National 12 revival....

Originally posted by G.R.F. Originally posted by Guest#260 [ to a mortal No dont tell me.. Another sailing deity.. A lot about aren't there?

Grumps just Google Jo Richards and you'll find a pretty long list of his achievements as both a helm and a designer ... no doubt he couldn't hold a candle to your reputation in the windsurfing arena but then again even Robbie Nash couldn't do that ....

Jo & Sophie won both races today so win the week with straight bullets ... a very impressive performance.

Apparently only 23 finishers in the last race; very breezy ....

I read they won counting only firsts ... discarding a 2nd.

Nothing compared to the bigger boats he has designed. always remember one cowes week when they rounded the top mark by the needles, hoisted the kite in 18 knots of wind and overtook ABM amro on the way downhill.........that was in a 36 footer with less than half the rag up.

He is, as has been said, a very very good sailor and he is a very good designer as well. alot of his designs are quite "whacky" but they do seem to work. take the vortex, although not a gret success the tunnel hull circulates spray backwards through it, generating lift, god knows what he dreams at night to think of ideas like that. and the twelve is on a different level, design wise, to most other dinghys. I dont know how well it went at thorpe bay, but when he has been tuning in cowes he has destroyed two 400's upwind and thats in both speed and height. ive never seen another 12 get close to that.

I think its a very well deserved win. A fantastically fast boat, helped along by a fantastically fast sailor.