachting?
Burnham has produced many international class sportsmen including
national, world and Olympic champion yachtsmen and women. Current Gold
medal favourites Shirley Roberston and Ben Ainslee not only sail on the
Crouch but favour local boatyards for their medal winning yachts
Who Organises Burnham Week?
Burnham Week is organised by the Joint Club's Committee comprising of
representatives from the four clubs in Burnham and individuals who have
specific responsibility during Burnham Week.
How did Burnham Week Start?
Burnham Week started as a series of contests in the late 1800's between
the London Sailing Club and The Royal Corinthian Yacht Club. AS The
Royal Burnham Yacht Club and the Crouch Yacht Club opened the contests
expanded into a more organised week of sailing.
Burnham week grew in popularity as it was traditionally the last of the
sailing weeks and yacht owners worked their way along the coast through
the summer before finally arriving at Burnham and after the weeks racing
moored their boats for the winter in the mud berths available on the
Essex estuaries.
Burnham Week continued to grow with nearly 200 yachts taking part in the
Thirties which grew to over 400 in the early nineties although three
type of yacht changes with fewer gentlemen yachtsmen paying for their
crew gave way to smaller yachts with friends who crewed the yachts and
small craft requiring or two men crews.
Web Site
Burnham Week has a great web site full of details on photographs of the
action. To visit the web site click
here.
