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. Olympic Gold medal favourites Shirley Roberston and Ben
Ainslee have not only sailed 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.
Burnham
Week has a great web site full of details on photographs of the
action and contact details. To visit the web site click
here.