Colne Smack Preservation Society

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Colne Smack Preservation Society

The Society was set up in 1972 to promote an interest in sailing, and racing, traditionally rigged smacks in and around the River Colne in Essex.

Today's fleet is very healthy.

13/09/2026

Following recent posts and comments on social media surrounding the 2026 Colne Smack and Barge Match, the Colne Smack Preservation Society Committee met this week to discuss the matters raised and has prepared the following statement in response.

We hope this statement clarifies the Society’s position and the rationale behind it.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support of the Colne Smack Preservation Society.

12/09/2026

⛵ 2026 COLNE SMACK & BARGE MATCH – RESULTS ⛵

Here are the results for all classes and the trophies awarded at the 2026 Colne Smack & Barge Match, held on Saturday 5 September. It was a great day’s racing, with close competition across all classes.

A huge thank you to all the participating smacks and barges and their crews for taking part and providing such a wonderful spectacle.

We would also like to thank:

• Brightlingsea Sailing Club for kindly hosting the prize giving and supper
• East Coast Sailmakers Ltd. for making the winners’ pennants
• Colne Yacht Club for the use of Batemans Tower
• Ian Hunter for serving as Officer of the Day
• Caroline Spencer for sorting and presenting the trophies, and keeping the results and records
• Robin and Line Page of Strong Point Design Ltd for producing the race programmes and posters

Finally, thank you to everyone who came out to spectate – from the river, around Brightlingsea and East Mersea, and from various points along the course, including Clacton Pier. It was fantastic to see so many people enjoying the match.

📅 We look forward to welcoming participants and spectators back for the 2027 Colne Smack & Barge Match on Saturday 4 September 2027.

09/09/2026

A huge thank you to all the businesses and committee members who generously donated prizes for the Colne Smack & Barge Match raffle at Saturday evening’s prize giving.

Our generous supporters:
Anne Plummer Painter, French Marine Motors, Little Boat Gifts, No.1 Harbour Square, Spirals Cards, gifts & Stationery, Yachtsmans Arms

And a massive thank you to everyone who bought a raffle ticket. Together, you raised an incredible £665!

We’re incredibly grateful for the generosity shown by our supporters. Your contribution has made the raffle a fantastic success and is hugely appreciated by everyone at the Colne Smack Preservation Society.

05/09/2026

COLNE SMACK & SAILING BARGE MATCH

Course A today:

Bateman’s Tower → Bar Buoy (P) → Clacton Pier Mark (S) → Wallet Spitway (S) → Bar Buoy (S) → Bateman’s Tower.

Good luck to all the crews!

04/09/2026

🚨ONE DAY TO GO! 🚨

The 2026 Colne Smack & Sailing Barge Match takes place tomorrow, Saturday 5th September!

⏰ MATCH START TIMES

⛵ Sailing Barges — 9:00am
⛵ Smacks — 9:30am
⛵ Ex-Workboats — 10:00am
⛵ MFOBs — 10:30am

📖 MATCH PROGRAMMES

Programmes will be taken off sale around the town today, but you can still purchase yours from Batemans Tower Cafe today and tomorrow. The café will also be open from early tomorrow morning for refreshments.

Programmes will also be available to buy at Batemans Tower before the start of the Match tomorrow.

💷 PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING CASH FOR ON-THE-DAY PROGRAMME SALES!

Programmes are just £2 each and contain useful information about the Match to help you follow all the action.

🙏 A BIG THANK YOU to all the local businesses who have kindly helped us with programme sales. We really appreciate your support!

Programme sellers: Batemans Tower Cafe, Brightlingsea Community Centre , Brightlingsea Boat Park and Ride, Brightlingsea Harbour, Brightlingsea Museum, Colne Yacht Club, French Marine Motors, Little Boat Gifts, Morgan Marine, No.1 Harbour Square, Spirals Cards, gifts & Stationery

See you tomorrow for a fantastic day of racing!

31/08/2026

JUST 5 DAYS TO GO!

The 2026 Colne Smack & Sailing Barge Match takes place this Saturday, 5th September, starting from Batemans Tower, Brightlingsea.

⏰ START TIMES

⛵ Sailing Barges — 9:00am
⛵ Smacks — 9:30am
⛵ Ex-Workboats — 10:00am
⛵ MFOBs — 10:30am

📖 MATCH PROGRAMMES — JUST £2

Programmes are available to purchase from a number of local businesses.

A big thank you to all the local businesses supporting the match by selling programmes — please support them when you can!

👇 PROGRAMMES AVAILABLE FROM:
Batemans Tower Cafe, Brightlingsea Community Centre , Brightlingsea Boat Park and Ride, Brightlingsea Harbour, Brightlingsea Museum, Colne Yacht Club, French Marine Motors, Little Boat Gifts, Morgan Marine, No.1 Harbour Square, Spirals Cards, gifts & Stationery

📍 BEST PLACES TO WATCH THE START

• Mersea Stone, East Mersea
• Batemans Tower, Brightlingsea

☕ Batemans Tower Cafe will be open from early, so spectators can grab refreshments while enjoying the start.

Come along, pick up your programme and enjoy one of the highlights of the local sailing calendar!

27/08/2026

THE 2026 COLNE SMACK & SAILING BARGE MATCH – SATURDAY 5 SEPTEMBER

The Colne Smack Preservation Society is pleased to bring you the 2026 Colne Smack & Sailing Barge Match!

Come and watch a fantastic day of traditional sailing, racing and maritime heritage as smacks, sailing barges, ex-workboats and MFoBs take to the water on the Colne Estuary.

📅 Saturday 5 September 2026
📍 Starting from Batemans Tower, Brightlingsea
🌊 High Water: 06:07

RACE START TIMES:

• Barges – 09:00
• Smacks – 09:30
• Ex-Workboats – 10:00
• MFoBs – 10:30

📍 BEST PLACES TO WATCH THE START

For the best views of the start, spectators can watch from Mersea Stone, East Mersea, or Batemans Tower, Brightlingsea.

📖 MATCH PROGRAMMES – £2

Programmes are available from the local businesses below. Please support them when you pick up your programme!

Batemans Tower Cafe, Brightlingsea Community Centre , Brightlingsea Boat Park and Ride, Brightlingsea Harbour, Brightlingsea Museum, Colne Yacht Club, French Marine Motors, Little Boat Gifts, Morgan Marine, No.1 Harbour Square, Spirals Cards, gifts & Stationery

☕ REFRESHMENTS AT BATEMANS TOWER

If you're watching from Batemans Tower, Batemans Tower Cafe will be open from early for spectators wishing to purchase refreshments while enjoying the action.

So mark the date, pick up your programme and come along to enjoy the racing and atmosphere of this fantastic annual event.

15/08/2026

Get ready for a spectacular day on the water!

Join Brett & Lucas Boat Excursions aboard the Dutch barge Argovia for a unique chance to experience the Colne Smack & Barge Match from the water on Saturday 5th September 2026.

Get up close to the action as the traditional smacks and barges compete — a fantastic way to see this incredible spectacle from a completely different perspective. There are just 6 spaces available, so don’t miss out!

For bookings and enquiries, contact Brett & Lucas Boat Excursions on 07949757537 or [email protected]

19/07/2026

A huge thank you to everyone who came to visit our stall at the Brightlingsea Regatta yesterday. We had a fantastic day meeting so many people, raising awareness of the work of the Colne Smack Preservation Society, and sharing the fascinating history of the smacks of Brightlingsea and beyond.

A special thank you goes to Sandy Miller for providing such an impressive digital display, which was a real talking point throughout the day. We'd also like to thank Brightlingsea Sailing Club for their warm hospitality and the Brightlingsea Regatta organisers for inviting us to be part of such a wonderful event.

One of the most rewarding parts of the day was speaking with visitors whose families had sailed and worked aboard local smacks many generations ago. It was a privilege to help them reconnect with that heritage by sharing information about the vessels alongside more recent photographs.

To everyone who entered our raffle, thank you for your support! We'll be in touch with the lucky winner soon—so keep your fingers crossed!

It was a thoroughly enjoyable day for the Society, and we're already looking forward to doing it all again. Plans for Brightlingsea Regatta 2027 are already underway!

Colms Photos - picture of smacks in the smack dock on Brightlingsea Regatta day

16/07/2026

⛵ Join Us at the Brightlingsea Regatta – Saturday, 18th July 2026!

The Colne Smack Preservation Society will be at our stall in the car park of Brightlingsea Sailing Club, and we’d love to welcome you.

Come and enjoy:

📸 A continuous digital slideshow on a big screen featuring photographs from recent Colne matches, beautifully captured by Sandy Miller and specially prepared for display at the Regatta.

⚓ A display of historical photographs celebrating the rich heritage of the traditional sailing smacks of the East Coast.

It’s a great opportunity to learn more about the Society, our work preserving these remarkable vessels, and the fascinating maritime history they represent.

We’ll also be running our Regatta Raffle, offering the chance to win a memorable day sail aboard the historic Harris Smack Maria CK21. Tickets are £5 each, and every entry helps support the Society’s ongoing work preserving our unique maritime heritage.

Please come along, have a chat with us, discover more about the Society and what we do, and help us celebrate Brightlingsea’s wonderful maritime heritage. We look forward to seeing you!

Address

Brightlingsea

Website

http://www.colnesmack.co.uk/

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