From (nearly) back of fleet!
(Or “ week we went to Norfolk with a 40 year old wooden clinker
vintage N12 to celebrate ir 60th anniversary – and we didn’t break
anything, capsize or come last!”) usual proper” who won what”
reports are at:
http://www.national12.org/events/2009/north_west_norfolk_week.shtml
and
http://www.norfolkweek.co.uk/pdf/norfolk%20week%20report%2009.pdf
(where we actually got a mention as first (and last) vintage yot).
This is alternative report with no punches pulled!
pre-NWNW warm-up didn’t go well this year. Having come second at
Welland with new Aardspars carbon mast on Perfect Kiss N3157,
fitting of new mast ram totally bxggxrxd up whole rig and we
were beaten into last place at TVSC by entire handicap fleet. A day
off to drive to Bristol to collect N2399 () Mr Jones for “Turner
Collection” of odd and classic National 12s meant I didn’t have time to
sort out Microclipper so N2487 Dolly Daydream (China Doll design)
was pressed into service. And n Volvo failed its MOT on
Thursday, so instead of leaving at 13:00 on Friday we (that is Paul
Turner (PT) and Christine Marshall (CM)) set out at 18:30 and finally
arrived at TeamTrentValley HQ at Burnham Market (BM) at 21:00 to be
greeted by David Peacock (DP) and Tricia Wood (TW) N3524 and Tim Gatti
(TG) and son Seb (SB) N3227 – and a meal (with obligatory wine and beer
for medicinal purposes only!)
Saturday: Hunstanton – forecast seemed to be
pretty gloomy for week ahead but day dawned dry and breezy.
And when we saw list of N12s it looked more like a Burton Week
entry! re were usual well organised two races in afternoon
and we followed main fleet round in company of TG, Dave Borrett,
Dirk Bougard and Ben Harris; we lost Radical Edward in first race
with major centreboard failure but everyone else seemed to be present
and correct at end of second. Whilst girls cooked up
evening meal, Dave and I sloped off to Jolly Sailor to meet Nigel
Playford (NP) and daughter Hannah, to be joined by Paul Pelling.
Sunday: Hunstanton – for first race sea was a bit lumpy
and wind went down for second; same suspects at back of
fleet after 2 general recalls. We saw Marcus Ingram, ex N12 sailor from
Up River, crack mast on his Phantom before second race, and we
lost Dave Borrett for remainder of week to family commitments
and gear failure. As it was DP’s birthday (but not a significant one) we
went to White Horse in Brancaster for a splendid evening meal.
Monday: Kings Lynn (KL) – Having been searching all day
Sunday for TW’s sun cream it was found – in freezer! Breakfast was
spent comparing injuries and scars, betting on when SG would finally
appear (lunchtime) and hearing all about TG’s spian career. After
some serious bimbling of TG’s boat, he and NP headed off to KL, whilst
rest of us welcomed former TVSC member Anja Newman and her 2yo
daughter Eleanor to TTVHQ – Anja spoke to El in German to ensure that
she, like herself, would be multilingual. Despite his allergy to “brats”
PT actually found El to be “quite endearing”! lads returned after
22:00 with tales of daring do and deep horrid mud.
Tuesday: Wells – we had a lazy morning and trotted off
to Wells for evening race which was quite breezy with various
casualties including Ian Gore’s mast plus DP and Patrick Elcombe(PE)
breaking/losing ir rudders. Our battle was with usual tail enders
but it was a jolly race (nearly capsized on gibe mark, but as
crew was up to her usual athletic standard, we didn’t!) and back to
TTVHQ for a veggie lasagne per Anja. We were slightly perplexed as our
or house guest had disappeared without trace. house was searched
from top to bottom without success but someone remembered NP muttering
about a game of Bridge at 8.00 in Oxford, or was it Cambridge?
Wednesday: Wells – up at 04:15 to a dry sunny and
windless morning. We had a much better race finishing just behind
Pie Boys and PE who got us at last mark. Discovered that we were not
only ones to have had several incidents with a grumpy blue Albxcxrx
who couldn’t understand port/starboard rules! general feeling on
N12 fleet was that perhaps race was one lap too long, but we got
value for money! It was hard work getting back into Wells against
ebb tide.
And feedback from first few days was that we discovered that we
were boat to beat – in that no one wanted to finish behind only
vintage N12 re! cheery man in or Albacore did hail us
loudly to express his view “that’s what a National 12 should look like –
a well preserved garden shed” – I think he was being complimentary.
day was rounded off by a jolly pleasant BBQ at Up River’s team HQ; our
thanks to m for ir kind hospitality and good company.
Thursday: Blakeney – anor very early start. Sailing
out to start line water was red in places with millions of
ladybirds – very odd. wind kept changing resulting in three
pre-start course changes. actual course was “interesting” and
“challenging” (more like “dxmn quirky” per crew) – a beat from
start line to windward mark where we turned right onto a reach to
next mark, where we turned right again to reach back to previous
mark to turn right again (through next fleet who were also turning
right to go to mark we had just come from) to head off on a run – as
wind died! Seeing PE heading off to starboard/land side of
course and everyone else off to port/ seaward side, we headed off
after PE, arrived much later at leeward mark with single hander
fleet, and were amazed to be in company of Meds and Tom Stewart who
got past us on final short beat to finish. Scored an amazing 7th
with a probably unseemly cheer from our boat as we crossed line –
but hey, forgive us, we are rarely that far up fleet! And TG was
9th!
Thursday: Burnham Overy Stai - stalwarts sailed
Jenny Lee race that evening (a bit too late and cold for us!) with a
splendid reception and prize giving at race officer’s house
afterwards. full report is at:
http://www.overystaisc.org.uk/results09.php#jlee but re is no
mention of Vince Phillips; I am sure that he was re with Fiona
sailing ir vintage Whisper?
Friday: Snettisham – early morning call at 05:00 and DP
wasn’t going to sail; he will deny this vigorously! However, when he
realised rest of us were keen and raring to go, he ventured outside
to check wind and had a re-think. It was hissing it down as we left
BM but rain relented, wind got up, and we had two jolly fine
races (despite anor general recall in second). We couldn’t
wait to feed that evening, so we called in at Jolly Sailor for a
quick meal before off to Snett for final evenings’ entertainment.
Two live bands and excellent fireworks rounded off one of best NWNWs
for many years. Incidentally, second band was asked to play
something suitable just before fireworks – so y played “Smoke on
Water”! And teenagers were seen to be suitably embarrassed by
over 42’s “rocking on” to Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Deep Purple
etc.
And here’s dedication (or insanity) for you! TG disappeared at 11:15
Friday morning to drive to Bradford to drop off his Baggy, n to
Yeadon to collect N341 (a ribbed N12), drove back to BM arriving at
00:50 Saturday morning for a quick zizz and n set off that morning
for Wroxham for Vintage N12 weekend but only after one of
neighbours had reversed into TG’s pride and joy! boat cover and
car came off worst – y knew how to build boats in m days!
Observations:
1. Many would have liked prize-givings
to be held much sooner after races but it transpired that David
Baddeley was having various problems with results software – so he
was forgiven especially as he had worked so hard before and during
week.
2. Perhaps next year’s opening
briefing should include a reminder that sailing is for fun and
enjoyment, which can be spoiled by bad manners on water – and
rules are re for everyone’s safety! We witnessed, or were innocently
involved in, several blatant incidents where penalties should have been
taken, but sadly weren’t. Yes, we could (and perhaps should) have
protested, but it is a holiday sailing week.
great thing about NWNW is catching up with old sailing friends;
most of regulars were re and various N12 peeps appeared during
week including Suzy Sallis, Ann Peebles and John Holltum, plus we
may just have tempted Hugh and Alison Ambery back into vintage N12s with
promise to loan m N2020 ( original Starfish) for TVSC
Vintage Open on 13th September!
And on a lighter note, for entertainment value, TTVHQ has decided to
inaugurate SCHNULLER AWARD for N12s – “dummy” in German (suggested
by Anja & Eleanor Newman with grateful thanks to m for raising
cultural diversity at TTVHQ at BM 2009). Nominations so far are:
1. Tim Gatti – asking Seb to jump
out to hold boat at KL not realising that water was over 5 feet
deep; crew disappeared briefly! TG n jumped out his side and slipped
under boat in mud.
2. David Peacock – over-cooking
roll tacking at Wells after race and capsizing in zero wind; had to
be rescued.
Please forward any or nominations for all those incidents that carry
“DER” factor to me at
paul@alverbanksails.co.uk for consideration. presentation of
award will not be announced, but sprung on unsuspecting
winner/victim at a suitability embarrassingly large N12 event!
AND FINALLY – many thanks to all NWNSA team and to Clubs
involved for all hard work that so many people put in to make
60th Anniversary a huge success – and we will be back next year!
Paul Turner N2487 Dolly Daydream (crewed by Christine Marshall) Trent
Valley, 13.08.09
