National 12s at Burton Week days 1 and 2

by National 12 Association on 31 Aug 2011 National 12’s have commenced with competition at Burton Week 2011 and though a fair number of competitors had arrived the night before, day one of BW started busily for the voluntary measurers with both sails and boats being checked so a big thank you must go to them for their efforts.

Race 1: 58 12's took part in BW overall, with 55 entries for the whole week. With two races planned for the day, the first race was scheduled for 2pm and so with a decent length sail to the start line the fleet was released at 1pm in bright sunshine and around sixteen knots of wind. Early arrival to the start area, Tom Stewart saw the race team working hard to set a course in some heavy wind shifts as small, but intense fronts passed over the race area.

By the time the scheduled start time had arrived a course was set and the fleet got away without delay. Rather surprisingly, there was no general recall (a rarity for the first race of the 12 champs!) but instead all most all the fleet was well back from the line on the gun, hanging on the tide.

Tom Stewart and Rachel Williamson got clean away to lead the fleet up the first beat rounding the first mark clear of the rest of the pack. Close behind was a gaggle of DCB’s and John Meadowcroft in his Paradigm 2. The group set of down the reach of the triangle-sausage course, whilst behind the windward mark was enjoying some busy times as the remainder of the fleet rounded. Wind was varying in strength considerably throughout the race as the squalls came through and the fleet spread out as the benefits of strong wind on the reaches came to some. The course was large and a real test for the sailors taking nearly 1.5 hrs to complete.

By the end of lap two, Tom had lengthened his lead over the trailing group, but there was a big battle going on for second place between John and Katy, Steve and Joanne, Jon and Charl with Graham and Zoe close on their heels, with some very tense mark roundings, and lots of defensive tactics.

In the end Tom was the clear winner, Jon and Charl second, and John and Katy a very close third. As finished boats were waiting for the reminder of the fleet to complete the course, a heavy front swept through the course, bringing thunder and lighting and enough wind to capsize many of unsuspecting fleet. Unfortunately, this spelt the end of the days racing for Richard Williams as when he brought his boat back up his mast had suffered catastrophic failure on contact with the seabed and he was towed back to shore.

Race 2: There was a long postponement before race two as the RO struggled to set a course in the shifting wind. Eventually the conditions settled again and race two got underway cleanly. The wind was still varying in strength from F3-5 testing the competitors to the full. Once again Tom Stewart a Rachel made a break for it but this time under more pressure from the close fleet behind. As the fleet went round the windward mark onto the first reach, Nigel Playford suffered rudder problems as his latest T-foil incarnation was put under too much pressure, leading to his early retirement from the race.

After a lap Tom rounded the windward mark again holding first, but still being heavily pressured by Graham, Steve, and John. Jon Ibbotson was in the mix too until 40m from the windward mark his mast gave up the ghost- this was proving to be quite a testing day for the kit as Jon hadn’t capsized, it just gave way mid mast.

Tom Held his lead throughout the race and finished the day with two bullets. Meanwhile another Tom, this time Tom Ballantine was making his presence felt in the fleet recording a 12th and 10th for the day putting him at the top of the non t-foiled boat standings.

Overall it was a long and testing first day for the fleet as the last boat off the water didn’t hit the beach until around 7pm, the games for the evening being put on hold as it was getting dark!

The club however, did continue with the planned BBQ which was welcomed by all after a long afternoon on the water, but especially by those who spent a fair bit of the evening, pulling their practical and technical skills together to fit and replace the two broken masts of the day and a foredeck which had come adrift from Chris’ Chapter, Ella.

Day 2 started earlier for the fleet with the start of race 3 scheduled for 11am.

The fleet was released at 10am again into a force four wind from the west and intermittent bright sunshine. On arriving in the start area the weather had greyed off a bit but the fleet were keen to get up to their normal competitive antics.

After two general recalls on a heavily starboard bias line the Black flag was raised. With the line reset, the fleet set off up the first beat, with Tom Stewart finding himself in a position he was rather enjoying- first to the mark. Unfortunately, in his eagerness to maintain this accustomed position he had crept over the line early and sailed off the course at the windward mark to wait until race 4 He was not alone as Kevin Iles and Jane Wade joined him as spectators for the race, suffering a similar fate on the startline.

This left William Warren to lead the fleet in his newly acquired DCB, a position he held for the remainder of the race. As ever, not far behind, an intense battle was underway between the usual suspects, John and Katy Meadowcroft, Jon and Charl, Graham and Zoe and Steve and Joanne.

Whilst the group at the top stretched away there was plenty going on behind with First time entrant Peter Grey and experienced crew, Sophie Mackley in a T-foiled Foolish taking eighth, Dave Peacock getting to grips with his developed Paradigm 2 and moving into a top ten finish and by the end of the race Andy Mckee(11th) had stretched past a still very fast Tom Ballantine (12th). The real mover of the day however, was Nick Copsey who having had a 35th in race one the day before was holding a very steady sixth place, keeping the likes of Richard Williams behind him.

On the final gybe mark he opted to place a good finish in the bag and tacked round in the swell, which though it cost him four places, enabled him to get a 10th and set a marker up for those who thought they were safe above him on the leader board!

At the end of the race it was a clear win for William and Toby, John and Katy fighting hard to take second from Jon and Charl. Meanwhile, further down the fleet Geoff Camm and Amelia Hall were making their presence felt in the AC fleet recording a 25, enough to keep them on top of that particular leader board.

Race 4: With the fun of the startline being clearly tested in race three, the fleet were quickly put into sequence for race 4 and managed, this time to get a completely clean start, with nobody experiencing the frustrations of an OCS. this time it was Steve and Joanne Sallis who showed the fleet how to do it and having got a clean route up the first beat the were heavily in contention at the top mark.

John and Katy were settling into a routine and were again fiercely competitive with the DCB’s recording their second second place of the event proving the speed differential between the designs in marginal if not insignificant.

Behind the leading group was some very intense racing as the fleet headed toward the first windward mark rounding. Those coming in on port were suffering the rule book and though a few calls were made, none were quite as brave/determined or mad as Nigel Playford who twice tacked into the fleet on port to get round. Unfortunately, on the second attempt he didn’t make it and could be seen doing his turns meagerly soon after having bounced between both matk and Tom Balantine. He was not alone as Mike and Alex Storey also became victims to the congestion and ended with a similar fate.

By the end of the race Steve Sallis had kept his pursuers at bay to gain his first bullet of the event, John Brown, who had been quietly shadowing the lead pack over all the races to date took first non foiler place (11th), Geoff Camm and Amelia Hall continued to lead the AC fleet with 24th and Brian Kitching and Thea Armstrong taking first Vintage boat with a 39th.

National 12s at Burton Week 2011 website