National 12 Inland Championships 2025 at Northampton Sailing Club

National 12 Inland Championships at Northampton © Guy Jacobs

The 2025 National 12 Inland Championships were held on the 8th and 9th of November at Northampton Sailing Club, drawing a strong and enthusiastic fleet from across the country. Competitors made the journey from the East, South West, Scotland, and a fine Whitefriars Sailing Club contingent, ensuring a vibrant and competitive atmosphere. The event was also the final event of the Craftinsure National Series, prizes were sponsored by Fox's Chandlery, Allen Brothers, and Blood Red clothing.

The reservoir was notably short of water, but that did little to dampen the spirits or the quality of racing. The conditions were light and shifty with occasional puffs to test everyone's concentration, and tactical awareness. Thanks to the race team headed up by Max Odell, six excellent races were completed over the two days. Max and his team did a fantastic job setting true courses in such difficult and variable winds.

Ian and Alex Gore (3525) proved the class of the fleet, winning four of the six races to take the overall championship title with a display of superb consistency and calm decision-making.

The other race winners were Nick and Billy Bubb, marking Billy's first ever National 12 event, and Graham and Blue Camm, both teams showing great pace and skill to take well-earned victories.

Among the other prize winners, Zoë Meadowcroft and Zoë Ballantine claimed the first Youth boat title, while Chris and Tim Hampshire were the first boat without a winged rudder, demonstrating that traditional setups still have plenty of potential. Ed Willett and Charlotte Stewart took honours as the first of the two vintage boats, after some graceful and determined sailing in the lighter airs.

A particularly eye-catching performance came from Kevin Iles, who, crewed by different local sailors each day, showed amazing downwind speed to secure third place overall.

Off the water, the weekend was just as enjoyable. The Saturday night bonfire and fireworks display were truly spectacular, bringing the fleet together for a brilliant evening of laughter and celebration.

Overall, it was a fantastic championship—friendly, competitive, and full of the spirit that defines the National 12 class. Congratulations to all the winners, and a huge thank-you to Northampton Sailing Club and the race team for delivering a superb weekend of sailing and the sponsors, Fox's Chandlery, Allen Brothers, Blood Red clothing and Craftinsure.

Ian and Alex Gore win the National 12 Inland Championships at Northampton - photo © Isobel Stewart

Overall Results: