Please select your home edition
Edition
Ocean Safety 2021 - LEADERBOARD

Gul National 12 Series at Shoreham Sailing Club

by The Stewart Family 27 Jun 2014 07:49 BST 21-22 June 2014

Probably the best sea sailing in the UK over the midsummer weekend was enjoyed by a strong fleet of National 12s at Shoreham Sailing Club competing in the fourth event of the 2014 Gul series. Wall to wall sunshine and a stunning coloured sea was an added, very welcome, bonus.

On Saturday, the experienced race team set a full sized Championship course to the West of the harbour entrance. It looked like the right hand side of the beat would pay due to the tide but with occasional left hand shifts, nothing could be guaranteed. Tom Stewart and Andrea Ralph slipped round the Windward Mark first pursued by the family team of John and Oliver Meadowcroft who had the lightweight Camm team hot on their transom. Stewart and Ralph held off the challengers to take the gun but the Meadowcrofts were overhauled.

The Camms led the early part of race two and as the recognised light airs stars of the fleet, they looked like they would do their usual horizon job, however this time it was not to be as, on the second lap, Stewart and Ralph found good pressure on the right and took the lead. The wind faltered and it looked like the race team would shorten but Alan Chaplin knows his stretch of water and the breeze came back and a full length race was enjoyed.

I usually wouldn't comment on the evening activities but the scale and quality of the Shoreham Barbecue needs a mention, the food was superb and the portions big enough for the Fireball Crews (with whom we were sharing the event)....and then followed pudding and beer.

Sunday morning looked lighter than Saturday but as the start gun went, the wind shifted right and picked up 5 knots so crews were flat hiking up the first beat. Christian Day and Sophie Richards nailed the start but were overhauled on the left by Team Meadowcroft who led around the top mark with the new pairing of Kevin Iles and Pip Jefferis just behind them. On the next lap,Tom and Andrea went through the gears as the breeze freshened and pulled through to first place and to an early victory.

In Race four, Shoreham showed its very best, another 5 knots of breeze and waves to surf on! Local stars William Warren and Sophie Mackley won the pin end and were looking good to lead at the top mark but with the wind swinging right they were caught by the pack. Jon Ibbotson and Charlotte Stewart emerged from the melee and shot off down the first reach like a startled hare. Enjoying the conditions on the second downwind leg and stretching their lead was too much for Jonno and he went back too far and with a back flip, leapt into the drink. Much to their surprise, Tom and Andrea picked up a wave after the gybe and gratefully were gifted the lead which they held to the finish. The Camms recovered well from their worst start of the weekend and worked their way through to record a fourth second place.

Overall Results: (top three)

1st Tom Stewart and Andrea Ralph
2nd Graham Camm and Zoe Ballantyne
3rd John and Oliver Meadowcroft

Related Articles

Allen Burton Week 2023 at Brixham overall
Tom & Isobel Stewart wrap up the win For day 4, the final day of Allen Sailing N12 Buton Week 2023 at Brixham Yacht Club, the forecast had promised different conditions to the previous three with lighter breezes from the (even more) shifty South Westerly quarter. Posted on 31 Aug
Allen Burton Week 2023 at Brixham Day 3
Bank Holiday Brixham at its best! The penultimate day of Allen Sailing Burton Week for 2023 saw the fleet launch into lighter airs than yesterday and wall to wall sunshine. It was Bank Holiday Brixham at its best! Posted on 28 Aug
Allen Burton Week 2023 at Brixham Day 2
Sir William Burton Cup Race day The well known and much desired Sir William Burton Cup is awarded to the winner of the Sir William Burton Cup Race. Since 2021, the race changed from a its initial form as four laps of a triangle course, with each leg a mile long, and a beat to finish. Posted on 28 Aug
Allen Burton Week 2023 at Brixham Day 1
Ollie Meadowcroft and Cally Terkelsen lead after the first two races The fleet were very keen to get rigged, with most of the N12s ready before 10:00, despite the fact that the briefing was scheduled for 11:30 with the first race not before 14:00. Posted on 26 Aug
Allen Burton Week 2023 Runners & Riders
N12 Championship being held at Brixham YC from 26 to 29 August 2023 National Twelve Burton Week is being held at Brixham Yacht Club from 26 to 29 August 2023 and is kindly sponsored, for a third year by Allen Sailing. Posted on 25 Aug
North West Norfolk Week day 8
Reduced wind compared to earlier in the week for the final day The final day of Norfolk Week saw reduced wind compared to earlier in the week, with winds around 8-10 knots, dying off in the second race to almost nothing, leading to tows required to all boats coming back into the creek. Posted on 6 Aug
North West Norfolk Week day 7
Another morning start, this time at Wells Sailing Club Day 7 of North West Norfolk Sailing Week began with another morning start, this time at Wells Sailing Club. The wind was consistent, at around 10-15knts, with cloudy weather, although sun shone through near the end of the race. Posted on 5 Aug
North West Norfolk Week day 5
Wins mean courses are a majority of reaches with very small upwind legs Day 5 of Norfolk Week saw the two fleets of National 12s and Allcomers sail in the morning and afternoon respectively at Ouse Amateur SC. Shifty and unreliable wind at points created challenging conditions for both fleets. Posted on 3 Aug
North West Norfolk Week day 4
Such an early start, and such a lot of wind Day four of Norfolk week was met with an early start - 06.45 for the first start - however both fleets had reasonable numbers, with six in the N12 fleet, and ten in the Allcomers fleet. Posted on 1 Aug
North West Norfolk Week 2023 Day 3
The fleet move on to Brancaster Staithe, with the conditions still windy Day 3 of Norfolk Week saw the beginning of two days of sailing a Brancaster Staithe. The conditions were still windy, but much less than previous races at Snettisham Beach. Posted on 1 Aug