National 12 Open at Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club

National 12s at Yorkshire Dales © Rachel McInnes

The National 12 fleet got its usual welcome to Yorkshire Dales SC at Grimwith Reservoir, a good brisk breeze blowing down the length of the Reservoir, the pre arranged sunshine however was late, that wouldn't turn up until late afternoon! We were sharing the water with the Scorpion's Northern Championships and the Club fleet but there was plenty of room for all.

In the first race there was a bit of confusion as the first two boats went round the windward mark in opposite directions, who hadn't checked the course on the Committee Boat? Suffice to say Ed and Tom Storey had and they flew off down the long broad reach in the lead. The confused fleet behind them sorted themselves out and gave chase in vain. At the finish Ed and Tom were clear winners with Patrick Hamilton and Oliver Newbury in second and Mark and Anna Simpson in third.

National 12s at Yorkshire Dales - photo © Rachel McInnes

For the next race everybody checked the new course before the start so there wasn't the confusion at the windward mark. Patrick and Oliver lead run the windward mark and the fleet were close together down the long broad reach to the gybe mark and reach to the leeward mark. As the fleet went through the gate at the end of the first lap Ed and Tom had got into first place followed by Mark and Anna and Patrick and Oliver. They finished in that order, and then it was a welcome break for lunch.

Over lunch the weather decided we had been having it too easy so far and decided to up the wind strength a significant notch and to decorate the lake with white horses!

National 12s at Yorkshire Dales - photo © Rachel McInnes

The Race team decided for the third race to set a windward / leeward course using most of the length of lake just to make it more interesting. At the start Mark and Anna, who by this point had transformed into Emma, powered off the start line whilst the rest of us struggled! Patrick and Oliver called it a day at this point, whilst the rest of us followed Mark and Emma up to the windward mark. Mark and Emma followed by Ed and Tom went round the mark, goose winged their jibs and disappeared off down wind. They were followed round the mark by Neil McInnes and Oscar Ward-Lasckey and John and Alison Cheetham, as the wind stepped up another notch. Both boats struggled to fully turn down wind and couldn't get their jibs goose winged so they set off on a flying broad reach towards the club instead, I would love to say nicely in control but it was far from it! John and Alison called it a day when they got close the club whereas in a rare moment of control Neil and Oscar managed to tack round instead of risking a gybe and followed the leading two. The next lap wasn't as frantic and Ed and Tom closed a bit on Mark and Emma in the lead and Neil and Oscar hung on to the finish. Meanwhile Andrew Cowling and Catherine Ward were struggling at the bottom end of the run and after experiencing the joys of of repeat capsizing and turning turtle ended up letting the safety boat help them back to shore.

The wind seemed to wipe the Club Fleet out too and it was only the Twelves who lined for the last race of the day (the Scorpions had finished their Weekend event at lunchtime) in the now sunshine as well as the wind. By this point Neil and Oscar decided to that discretion was the better part of valour leaving Mark and Emma and Ed and Tom out for the deciding race. Ed and Tom's jib was starting to self destruct (the lunch time repair was not holding well) but they pushed Mark and Emma all the way round the final short race but they couldn't get through leaving Mark and Emma to take the last race and to win the meeting.

At the prize-giving Mark thanked Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club for giving the Twelves another good sailing day and great Open Meeting and he thanked Phil Whitehead and the OOD / Safety Team for looking after us on the water and the Catering team for keeping us fed and watered on shore.

Overall Results: