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I bought N1798 in October 1968 when I moved to Nottingham to study Civil Engineering.  My tutor, Bob Truswell, another N12 sailer, considered sailing more important than study and signed me up to Trent Valley SC in my first tutorial and Sweet Fanny followed.  I bought her from John Ryall who had considerably modernised her with rolled side decks, Aluminium centre board replaced with a permali ply board and painted with 2 part epoxy varnish which was very tough.  Out of guilt I repainted after 4 years and wondered why?  She was a very good flat water boat and reasonably competitive but not an open meeting winner.  However, at the Middle Nene autumn meeting I was fairly quick but David East and Ewan Stamp in their Paper Darts were even faster.  I then ordered Dolly Blotter, 2679, and sold Sweet Fanny to Richard Colley, also of Trent Valley.

I still remember sitting in David East's house signing a cheque for £500 (approx) on 31 March 1973 - 6 hours pre VAT!  Saved me a fortune but the boat was well worth it.  I left the boat at my parents in Norwich and picked it up the following Saturday for an open meeting of 50+ 12s at Grafham.  Put the boat together for the first time in the Dinghy Park with my crew, Tony Landamore (son of Leslie of Sparklet fame) and set sail.  Winds were 6+ all weekend with snow shown in.  Not being used to a brand new boat we fell over in the bottom of the boat, started every race last, but this boat was something else - up wind was a dream and once off the wind the rest of the fleet appeared to stop.  The other surprise - coming from a Proctor IX - was that the faster you went the more stable the boat became.  we were one of the few to stay the right way up.  We finished 3rd overall and also took the novices prize.  At this time I was sailing at Trent Valley SC and John Royce suggested the name Dolly Blotter and shortly afterwards I suggested Soggy Moggy for his Cheshire Cat.
Later in the year Clive Robinson was going to Whitstable for Burton week and took Dolly Blotter as his boat was not going well.  He finished 2nd in the Burton and 2nd for the week!
At this time I had found a very good crew called Rob Peebles who went on to become a very good 12 sailor.  In 1976 I moved to Tynemouth SC and sold the boat to Rhyle SC in 1978 after 2 enjoyable seasons sailing at sea.
Ed Willett must be congratulated on his restoration of Dolly Blotter.  She looks just like the boat I collected in 1973 and brought back many happy memories.  She was a very fast boat and I am please to read that she still is.  She originally had X sails and I think that they were one of the best sets that Michael Mac cut - no hard leaches - all drive!