The day started with a few postponements and trial gate starts, the wind was a force two with a steep chop. At the first mark after a shifty first beat Robin Wood crewed by son Ben rounded first followed by Malcolm Mackley then Jon and Charlotte Ibbotson. The first reach saw marginal planing with Malcolm and Jon having a luffing match allowing the Woods to stretch their lead. Several people peeled off at the leeward mark saving themselves for Sunday's racing.

  The first points race of the National Twelve Burton Week was held today in fresh Force 4, gusting 5 in Torbay. A left shift towards the top of the first beat saw Hudson and Stamp, in a Final Chapter, lead at Mark 1, closely followed by Pelling and Simkins and the Ibbotsons. Hudson and Stamp held on despite being closely challenged by different boats through the duration of the race, notably Stewart and Ross in their Feeling Foolish, who were only thwarted by a broken mast. Sallis and James nearly took the leaders on the final lap but Hudson and Stamp held on to get the winners gun and the Marlow Rope Salver.

Final positions as follows:
1st N 3453 Stuart Hudson and Jane Stamp
2nd N 3435 Steve Sallis and Jenny James
3rd N 3418 Will and Mandy Henderson
4th N 3445 Jon and Charlotte Ibbotson
5th N 3426 Jon Brown and Jane Jones
6th N 3455 Robin and Ben Wood
7th N 3423 Bruce and Clare Johnson
8th N 3421 Graham Ireland and Michael Douglas

Race 2 started with full on breeze from Paignton, Stuart Hudson and Jane Stamp made best use of the shifts and rounded the windward mark first, closely followed by the Hendersons and Ibbotsons. By the jybe mark. Hudson & Stamp led with Robin and Ben Wood second and Tom Stewart and Elisabeth Ross in third. On the second lap the leading three boats broke clear of the pack with the Woods gaining the upper hand at the end of the beat, with Stewart & Ross edging out Hudson & Stamp at the windward mark. They finished in that order with Stewart & Ross pushing the Woods to the line.

After wallowing around eating a sumptious lunch of bananas, salty sandwiches and cold sausages, the fleet awoke from their midafternoon nap to find a reduced, shifty breeze. N3423 Bruce and Claire Johnson, pathfinders, set off into a 15 degree header, favouring the early starters. First out of the gate was N3445, Jon and Charlotte Ibbotson, who proceeded to lead the fleet for most of the race. Taking the early shift and closely followed by N3418, Will and Mandy Henderson, and N3427, Nigel and Hannah Playford, this group built up a comfortable lead over the rest of the fleet by the windward mark. Down the reaches and up the early part of the second beat a leading pack consisting of the Ibbotsons, comfortably ahead, followed by N3453, Stuart Hudson and Jane Stamp, N3455, Robin and Ben Wood and N3448, Tom Stewart and Elisabeth Ross established itself. The Ibbotsons maintained their lead down the run and up the next beat with the chasing pack constantly changing places. This pack, concentrating on boat to boat tactics rather than the fleet, allowed the Johnsons back into the hunt on the second set of reaches. The Ibbotsons rounded the final leeward mark reasonably ahead of Hudson and Stamp, closely followed by the Woods, Stewart and Ross then the Johnsons. The wind proceeded to die and go rather shifty. Hudson and Stamp edged to the left and took the shift to win from the Ibbotsons, then the Woods, Stewart and Ross then the Johnsons.

Sir William Burton Cup - tuesday   Burton Cup winners - Tom Stewart and Liz Ross (left)

The predicted Force 5-6 once again failed to materialise leaving the fleet enjoying fresh to fun conditions in the marathon four-round, 1.5mile leg, traditional Burton Cup course. Tom Stewart and Liz Ross took the lead from Will and Mandy Henderson on the second beat and held it to the finish. Bruce and Clare Johnson sailing a Final Chapter design kept the leaders on their toes throughout the race to take second place from the ever-threatening Robin and Ben Wood also sailing a Feeling Foolish design. In fourth place were championship leaders Stuart Hudson and Jane Stamp with Paul Pelling and Ian Simkins in fifth.   1st Tom Stewart and Liz Ross 2nd Robin and Ben Wood 3rd Bruce and Clare Johnson 4th Stuart Hudson and Jane Stamp 5th Paul Pelling and Ian Simkins 6th Ian Gore and Lesley Iles 7th Will and Mandy Henderson 8th Jon and Charlotte Ibbotson 9th Steve Sallis and Jenny James 10th Jon Brown and Jane Jones

Two races were held on the fourth day of the championship . The first race was sailed in a moderate westerly shifty breeze, just enough to keep the 52-strong fleet on its toes. The first race of the day was won by the super-fast Tom Stewart and Liz Ross, while the second race was won by championship leaders Stuart Hudson and Jane. However, with the ever-threatening Robin and Ben Wood snapping at their heels, in the shifty second race, it wasn't all plain sailing. 'We had to really work for it,' explained Hudson, 'We couldn't afford to take the pressure off for a moment otherwise we'd have lost it.' So close is the racing at the front of the fleet that there is now only one and a quarter points separating the top two boats.

Above: Stuart Hudson leading the fleet in the Paul Cooke Trophy     One race is scheduled for Thursday August 17 with two races on the final dayon Friday August 18.

Thursday's race started in a solid force 4 - 5 with a 2 foot chop, the key players started early but Tom Stewart & Liz Ross gained from a mid line started and a 10 degree lift to round the windward mark first, with Will & Mandy Henderson in close pursuit and the Woods thrid. Stuart Hudson & Jane Stamp took third position when the woods unfortunately capsized. Stewart & Ross went on to extend their lead and take the gun.

Positions for the final race will be critical as the top three Stewart, Hudson & Wood are extremely close. All eyes will be on Friday's race

Friday with a timely down poor most of the fleet were pretty slow off the starting blocks, however the wind filled and sky cleared for the start of the final days racing. The start was postponed once at the wind shifted around and after a short delay the fleet started in a gentle force 2 and with only a slight chop.

Most of the fleet started early, soon after the start there a starboard lift developed and many of the early starters duck the late starters in a search for clear air. At the beat continued the startboard continued to pay for those on the right of the beat, especially Chris Mayhew & Helen Hilditch who rounded the first mark a clear 100m in the lead. They were followed by a closer pack of Paul Pelling & Ian Simpkins, Jon & Charlotte Ibbotson and Fran Gifford & Richard Bailey.

Positions were unchanged until the second beat where the fleet had to battle for the few puffs of wind around. Mayhew & Hillditch kept there heads and held on to their clear lead, whilst positions further down the fleet changed tremendously.

The Champsionship leaders, Stuart Hudson and Tom Stewart rounded the first mark in the back 2/3rds of the fleet. Hudson needed a 1st place to win the championshions which was always going to be difficult in the fiercly competitive Twelve fleet. Hudson slowly crawled up the fleet making good use of the little wind there was to finish 11th, 2 places ahead of Stewart but not enough to win the Week.

Mayhew & Hilditch comfortably held the lead for the third & final lap to take the gun.

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