Eleven 12s took to the water this weekend for the fourth open in the
Midland’s Area Series at Redesmere Sailing Club including 4 vintage
boats in the fleet. A good southerly wind with incessant gusts gave the
fleet exciting racing all day on a course littered with gybes and
surrounded by trees!
Race 1 - Dave Peacock and Tricia Wood having only landed at Manchester
airport from a holiday in Cyprus two hours before the meeting, decided
to practise a full capsize drill even before the start. When the race
got under way Paul Turner and Debi Gibson got off to a stomping start
pulling out a leg on the fleet by the end of the first beat. Dave
Peacock and Tricia Wood and Brian Herring and Ros Stevenson, in the
chasing pair of boats, were quickly caught by the end of the second leg
by Christian Day and Sophie Richards who proceeded to catch Paul and
Debi over the next lap and by the end of the second beat took the lead.
Paul, now in second position and suffering from a broken tiller
extension with Debi hiking for her life, continued to hold off Dave and
Tricia, but couldn’t stop their new Paradigm 2 eventually overtaking.
Dave quickly caught up Chris and Sophie and seized the opportunity to
take the lead when the gusts got the better of them, with Stumpy
capsizing at the end of the beat. Dave and Tricia went on to win the
first race, with Chris and Sophie (bailing frantically) taking second
with Paul and Debi close behind in third. Further down the fleet Brian
Herring and Ros Stevenson took 4th ahead of locals Alan Mason and Tim
Lowe and the Loudons who had travelled up from West Oxfordshire.
Race 2 - Chris and Sophie made the most of their local Redesmere
knowledge to take the lead early on. Paul and Debi were hot on their
heels, holding their own in the vintage fleet, they were followed by
Dave and Tricia. The 2009 Paradigm 2 v. 1970 China Doll battle continued
with Paul and Debi twice finding a way past only to eventually lose out
to the Paradigm’s superior offwind planing performance. As the wind
conditions lightened Dave and Tricia began to reel the Baggy Trousers
in, but Chris and Sophie held on to the lead, with Dave coming in second
and Paul third. The youth team of Tom White and Maria Gidley from Olton
Mere pulled through the fleet to take 4th after Brian and Ros capsized,
while the Loudons recovered from their own capsize more quickly in their
self-draining Big Issue 2 to take 5th.
Race 3 - A calming wind ensued for the final race of the day with the
fleet all getting off to a good start. Dave Peacock, took the lead after
the first beat only to be caught by Christian Day at the beginning of
the third leg and later by Paul Turner and Chris Troth and Laura
Humphrey in the second Olton Mere youth boat. However, In the lighter
winds Chris struggled to hold off Dave and was taken on the penultimate
beat. Dave kept first, with Christian second and Paul third, also
winning the vintage fleet. Chris and Laura took a creditable 4th place
to secure the youth prize. Meanwhile Paul and Debi were so overjoyed
with their vintage victory and decided to take a flying run coming in –
capsizing right on to the jetty. Apparently the board was jammed with
the jib sheet and this was the only solution!
Results
1st N3524 Dave Peacock and Tricia Wood (Trent Valley SC)
2nd (and 1st AC) N3377 Chris Day and Sophie Richards (Redesmere SC)
3rd (and 1st Vintage) N2487 Paul Turner and Debi Gibson (Trent Valley
SC)
1st Youth N3412 Chris Troth and Laura Humphrey (Olton Mere SC)
Quote from Paul Turner Midland Area NTOA rep - “After a number of years
absence it’s great to welcome Redesmere back onto the N12 Open meeting
circuit; a big “thank you” to Alan Mason and Christian Day for all their
hard work and to the rest of the crew at RSC for the superb
organisation, catering and hospitality. It was also good to see such a
strong turnout from Olton Mere (4 boats) and Trent Valley (3). The final
two MAAT meetings are on Saturday 12th September at OMSC (with a social
in the evening) and at TVSC the day after. Please note that the Trent
Valley meeting is MAAT and Vintage. There will be separate races for
DBs/ACs and Vintage/4 plankers; both series of races will count towards
the MAAT – i.e. there will be two firsts etc to count for the series.
The results so far are posted elsewhere but the scores are very close.
Although Gerald Copsey is leading Dave Peacock has two firsts and is
planning to sail at TVSC.
And it would be remiss of me (Chadders would never forgive me) not to
mention that the next Vintage meetings are on Saturday 5th September at
Derwent, TVSC as above on 13th and the final fun weekend is at Ripon and
Yeadon 10/11th October.”
