A brief history of the Norfolk Sailing Holiday

The Norfolk and Suffolk waterways have been for centuries been used for travelling and transporting goods, but by the early 19th century, ‘Broadland Sport’ or ‘Water Frolics’ (now known as Regatta’s!) became more popular. At that time in Norfolk, land was mainly owned by the aristocracy and tenants farmed the land. Villages spring up near the great houses and the rivers became a playground for the wealthy inhabitants and their friends. Sailing as a sport, racing and the pleasure craft industry was born.

By the 1830s ‘water frolic’ events were found throughout the Broadland area and there was a desire to develop faster and better sailing crafts. The ‘lateneer’ yachts (based on a Mediterranean design) was soon superseded by the Broads ‘cutter’ yachts – with a large ‘Gaff’ sail, long bowsprit and just one large foresail rather than the usual two. By the middle of the century boating had extended to the professional middle classes and the first sailing club was born in the area in 1859 – The Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club.

With the coming of the railways by the 1880’s Norfolk had begun to be a holiday destination particularly for the Victorian middle classes. Converted larger ‘Wherry’ trading vessels were also popular as pleasure craft providing onboard accommodation (including a piano onboard!) for family groups for their summer holiday. A small number of these beautiful large Wherries continue to be maintained and seen sailing on the water today. John Loynes, a local Master Carpenter, was one of the first to see the opportunity to build and hire smaller cabin yachts that would become more accessible and affordable to a wider audience and so the tradition of the Norfolk Hire Fleets began.

For more history – do take some time to visit ‘The Museum of the Broads’ based at Stalham. We are very proud to have been part of Broadland History over the last 60 years and the legacy of Broadland heroes like John Loynes, Percy Hunter, Tim Whelpton, can still be seen on the water today in our smaller but excellently turned out Sailing Hire Fleet, which now numbers around 60 yachts in total from 5 remaining Sailing Hire Yards.