National 12 85th Anniversary Event at Northampton Sailing Club

by George Finch 17 Sep 2021 13:58 BST 11-12 September 2021

On 12th March 1936, the National 12 Class was born and this weekend the National Twelve Owners' Association celebrated the class's rich and varied 85 year history. Just two weeks after 2021's Burton Week, it was a big ask for the competitors to dedicate yet another weekend to National 12 sailing.

However, from Friday evening, competitors began to arrive at Northampton Sailing Club for a weekend of racing but also celebrating the National 12. A briefing at 11am, with first race scheduled for 12pm gave a lot of time for catching up, enjoying the excellent catering on offer at Northampton and for some, rigging their National 12 for the first time in a few years. It is amazing what people keep in their garages!

Saturday 11th - National 12 85th Event Fleet Racing

Race 1

The fleet of 30 National 12s launched on time, in 10kts of breeze and occasional sunshine. The countdown for the first race began promptly, although before the 1-minute gun it was looking likely there was going to be a general recall, which there promptly was. Up came the black flag at 4 minutes and the fleet got away.

Clear air on the start was required and for this beat, heading left seemed to pay off. A lot of boats approached the windward mark at the same time, trying to get clear air for the next reaching leg was hard. A gybe onto a tighter reach was very exciting, with a few stronger gusts really making N12s of all ages fly. Antony and Rory Gifford (N3529) showed excellent speed and were leading, followed by Ian and Alex Gore (N3525), with Jon Ibbotson and Rachel Smith in 3rd (N3540). The fleet spread out a bit with the reaching legs, but racing was close for all. Upwind on the 2nd lap Graham and Felix Camm (N3530) had a very rare near capsize, which was well recovered but allowed the top 3 N12s to get further ahead.

National 12 85th Anniversary Event at Northampton - photo © Kevan Bloor

Mary Henderson (crewed by Jo Sallis) was borrowing a different N12 (N3527) for this event although showed great speed in this race, managing to beat current National Champions Tom & Isobel Stewart (N3544) but perhaps more importantly her parents - Will & Mandy Henderson. They were borrowing N3551 for the weekend, after a 20 year break from National 12 sailing. George & Lucy Finch, who own N3551 but for this event sailing their older N12, 3513 were also pleased to overtake Will & Mandy in N3551 on the last lap of this race, to finish 7th - and 1st non T-Foil N12.

Antony & Rory Gifford (N3529) kept their lead to the finish, followed by Ian & Alex Gore (N3525) and Jon Ibbotson & Rachel Smith (N3540) in 3rd.

1st Admirals Cup 'Era' Boat was James & Jo Gifford, in N3348 (Design 8)
1st Vintage boat was John & Cat Sears in N1903 (Mark 9).

National 12 85th Anniversary Event at Northampton - photo © Kevan Bloor

Race 2

A big shift just before the start (under black flag) saw the majority of the fleet tack away onto port just after the gun. With more of the fleet now confident and on the line, clear air was difficult to find, but the usual suspects crept out in front. Tom & Isobel Stewart (N3544) were back in the groove and had fantastic boat speed during this race. With a bit more breeze in this race, there was strong competition all the way through the fleet which kept the racing interesting. By the finish, Tom & Isobel Stewart (N3544) crossed the line 1st, followed by Jon Ibbotson & Rachel Smith (N3540), Ian & Alex Gore (N3525) in 3rd, with John Meadowcroft & Anya Camm (N3543) in 4th.

An impressive performance again from James & Jo Gifford (N3348) saw them finish in 9th, being the 1st U21, 1st Admirals Cup and 1st Non T-Foil boat.

1st Vintage was John & Cat Sears (N1903).

National 12 85th Anniversary Event at Northampton - photo © Kevan Bloor

Race 3

A few powerful gusts before the start of Race 3 saw some sailors take a quick dip in the lake before the start. Again, under a black flag, the fleet started their final race of the day. Iain Macintyre (crewed by Maria Franco) in N3519 were sailing well with great boat speed, only to be told at the windward mark they had been black flagged. It was Tom & Isobel Stewart (N3544) at the windward mark first, but close behind in 3rd was James & Jo Gifford (N3348), very impressive. Behind the top 5 boats there was a complete mix of designs which made the reaches and gybes interesting!

In this race, Paul & Izzy Keeling (N3285), at their first National 12 event, showed impressive speed for their Design 8 and the class looks forward to seeing them at future events.

By the 3rd lap, the fleet had spread out and Tom & Isobel Stewart in N3544 took the win. 2nd went to Jon Ibbotson & Rachel Smith (N3540), followed in 3rd by Antony & Rory Gifford (N3529).

National 12 85th Anniversary Event at Northampton - photo © Kevan Bloor

Again, finishing in an impressive 8th was James & Jo Gifford in N3348 and with that, 1st U21 Helm, 1st Admirals Cup and 1st Non T-foil.

1st Vintage in Race 3 was Philip David, crewed by Emma Hampshire in N2545.

As the fleet headed to the shore, they were greeted by a fly past from The Red Arrows. It isn't clear if this was arranged by the N12 Class or Northampton Sailing Club, but it was a nice touch. Boat owners had been instructed to bring their boats to the lawn outside the clubhouse for the 85th Anniversary Concours D'Elegance.

Full Results from Saturday's Fleet Racing:

Pos	Helm	Crew	Sail No	Boat Name	Design	Club	R1	R2	R3	Pts
1	Tom Stewart	Isobel Stewart	3544	Whitebait	Dead Cat Bounce	Royal Harwich YC	[5]	1	1	2
2	Anthony Gifford	Rory Gifford	3529	Cat In The Hat	Dead Cat Bounce	Royal Tay YC	1	[3]	3	4
3	Jon Ibbotson	Rachel Smith	3540	Atomic Kitten	Dead Cat Bounce	Burghfield SC	[3]	2	2	4
4	Ian Gore	Alex Gore	3525	Mog	Dead Cat Bounce	Up River YC	2	[5]	4	6
5	Graham Camm	Felix Camm	3530	Very Hungry Caterpillar	Dead Cat Bounce	Burghfield SC	4	[6]	5	9
6	John Meadowcroft	Anya Camm	3543	D.B. Cooper	Hijack	Upper Thames SC	[8]	4	6	10
7	Mary Henderson	Jo Sallis	3527	Snagglepuss	Dead Cat Bounce	Brightlingsea SC	6	[7]	7	13
8	James Gifford	Jo Gifford	3348	Charlotte Anne	Design 8	Royal Tay YC	[12]	9	8	17
9	Will Henderson	Mandy Henderson	3551	Over The Rainbow	Dead Cat Bounce	Salcombe YC	[9]	8	9	17
10	George Finch	Lucy Finch	3513	Silver Lining	Feeling Foolish	Royal Harwich YC	7	[11]	11	18
11	Amicia Hopkins	David Moore	3447	Fruit & Nutty	Final Chapter	Swarkestone SC	10	[14]	10	20
12	Steve Carver	Tanya Copsey	3538	Glass and a Half Full	Feeling Foolish	UEA SC	11	10	[14]	21
13	Kevin Iles	Katy Meadowcroft	3373	Sixth Element	Baggy Trousers	West Oxfordshire SC	[25]	13	12	25
14	Paul Pelling	Ian Simkins	3251	Bianca	Crusader	Up River YCC	14	12	[15]	26
15	Tim Hampshire	Christopher Hampshire	3502	Carbonara	Big Issue 2	Ripon SC	13	[15]	13	26
16	Neal Lillywhite	Freya Lillywhite	3271	Indecision	Design 8	Burghfield SC	15	[17]	17	32
17	Paul Keeling	Izzy Keeling	3285	Magic Dragon	Design 8	Blithfield SC	17	[18]	16	33
18	Robert Stewart	Charlotte Stewart	3431	Zippy	Feeling Foolish	Waldringfield SC	[20]	19	18	37
19	Christopher Troth	Eva Nygard	2993	Bouncer	Bouncer	Olton Mere SC	18	[22]	19	37
20	John Sears	Catherine Sears	1903	Slick Chick	Mark 9	Notts County SC	19	20	[21]	39
21	Pete Miatt	Olivia Miatt	2589	Mary Deare	Whisper 4	Carsington SC	16	[24]	24	40
22	Philip David	Emma Hampshire	2545	Little Meg	China Doll	Yorkshire Ouse SC	[30 RET]	21	20	41
23	Nigel Waller	Rosie Gore	326	Rose Marie	Uffa King	Royal Harwich YC	21	[25]	23	44
24	Iain Macintyre	Maria Franco	3519	Dead Cat Bounce	Dead Cat Bounce	Loch Tummel SC	[30 RET]	16	OCS	45
25	Stuart Walsh	Theo Covi‑Walsh	3546	Shades of Grey	Dead Cat Bounce	Ardleigh SC	[23]	23	22	45
26	Sam Parrett	Bertie Parrett	3198	Inca	Baggy Trousers	St Edmundsbury SCA	24	[26]	25	49
27	Ian Norman	Louis Norman	3107	Zarniwoop	Tigress	Trent Valley SC	22	RET	[31 DSQ]	52
28	Alan Mason	Lesley Iles	1607	DillyDally	Mark 4a	Redesmere SC	26	27	[29 RET]	54
29	Richard Chapman	Tom Chapman	3393	Good From Far Far From Good	Final Chapter	Cransley SC	28	[29]	26	54
30	Graham Miatt	Jack Gore	3448	Steady Tiger	Feeling Foolish	Grafham Water SC	27	28	[29 RET]	55
31	Paul Bristow	Richard Willets	2123	Perplexity	Sparklet	Burghfield SC	[31 DNC]	DNC	DNC	62
31	Rod Andrew‑Becker	Jo Andrew‑Becker	3109	Gnasher	Pipedream	SNLH	[31 DNC]	DNC	DNC	62
31	Simon Hipkin	Emily Hipkin	3322	Soap Dish	Soap Dish	Walton and Frinton YC	[31 DNC]	DNC	DNC	62
31	Rory Hallas	Bradley Hallas	3347	Atreides	Crusader 88	Broadwater SC	[31 DNC]	DNC	DNC	62

1st 'Admirals Cup Era' Boat and 1st Under 21 - James & Jo Gifford, N3348, Design 8.
1st 'Double Floor Non T-Foil Era' Boat - George and Lucy Finch, N3513, Feeling Foolish.
1st Vintage Boat - John & Cat Sears, N1903, Mark 9.
1st First Dinghy Shack Series Event - Paul & Izzy Keeling, N3285, Design 8.

Saturday 11th - Concours D'Elegance

Will Henderson with 4 Burton Cup wins as Helm and Mandy Henderson, who was Will's crew for two of them, were asked by the N12 Class to judge this event's Concours D'Elegance. As the photos show, it was a great sight, with the afternoon sun shining the boats, which ranges from the whole 85 years of the class.

All the boats looked great, but Will and Mandy's short list focused mainly on the wooden National 12s on display:

N1 'Gipsy' was proudly rigged with sails up and a few original looking fittings, although a well-placed screwdriver was being used as a mast pin, so knocked it out of the short list (had the screwdriver been from 1936, this might have been different!).

N3546 'Shades of Grey' was in contention, a wooden, single floored, '4 plank' Dead Cat Bounce. Built by Simon Hipkin in 2016, this N12 is at the newer end of the class but has a very classic feel. Having recently returned from Burton Week, it was not quite in Concours condition but is an excellent example of a knee friendly, fully competitive modern National 12!

N3271 'Indecision' was as always in stunning condition and is a unique National 12, the only wooden Design 8.

N3521 'Bianca' - Lovingly cared for since new by Paul Pelling and never restored, with little use in recent years, this Crusader built by Alan Jackson was in strong contention for the Concours prize. She looked stunning in the afternoon sun and was well placed with classic Ullman Sails rigged.

N3107 'Zarniwoop' - Owned since new by Ian Norman and well cared for, with occasional work undertaken by P&B and now sporting a shiny carbon rig, this Tigress from 1980 was declared the winner of the 85th Anniversary Concours D'Elegance. The varnished decks looked fantastic, and the subtle rigging upgrades made the boat really encompass what this weekend was about. Ian Norman, as owner of N3107 was presented with a bottle of Champagne for winning.

Mike Jackson cuts the cake during the National 12 85th Anniversary Event at Northampton - photo © Steve Le Grys

Saturday 11th - N12 Auction & 85th Birthday Cake

Several items had kindly been donated to the class to auction, and bids were placed either in advance via email or on the day in person. Any items which did not receive bids were then auctioned off 'live'. With lots ranging from books to sails, masts to complete National 12s, nearly everything found a new owner with proceeds heading to the class. Thanks again to all those who donated items, and to those who bided!

To add to the 7 Burton Cup winners seen sailing or walking about the dinghy park at Northampton, the class had invited Michael Jackson to cut the 85th Birthday Cake.

Mike's involvement in the class began before 1950s and his first design was the 'Lucia' in 1957 - N1516. From 1957, Mike built on his experiences and designed the March Hare (1962), Impact (1970), Cheshire Cat (1973), Tiger (1978), Tigress (1980), Gryphon (1983) and Final Chapter (1987). Outside of the N12 Class, Mike also designed the Lark, 404 and a few Merlin Rockets.

N.T.O.A. Chair invited Mike to give a short speech before cutting the cake, where Mike described his thought process behind the Lucia and March Hare designs, which ultimately moved the class on from the 'Uffa King' style N12s.

After the cake was cut, the class enjoyed an evening at the bar, reminiscing about the past 85 years!

Sunday 12th - Mary Deare 85th Grand Pursuit Race

The forecast for Sunday had always looked a bit wobbly, with 8kts at the optimistic end and 1kts at the pessimistic end. With this in mind, Graham Camm and a few helpers set the timings for Sunday's pursuit race. 1st to start would be Nigel Waller, crewed by Rosie Gore in N326 - an Uffa King from 1938. Nigel had won the 70th Pursuit in Punkarella (N3012) and the 75th Pursuit in Rose Marie (N326) - could he go for 3 wins from 3? A likely contender to challenge this was John and Cat Sears (N1903) who would start 4 minutes later than Nigel and Rosie.

John Sears & Nigel Waller during the National 12 85th Anniversary Event at Northampton - photo © Steve Le Grys

On the day, the wind was very light, and the race team postponed for 30 minutes. Nevertheless, with occasional zephyrs and some breeze across Pitsford Reservoir, the first boats launched. The arrival of Simon & Emily Hipkin with N3322 'Soapdish' had raised a few eyebrows - an iconic N12 as it was the first 'almost self-draining' N12 but is well known for not going very fast - especially in light winds!

The race was to be 100 minutes long for the first boat, with the Dead Cat Bounces & Hijack starting 20 minutes after the Uffa King (21 minutes for Graham Camm and Tom Stewart). At times it looked like most of the Admirals Cup / Modern / T-Foil boats wouldn't make the start, but some well-timed zephyrs aided everyone to the start. It was a struggle and at times very painful, but slowly the 30 or so National 12s drifted up the first beat, onto the first reach. Nigel Waller and Rosie Gore (N326) kept their lead and rounded Mark 3 (the gybe mark). John & Cat Sears (N1903) were next, although had a lot of ground still to cover to catch the leading boat.

Sunday Pursuit during the National 12 85th Anniversary Event at Northampton - photo © Anthony York / www.chunkypics.co.uk

A few "strong" gusts (max 6 knots) bunched a lot of the fleet at the gybe mark, although only 4 of the Dead Cat Bounces made it round before the wind dropped again. Jon Ibbotson & Rachel Smith (N3540) and Graham & Felix Camm (N3530) took a few places here.

Some darker clouds on the horizon looked to bring rain, but hopefully some wind. They brought neither, perhaps cancelling the wind all together. It was a complete drifter at this point, with one or two place changes. The two leading boats were now getting closer and 85 minutes in, John & Cat Sears (N1903) used a well-timed mark rounding to take the lead. Could they hold it for 15 minutes?

The finish gun went, and all the fleet were relieved. It had been a struggle, but John & Cat Sears (N1903) prevailed and won the 85th Mary Deare Pursuit Race. N1903 will now join those boats of notable achievement which receive a red rosette against their name on the N12 Online boat database!

Overall Results from the Mary Deare 85th Grand Pursuit Race:

Pos	Helm	Crew	Sail No	Boat Name	Design	Club	R1	Pts
1	John Sears	Catherine Sears	1903	Slick Chick	Mark 9	Notts County SC	1	1
2	Nigel Waller	Rosie Gore	326	Rose Marie	Uffa King	Royal Harwich YC	2	2
3	Antony Gifford	Rory Gifford	3348	Charlotte Anne	Design 8	Royal Tay YC	3	3
4	Christopher Troth	Eva Nygard	2993	Bouncer	Bouncer	Olton Mere SC	4	4
5	Ian Norman	Louis Norman	3107	Zarniwoop	Tigress	Trent Valley SC	5	5
6	Philip David	Emma Hampshire	2545	Little Meg	China Doll	Yorkshire Ouse SC	6	6
7	Jon Ibbotson	Rachel Smith	3540	Atomic Kitten	Dead Cat Bounce	Burghfield SC	7	7
8	Pete Miatt	Olivia Miatt	2589	Mary Deare	Whisper 4	Carsington SC	8	8
9	Kevin Iles	Katy Meadowcroft	3373	Sixth Element	Baggy Trousers	West Oxfordshire SC	9	9
10	Graham Camm	Felix Camm	3530	Very Hungry Caterpillar	Dead Cat Bounce	Burghfield SC	10	10
11	George Finch	Lucy Finch	3513	Silver Lining	Feeling Foolish	Royal Harwich YC	11	11
12	Amicia Hopkins	David Moore	3447	Fruit & Nutty	Final Chapter	Swarkestone SC	12	12
13	Ian Gore	Alex Gore	3525	Mog	Dead Cat Bounce	Up River YC	13	13
14	Tom Stewart	Isobel Stewart	3544	Whitebait	Dead Cat Bounce	Royal Harwich YC	14	14
15	Tim Hampshire	Christopher Hampshire	3502	Carbonara	Big Issue 2	Ripon SC	15	15
16	Mary Henderson	Jo Sallis	3527	Snagglepuss	Dead Cat Bounce	Brightlingsea SC	16	16
17	Sam Parrett	Bertie Parrett	3198	Inca	Baggy Trousers	St Edmundsbury SCA	17	17
18	James Gifford	Jo Gifford	3529	Cat In The Hat	Dead Cat Bounce	Royal Tay YC	18	18
19	Robert Stewart	Charlotte Stewart	3431	Zippy	Feeling Foolish	Waldringfield SC	19	19
20	Stewart Miatt	Jack Gore	3448	Steady Tiger	Feeling Foolish	Grafham Water SC	20	20
21	Steve Carver	Tanya Copsey	3538	Glass and a Half Full	Feeling Foolish	UEA SC	21	21
22	Stuart Walsh	Theo Covi‑Walsh	3546	Shades of Grey	Dead Cat Bounce	Ardleigh SC	22	22
23	Iain Macintyre	Maria Franco	3519	Dead Cat Bounce	Dead Cat Bounce	Loch Tummel SC	23	23
24	Richard Chapman	Tom Chapman	3393	Good From Far Far From Good	Final Chapter	Cransley SC	24	24
25	Simon Hipkin	Emily Hipkin	3322	Soap Dish	Soap Dish	Walton & Frinton YC	25	25
26	John Meadowcroft	Anya Camm	3543	D.B. Cooper	Hijack	Upper Thames SC	RET	26
26	Will Henderson	Mandy Henderson	3551	Over The Rainbow	Dead Cat Bounce	Salcombe Yacht Club	RET	26
26	Neal Lillywhite	Freya Lillywhite	3271	Indecision	Design 8	Burghfield SC	RET	26
27	Paul Pelling	Ian Simkins	3251	Bianca	Crusader	Up River YC	DNC	27
27	Paul Keeling	Izzy Keeling	3285	Magic Dragon	Design 8	Blithfield SC	DNC	27
27	Alan Mason	Lesley Iles	1607	DillyDally	Mark 4a	Redesmere SC	DNC	27
27	Paul Bristow	Richard Willets	2123	Perplexity	Sparklet	Burghfield SC	DNC	27
27	Rod Andrew‑Becker	Jo Andrew‑Becker	3109	Gnasher	Pipedream	SNLH	DNC	27
27	Rory Hallas	Bradley Hallas	3347	Atreides	Crusader 88	Broadwater SC	DNC	27

1st - John & Cat Sears, N1903, Mark 9 (This boat was John's first National 12, he bought her in 1968 and then re-bought and restored her in 2014).
2nd - Nigel Waller and Rosie Gore, N326, Uffa King.
3rd and 1st 'Admirals Cup 'Era' - Antony and Rory Gifford, N3348, Design 8.
4th - Chris Troth and Eva Nygard, N2993, Bouncer.

1st 'T-Foil Era' boat - Jon Ibbotson and Rachel Smith, N3540, Dead Cat Bounce. 7th Overall.
1st 'Double Floor, non-T-Foil Era' boat - George and Lucy Finch, N3513, Feeling Foolish. 11th Overall.

1st U21 - James and Jo Gifford, N3529. Dead Cat Bounce. 18th Overall.

There had been plans for a junior race in the early afternoon, but with the lack of wind it was decided to cancel this in favour of packing up boats, enjoying lunch in the clubhouse and getting the prize-giving under way. In usual N12 fashion it was conducted flawlessly by the ever-vehement Michael Brookman.

Within the event, the class hosted the two Vintage Championships events, full results:

Vintage Championships (Saturday) for "The Gill Half Model Trophy":

Pos	Helm	Crew	Sail No	Boat Name	Design	Club	R1	R2	R3	Pts
1	John Sears	Catherine Sears	1903	Slick Chick	Mark 9	Notts County SC	1	1	[2]	2
2	Philip David	Emma Hampshire	2545	Little Meg	China Doll	Yorkshire Ouse SC	[4 RET]	2	1	3
3	Nigel Waller	Rosie Gore	326	Rose Marie	Uffa King	Royal Harwich YC	2	[3]	3	5
4	Alan Mason	Lesley Iles	1607	DillyDally	Mark 4a	Redesmere SC	2	4	[4 RET]	6
5	Paul Bristow	Richard Willets	2123	Perplexity	Sparklet	Burghfield SC	[5 DNC]	DNC	DNC	10

Derwent Handicap Vintage Pursuit Race (Sunday) for "The J&T Hancock Trophy":

Pos	Helm	Crew	Sail No	Boat Name	Design	Club	R1	Pts
1	John Sears	Catherine Sears	1903	Slick Chick	Mark 9	Notts County SC	1	1
2	Nigel Waller	Rosie Gore	326	Rose Marie	Uffa King	Royal Harwich YC	2	2
3	Philip David	Emma Hampshire	2545	Little Meg	China Doll	Yorkshire Ouse SC	3	3
4	Alan Mason	Lesley Iles	1607	DillyDally	Mark 4a	Redesmere SC	DNC	5
4	Paul Bristow	Richard Willets	2123	Perplexity	Sparklet	Burghfield SC	DNC	5

All competitors came away from the weekend smiling. It didn't matter if it was your first N12 event, your first time crewing a N12 or if you were a seasoned N12 sailor. It was certainly worth the effort that both Northampton Sailing Club and the National Twelve Owners' Association put in to make it happen, despite the backdrop of Covid-19. A true celebration of the National 12 class.

If you missed out on the merchandise, the 85th Anniversary clothing is still available to order online - http://www.waveclothing.co.uk/association-kit/national-12-owners-association/85th-anniversary-clothing.

Photos from the event are available:

Kevan Bloor's Gallery (Photos still being added this week - will be ~350 photos)
Steve Le Gry's Gallery (Email if you'd like high resolution copies of any of these photos)
Anthony York's Photos from Sunday's Pursuit Race

The N12 class continues to remain popular, with several National 12s changing hands last week. There are always possibilities to borrow boats, upgrade current boats and the class continues to have options for new boats to be built.

The class will now head to Yorkshire Ouse (19th September), Henley SC (26th September) and Twickenham (10th October) for some river sailing with the next Dinghy Shack Series at Ripon Sailing Club on 2nd October and the Dinghy Shack Finale and Inland Championships at Northampton Sailing Club on 6th & 7th November.