National 12 Burton Week 2026 at Shoreham Sailing Club, sponsored by Bloodred and Allen - Days 1 & 2

National 12 Burton Week at Shoreham © Warwick Baker / www.warwickpics.co.uk

National 12 Burton Week at Shoreham © Warwick Baker / www.warwickpics.co.uk

Day 1

The longest, hottest summer came crashing to an end, the forecast had been predicting gales for a week and they duly arrived. AP over A was hoisted and the competitors settled down to a day of boat bimbling, anemometer and wave watching. The top number was claimed to be a gust of 50 knots!

Day 2

Principal Race officer William Warren, brought the racing forward to make the best of the available weather window and the fleet set out for three back to back races in 15 - 20 knots of breeze with some meaty rolling waves left over from the previous day's storm.

Rory Gifford with Ben Whaley crewing, sailing their borrowed Paradox design in a low and fast mode, screamed into an early lead followed by Tom and Isobel Stewart with Steve and Joanne Sallis hot on their heels in 3rd. Rory and Ben led the reaches to the leeward mark where they selected to go round all the marks they could see, including the end of the finish line and so allowing Tom and Isobel into the lead with Stevie and Joanne keeping up the pressure. Tom and Isobel held the lead to the finish.

Race 2 looked like a Rory and Ben show yet again. They blasted off the line, got on to port early and this time led for a lap until they had a messy capsize on the second beat, easily done in the increasingly choppy sea state, this put Tom and Isobel back in pole position with Stevie and Joanne second. Jon Ibbotson and Rhona Enkel finished fast but couldn't break into the top three.

National 12 Burton Week at Shoreham - photo © Warwick Baker / www.warwickpics.co.uk

Race 3, with the tide on the turn, maybe the game would change? This time Ben and Rory made it the whole way round without a slip up for Rory's first championship race win. Tom and Isobel fell in on the first beat trying to get weed off the rudder and Steve and Joanne came out just ahead of Jonno and Rhona despite some fast sailing down the final set of reaches.

Further back in the fleet, the heavy conditions were taking their toll, with gear failure and fatigue sending many home early. Thank you to the excellent Shoreham team who made sure everyone launched and returned safely. Special mention to Rory and Billy Bubb who completed all three races, making sure that their helms stayed upright throughout.

National 12 Burton Week at Shoreham - photo © Warwick Baker / www.warwickpics.co.uk

The National 12 fleet is a wonderful community and on the water rivals got together to glue, splice, bolt, making sure all but one of the boats is ready to do battle again in races 5, 6 and 7 scheduled for Monday.

Results after Day 2: