Burton Week at Shoreham Sailing Club

Start of race 4 on day 3 of National 12 Burton Week at Shoreham - photo © Margaret Purkis

By the start time of the second race, the wind appeared to be dropping but soon after the start, it picked up again and was soon higher than earlier, now over 20 knots. With breaking water around the fleet, conditions were even trickier. Several more suffered nasty capsizes and retirements. Trystan Leonard and Joe Griffiths needed Safety boat assistance just off the harbour entrance in their brand-new boat, desperate not to get it damaged. Meanwhile Ed Firth and Stan Malenczuk had the ride of their young lives in their much older boat charging in on huge breaking waves demonstrating great boat control in very tough conditions.

Trystan Leonard and Joe Griffiths getting to terms with their brand new boat on day 3 of National 12 Burton Week at Shoreham - photo © Margaret Purkisn

Despite the drama, race 2 now under way, proved to be a Rory and Ben benefit with a big margin of victory over Jon and Rhona with Antony and Jo Gifford third. Tom and Isobel Stewart completed the top four, matching their position in the earlier race.

Rory Gifford and Ben Whaley, series leader after day 3 of National 12 Burton Week at Shoreham - photo © Margaret Purkis

With conditions showing no signs of easing, PRO William had no choice but to abandon any thoughts of a third race allowing the remaining fleet to head back to the harbour and out of the big seas. With crews all safely tallied off, it was time to rest sore limbs and assess damage to several boats, broken rudders and foils being the most common damage. Repairs went on well into the evening with the prospect of lighter winds on the final day and the Sir William Burton Cup race, always the very special highlight of every Burton Week.

The National 12 Championship (a.k.a. as Burton Week) continued with another two races on Tuesday, in the brutal seas off Shoreham, the Burton Cup race was concluded and the points series winner decided.

The Burton Cup race, a two hour marathon of triangles, set off in lighter winds, as forecast, that gradually built as the race progressed. Graham and Felix Camm led briefly, to be overtaken by Zoe Meadowcroft & Zoe Ballantyne on the first reach. Rory Gifford and Ben Whaley then took the lead from Team Zoe on the second reach and then extended their lead. Tom & Isobel eventually worked through the pack, and in to second place, and that is how the 2026 Burton Cup race finished.

The lighter winds, and the favourable forecast, meant that the older boats and less experienced sailors were finally able to see what the rest of us had been talking about, having been prudent and stayed onshore for Sunday and Monday.

A second race got away, in more wind, just before the 14.00 deadline, Jon Ibbotson and Rhona Enkel led initially, with Tom and Isobel chasing. Once again the pale green of N3483, sailed by Rory and Ben, found the pace to pull through and take the win.

With two more wins under their belt, in their 23 year old borrowed boat (thanks Uncle Jon!) it was Rory and Ben that were named National Champions. Rory is probably the first winning helm to be younger than the boat he was sailing, and breaks the stranglehold of the Stewart and Camm clans over the past 17 years. Ben continues his summer of attending almost every hiking dinghy championship... including having won the Fireflys helming earlier in the summer!

Once again the Shoreham team did a great job, managing to keep the two classes almost entirely separate on the water and put on excellent racing for all. Thanks are also due to Blood Red and Allen, the two event sponsors.

More photos available here:

National12 photos on Flickr

Warwick Pics: https://www.warwickpics.co.uk/portfolio?viewcategory=100

Photos from the safety boats: https://adobe.ly/4i7iWeW