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Royal Harwich Yacht Club hosted the National 12 Midwinters
on Sunday 22 February using a 4 race short course "crash
and burn" format. The 18 boats competing were faced with
a blustery northerly force 4 blowing deceptively across the river,
providing about10 knots more breeze than they were expecting,
having rigged in the shelter of the clubhouse. The combined effects
of the odd line squall hitting the fleet with little warning
and the sumptuous, well lubricated dinner the evening before
ensured that there was a lot of crashing and a fair amount of
burning. There may even have been enough capsize activity to
keep the rescue crews warm.
The race officer, Dr Chris Brown, posted a figure eight course
for the first race, prudently deciding that there had been sufficient
swimmers already so putting a gybe in the course might be a step
too far with a few hours of hard racing planned. The strong flood
tide and a big backing gust just before the gun made the first
start challenging but Tom Stewart and Liz Ross made the best
of it to take an early lead which they held to the finish, chased
by Mr & Mrs Jon Brown and then Antony Gifford, sailing with
Jess Brown. The second race proved to be pretty similar, with
Stewart and Ross proving dominant, this time chased home by Gifford
and Brown then Jon and Charlotte Ibbotson.
With a change of course to a port hand triangle plus the rest
of the fleet beginning to shake off their mid-February lethargy
(aka hangover), Stewart and Ross weren't to have it all their
own way. For a change, most of the fleet made it to the start
line roughly on time, providing some close racing throughout.
With Stewart and Ross doing turns after an incident at the windward
mark they were left well down the fleet. Gifford and Brown looked
comfortably in control at the front of the fleet, but the race
officer had chosen this as the only two lap race of the event
so they had to endure a bit longer. Only meters from the finish
line, a powerful swirling gust hit the fleet, leaving Gifford
and Brown with their boat facing the wrong way down the race
track. By the time they had recovered, the Browns had got through
them to take the race and it was all they could do to hold recovery
experts Stewart and Ross off to ensure second.
Only the hardy few made it to the final race. The scores on
the doors meant that only the Browns could overhaul Stewart and
Ross, and only then if they won the final race and Stewart and
Ross scored 3rd or worse. The start was therefore crucial and
with Stewart and Ross marking the Browns closely, the Ibbotsons
made a quick getaway at the favoured end. However, Stewart and
Ross overhauled the Ibbotsons on the reach to make sure of the
event, with Kevin Iles and Jane Wade coming through with a strong
finish to take third.
Overall Results:
1. N3476 Tom Stewart and Liz Ross
2. N3483 Jon and Jules Brown
3. N3484 Antony Gifford and Jess Brown
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