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Hi Mike

Although we are sharing the water with other classes we will have our own starts and the three races will constitute our Open meeting. Trophy for the winner, plus awards for AC, Vintage and novice (Nick please note) too!


It's a shame you can't make the Saturday, but looking forward to seeing you on the 21st.

Hi Tony

We have not booked any accomodation, there are plenty of options locally but if you get stuck please let me know and I will see what we can sort out.

Thre is no charge for the Saturday coaching sessions, our club catering and bar prices are very good value and the only other costs for the weekend will be a small contribution toward the cost of the food for the BBQ on Saturday evening, plus a modest open meeting fee for the racing on Sunday. 


See you on the 20th.

[Saturday 20th June - Coaching Day.]

Advance notice of a Weekend not to be missed!

Saturday 20th June - Coaching Day.  We have an enthusiastic and expanding 12 fleet and this promises to be a well attended day with a chance to hone those Inland sailing skills. 10am rigged and ready to sail.

Saturday 20 June - BBQ at Spinnaker.   A chance to stoke the boilers after a hard day’s sailing. Start soon after sailing is finished; with good food, lots to drink and 12 chat long into the evening!

Sunday 21 June - Invitation Day.  This replaces our normal open meeting but gives an opportunity to put into practice all that was learned the previous day. We’ve already promises of attendance from other clubs and it will be a fantastic display of N12 sailing. First race at 11:00, with two more to follow after lunch. Full catering available at the club.

All are welcome and we hope a good number will make a weekend of it. The New Forest really is a great place to spend the weekend, there are plenty of really good B&B's, Pubs or Campsites locally and as well as the BBQ on Saturday evening we will have full catering available on the Sunday - so no need to cook at all!


It would be helpful to know who is planning on attending and for which parts of the weekend, if you have any questions or need more info please either post here or email N12s@spinnakerclub.co.uk
Look forward to seeing you at Spinnaker

We are aiming to be on the water by 10:00,  so Simon that means your last coat of paint needs to be on by 08:30 to give it time to dry before launching!

See you all there.

We are holding the first of our training days at Spinnaker on Saturday 25th April.

We will have expert coaches on hand to help refine your skills ahead of Burton week and anticipate a combination of classroom discussion and on the water coaching.  We will tailor the coaching to suit everyone so whether you are a 12 novice or championship winner there should be something for everyone.

All are welcome and we hope to see a few new faces (and boats!).  Follow the link for directions [www.spinnakerclub.co.uk], if you have any questions you can post here or email N12s@spinnakerclub.co.uk

I would be happy to help, Sunday would probably suit best.
Despite Simon's constant encouragement I do not think the new boat will be ready for public viewing by March. Detail design of the canting rudder stock to control the lift from an intended T foil has slowed construction a little, there is not much to show for all the effort just yet but rest assured a full post will follow.

Gina & I on a windy day at Spinnaker, when the RYA happened to have a professional photographer on the water.  An absolutely amazing race, some phenomenal boat speed....... and we stayed upright too!!

Should be no problem with the boat floating below the level of the c/b case though you might want to look at fitting your rear bags lower in the hull.  The technique is simple once you have the boat upright - bear away onto a reach, flaps open, weight back and you'll soon lose enough water to have the top of the case above the waterline.
 
Mike D
N3496

Our AC boat sits with the side decks awash and the transom underwater post capsize. The technique needs a bit of practice, but once mastered is really simple - provided there is enough breeze (if not find a slipway!). Open the bailers before you start so that you do not need to grovel in the bilge once underway, keep the weight well back and the boat flat as you bear away. I find it also helps to raise the board a bit, it closes off the slot and means the boat will accelerate faster as the weight reduces.

Dont forget, I will be bringing some scales for those who are planning a winter refit (or winter diet). The method will not be as precribed in the rules, but should be fairly quick to do and reasonably accurate.
See you all there
Ian & Georgina

Hi Phil, 3404 will be there

Hi Louisa
     
Not sure if you have a car on the mainland, but I will be driving from Soton area and could pick you up from the hydrofoil if that would work for you?  Don't think I am in the book yet, my email is ian.stables(at)orange.net.
              
Ian N3404
 

Hi Jim
 
I am not sure what super spars use, but have personally found both 3M EPX DP490 and Gurit Spabond 345 to work well. Both are available in black for unpainted carbon. Marineware in Southampton will supply the Gurit version if you struggle to find any.
     
Alternatively, if you do not want to get your hands sticky you could talk to Ian Lovering at Ashdown Marine, 07971 922884. Ian does quite a bit of repair work for both Super Spars and Noble Marine and should be able to glue the track back on for you.
                       
Ian N3404

Here Here......
A great event and some incredible sailing before our wipe out, a big thank you to Swanage Sailing Club for the organisation and the venue and to the Spinnaker sailors for making it great fun.
P.S. First pic of 3404 on the boat database, more to follow soon.

Owned and sailed by Ian and his daughter Georgina at Spinnaker Club, Hampshire. Renamed "Squirt" by Georgina after the surfin' turtle in the Disney film Finding Nemo. The boat has undergone a major refit in early 2008 including carbon thwarts and a full internal and external respray in metallic (Turtle) green. A lovely looking boat and great fun.

All this discussion about changing, relaxing or deleting rules in their entirety seems rather inane……..   did we not all sign up to a 12ft long dinghy developed within a known set of parameters resulting in close fleet racing at a wide range of suitable venues around the country and sufficient freedom within these rules to experiment a little whilst ensuring the front of the fleet is not entirely dominated by those with the biggest wallets??
 
The rules controlling overall length, beam, minimum weight, sail area, mast height, rise of floor, sheerline et al make the 12 what is….  A 12 foot dinghy, responsive, competitive, fun and capable of being sailed by parent/sibling combination without the complication of trapeze or spinnaker.
 
Statements in various discussion threads that these things are self limiting are misguided, there may be the odd redundant clause but generally extremes of almost any one of the parameters controlled in the rules results in a performance improvement within a narrow envelope, resulting in boats optimised for a certain location, conditions or crew weight combination.
 
I for one do not want a National 13, or a Regional 11.5!! (or an International 14, Canoe or Moth for that matter) The proper place for rule debate is within the technical committee of the NTOA, in a calm considered and thoughtful manner, with due regard for the competitiveness, and therefore value, of existing boats. What will continue to make the 12 an enduring success is not wacky development at the extremes of (or beyond) the existing rules, nor constant tinkering with these rules, but affordable boats designed within a stable rules framework resulting in competitive fleet racing at a large number of venues and most importantly large numbers of us out there on the water visibly having fun; making 12 sailing something others want to get involved in!! That sounds like the class I signed up for, not a class in which the rules could change at any minute making our hard earned and modest investment in sailing completely valueless.

N3404