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Running an combined event for all categories of 12 is tricky. It's a good very of getting a good attendance for the opening but there seams to a lot people who have a fleet of 12's to choose from. So it runs the risk of diluting what we a trying to achive with a series of 4 planker. All depends how many people of got a fleet of 12's to choose from I 'spose.

Sorted  Ely sailing club has given us the ok for an 4 planker event in 2014 and a possible date. The only thing is with a tight calender and getting let down this year they would like to run a four planker along side a normal 12 opening meeting. I'm also wondering about inviting the vintage 12's along as well.
What do you all think? Are you ok with this? And would the option of separate starts for different Categories of 12 be a good one.
As a side note I'm also wondering about running 5 45 minute races in instead of the normal 3 hour long type races.
What do you think? Will this be to much?

soz Gazz pics are probably a bit big I will do better in the future;)
Here's the last few photoies of the business side of Subversion (Jet is becoming her pet name)

Here’s a few photos taken for the before/after contrast thing taken on a rainy Sunday afternoon before Subversion went into the workshop.

With a few of sails in Subversion under our belts and Kez and mine sailing season is at an end, with Subversion going into the workshop to make her look all shiny again. There’s also small matter of fixing a couple of split joints. I think it’s about time I wrote a bit about what it’s like to own and sail Joe Richards’ forth go at National 12 design (PTO 1962, Anticipation 1974, IOU 1975 and Subversion in 1976 followed by the Bouncer in 1977).  For starters from what I have heard I get the impression the boat itself has been a bit of a marmite design. I can see why:  Subversion’s very slender bow sections would make a Pipedream look like it’s got plenty of volume up front. Subversion is also very ‘round’ with most of rocker aft which all adds up to make her very sensitive to fore and aft trim. 

Weirdly as with fine bowed skiff type boats once the bow digs in you don’t get the rapid slowing leading to a ‘green’ foredeck, which is nice.  All our sailing so far has been on flat water and probably will remain so but I think in any waves or chop sailing her will be a very different ball game. 

So what do we think about sailing her then? We really enjoy it, she cruses about Ely Sailing club happily, reacts when we ask her and picks up nicely on the breeze.  A couple of strange things is maybe because the lack of any real flat section and the rocker is when she planes she doesn’t ‘lift’ or maybe we need go out  when there is some more breeze.  And then there’s the fore and aft trim. To get Subversion rocking along nicely I find myself shuffling backwards and forwards lots, more than I can remember from sailing 12’s in the past. It’s all good though

Subversion is also a bit different for the crew. First of all there’s no thwart which isn’t too much to worry about as at Ely the crew doesn’t get much chance to stay in one place (!). The other thing is (you should look away now if daggerboards and National 12’s offends you) crewing a daggerboard 12 is fine, it doesn’t get in the way; this might be because we find to get the best trim you don't need to be that far forward. Also since Ely is pretty much the same depth all over we haven’t got catching the board to worry about.  If we did run aground possibly Subversions strangest feature is  the daggerboard case is designed to allow the board to rake which would hopefully get us out of trouble. 

So with all sorts of plans floating round my head for Subversion’s winter re-fit and refurbish we probably won’t be out sailing again in till Easter at the earliest or if my crew gets her way, till it’s warm enough to go sailing in shorts again. 

More to follow as we peel the paint off and her ready for 2014

Radical Edward with her open 60 trimaran inspired??? canting rig. Here you can see where Mike has mod'ed the flare in the topsides to reduce drag when going through waves.

It good to see her again, guessing you've managed to square her up? As I seam to remember she ended up being a bit out of true after Rob put the deck on.

Simon; Yeah it was a real shame we were gearing up for spending sometime campaining her and then he got bogged down with work. Before disappearing off to do a nursing course on the southcoast somewhere and that was the last we saw of him 

From memory Rob Wilson from Ely Sailing Club had hull with centreboard case fitted of In the Pink built by Nigel Waller. With the plan to then spend the winter 1995 decking her and her fitting out. Unfortunately time and being sort of cash meant he ran of money and cut a few corners. The result being he didn’t do the best of jobs and she was neither pretty nor very stiff in places. 
After only a few months after finishing her Rob then decided to sell her to fund his way through nursing collage. The next time I saw In the Pink was on the beach at Weymouth Burton Week ‘96 owned by someone from Salcombe. Who might have taken the decks off and started again.

Ok, I will keep the black stuff on the maybe list  And I'm with you on keeping out carbon spars and foils. I'm guessing if anyone has has up graded then chances are they still have their woods foils and tin sticks. So it won't be a complete mission for them them to swop back to do a 4 plank event. 

Here's my email address if want to talk sorting out events smiliethings@lycos.com

Sounds like a plan  
I don't think Gerald Copsey is a member at Ely any more but I'm more than happy to act as contact for Ely Sailing club for the mo. I will ask Jack Knight to run it past the comittee at their next meeting. 
On the subject of of the black stuff; Depending on how far I end up going on Subversion's winter refurb. I'm thinking about possibly re-taping her chines with carbon tape and maybe running some u-d along the high load areas, plus maybe hanging the control line cleats of some carbon plate. If I do will this mean she won't qualify for the 4 plankers series ? These are only ideas so there's a far chance I won't add any carbon and refurbish her they way she was made.

Thinking about 4 planker events next year I could always ask if Ely Sailing Club would be intrested. It's a perfect 4 planker lake, I'm there  sailing Subversion and Jack Knight and me are trying to get the 12 fleet going again there. It could be a good excuse to show Ely's current group of members what they are missing. They have sorted out the launching and now have white matts on the jetty so no more nasty black marks left on your boat.

Subversion is now found a new home at Ely SC with me Jonathan (Smilie) Garfitt. First outing is going to be sunday afternoon after a moring of boat bimbling )

After a very long break from sailing and a even longer one from sailing 12's. I've got the bug back again after a couple of sails at my old stomping ground, Ely Sailing club. 
Since I'm going to be near Chester running a mountainboard event on the 3rd Kez and me thought it would be a good excuse to head to Bassweek for a couple of days. So if anyone needs a crew on Monday, Tuesday or maybe Wensday morning drop me a message.
Look foward to catching up with people 
Jonathan