Sail-World.com : National 12 Ranelagh Open
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National 12 Ranelagh Open |
After the summer’s windy weather by the seaside, it was nice to get back to the Thames on a sultry, thundery afternoon with everyone looking for kedges to complete their gear selection for the race for the 1937 Silver National 12 Trophy.
More had promised to be there but six were undeterred by the morning’s torrential downpour and were given special dispensation for a Le Mans-type start, given the force 0 gusting 1 winds and the 4 knot spring tide.
The exception was Chris Edwards and David Knight who launched early and kedged just above the line. They therefore led away towards Hammersmith with the course just a 'sprint' to the upstream mark and a beat back.
Mike Day and Anne Murch led round but were overtaken on the beat up the Surrey bank by Fran Gifford and Sophie Mackley. Chris and David were the first to cross towards the football ground, followed by Mike and Anne. Fran and Sophie followed but by then had lost their lead.
However, Dave Wilkins and Ellie Assender first kedged, then stayed on the Surrey Bank for another ten minutes before finding more wind to cross the tide. They then led as the whole fleet tacked out and back under the football ground in search of some breeze.
Painfully slowly, as the tide gradually lost its bite, Dave and Ellie edged into the trees and the last stretch to the line, while Fran and Sophie, Mike and Anne, and Chris and David exchanged places 50 metres behind.
With less than 100 metres to go, Mike and Anne covered Fran and Sophie as they both went out into the middle of the river in search of wind. While Fran and Sophie stopped, Mike and Anne found a patch of wind and started making progress. Meanwhile, inshore, Dave and Ellie had run out of wind and were stationary as Mike and Anne crept through to win.
National 12 - Leading results
1. N3496 Mike Day and Anne Murch
2. N3481 Dave Wilkins and Ellie Assender
3. N3471 Chris Edwards and David Knight
by Zoë Ballantyne
7:53 PM Mon 1 Sep 2008 GMT
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