NATIONAL TWELVES AT TYNEMOUTH

NATIONAL TWELVES AT TYNEMOUTH

A total of 14 National Twelves competed in Tynemouth Sailing Club's Summer Open Meeting over the weekend of June 30th and July 1st. Saturday afternoon produced a Force 4 gusting 5 South-Westerly, which caused every one to take a dip sooner or later. Only one race was sailed in Cullercoats Bay instead of the scheduled two. In the 12s, John and Katy Meadowcroft took an early lead but took a swim shortly after rounding the windward mark and were overtaken by Steve Sallis and Jenny James and then by Mike Cooke and Charlotte Ibbotson. Sallis and James held onto their lead throughout the race, with Cooke and Ibbotson chasing hard until they capsized on the final lap which allowed the Meadowcrofts to close the gap but not to overtake before the finish.


	Sunday dawned with the wind down a force or so and blowing from a more Westerly direction. Three races were sailed back to back in the North Bay. In the first race, the Meadowcrofts again had an early start, closely followed by Frances Gifford and Janes Jones (N3431), who overtook them on the second beat. Mike Cooke and Charlotte Ibbotson also pulled through the fleet on the second beat but were never able to overtake Gifford and Jones who went on to win, with the consistent Meadowcrofts in third place. The second race of the day started in a reasonable amount of chaos, with the Meadowcrofts, Gifford & Jones and Cooke & Ibbotson all completing penalty turns immediately after the start. Phil David, sailing his Baggy Trousers 'Twice Shy' led round the windward mark, with Sallis & James a short distance behind and able to overtake David on the first reach. Cooke and Ibbotson also overtook David on the first lap and, having chased Sallis hard for a lap eventually overtook on lap 3 and held onto to win with the Meadowcrofts yet again third.
With Sallis and James needing a win in the final race to take the open meeting, Cook and Ibbotson were forced to return early to the beach as a result of gear failure. Gifford and Jones took an early, only to be overtaken by Sallis and James who went on to win this final race and take the Tynemouth Bailer, Gifford and Jones took second and the Meadowcrofts were Mr and Mrs Consistent in third. All in all, a glorious weekend's racing with close competition throughout the fleet.

Results

1st N 3436 Steve Sallis and Jenny James, Hykeham SC
2nd N 3419 Mike Cooke and Charlotte Ibbotson, Nottingham SC
3rd N 3431 Frances Gifford and Jane Jones , Aldeburgh YC
4th N 3429 John and Katy Meadowcroft, Henley SC