National 12 Open at Solway Yacht Club
by Ian Purkis 20 Sep 2011 21:23 BST
17-18 September 2011
In the wake of a hurricane
Later in the year than usual, the annual National 12 open at Kippford on “The Scottish Riviera”, didn’t look promising weatherwise, but contrary to forecast, Saturday dawned bright and by early afternoon a pleasant breeze saw the fleet sailing out to the bay, past a sad scene. The previous Tuesday night, the tail end of a hurricane had hit Kippford and several yachts, including the Solway YC flagship trimaran “Mingulay” lay stranded and battered high on the rocks. Others were more fortunate, left high and dry on the soft salt marsh, the Merse, but a big task awaited the owners on the next Springs.
Once on the startline, the fleet set off on a big “triangles and sausages” course nicely set by PRO Lindsay Tosh. Sporting their brand new P&Bs on N3384 Cunning Plan, it was Ian & Margaret Purkis first to the windward mark, followed by N3356 Squidgy Bits with Howard Chadwick crewed by SYC Secretary Fiona McCulloch and N3462 Mark Simpson and SYC Junior, Rhys Williams. Howard and Mark then engaged in a lengthy battle for position, allowing Ian & Margaret to build a growing lead. By lap 2 Mark and Rhys had finally got clear of Howard and Fiona, so set off after Cunning Plan. By the final upwind leg Mark got ahead, but thanks to a lucky lift, Ian and Margaret were on Red Snapper’s transom rounding the mark. Downwind on the sausage leg, Ian wasn’t beaten and, keeping Mark covered, got the vital overlap approaching the Leeward mark. As they rounded and now back in the lead, Ian only had to hold on to the finish line to win, his first ever in an N12 Open. To his and Margaret’s delight, they did it, amazing so soon after Ian’s first N12 Open, only 40 odd years ago!
Race 2 and Mark wasn’t going to let that happen again! A blistering Port end start saw Mark & Rhys cross well ahead of the rest of the fleet with Howard and Ian, now joined by Neil McInnes and crew Rachel on N3216 Twice Shy, all in close company. With Red Snapper disappearing into the distance it was left to Howard and Fiona to give chase. Sadly the wind died and the fleet was left wallowing in the swell on a falling tide. The PRO wisely decided to finish the race on the water before some really foul weather arrived.
Saturday night and the now traditional N12 “Open House” saw the N12 crews, families and SYC members enjoying a pleasant social at the Purkis’ house. Tales of brave parachuting teddy bears summarised the mood, until the protest committee declared the winner, Penelope Panda, NOT a teddy bear!
Sunday and a change to the usual N12 Open format; tides and date clashes meant the event had to be combined with the annual SYC up-river Palnackie Pursuit race so with the N12’s sailing of NTOA recommended PYs and with a fleet of Mirrors, Toppers, Lasers, plus and GP and an Enterprise, the fleet set off in a brisk breeze through the moored yachts.
Rounding into The Devil’s Reach it was Mark, now crewed by son Toby, chasing Howard and Fiona. Into the trees and hills and the wind now fickle Mark took the lead but then lost it again and in the shifty conditions Howard was first to the turning mark, the tidal gate already closed. Rounding the wrong way Howard first had to unwind, then re-round but, caught by the tide, hit the mark so it was turns for Squidgy Bits, With Fiona, his crew, now giddy, Mark & Toby closed the gap as the finish line approached and almost grabbed the lead, finishing second and within a boat length.
Meanwhile further back Angus Beyts and crew Martin Ellis, appeared from nowhere in N3406 Agent Orange to claim third. The National 12s took 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the Palnackie Race with Dewi Williams, Rhys’s Dad, 4th in the family Mirror.
Not for the first time at Kippford, 2 days National 12 sailing had the SYC members impressed by the N12 class and talk of joining.
Overall Results:
1st N3462 Red Snapper, Mark Simpson and Rhys Williams/Toby Simpson
2nd N3356 Squidgy Bits, Howard Chadwick and Fiona McCulloch
3rd N3384 Cunning Plan, Ian & Margaret Purkis
4th N3216 Twice Shy, Neil McInnes and Rachel Dean
5th N3406 Agent Orange, Angus Beyts and Lynne Watt/Martin Ellis