Messages

My guess is that she's an Uffa King - the close ups tend to distort the width of the transom - but the long shot of her on her trailer looks identical to the picture of MAT N341 my 1938 Uffa King attached with this posting, although the side-deck configuration is a little different. 
Not sure what the bulkhead forward of the mast step is for - it looks like it would simply retain water in the bow when she was righted from a capsize; or had a previous owner started to construct a bow tank??
I wonder why she wasn't fitted with full length stringers.

NOR should be uploaded as soon as Graham has a minute.
Tim

Hi Ed - have spoken to Ian Purkis - sounds like he can rustle you up a crew.
Tim

Has anyone any idea if there are camping facilities at the Club - or will we have to rely on any local commercial sites?
Tim

Angus - I fail to understand why anyone would get upset by a small collection of dinghy rudders? Is there something missing from the story??
What a pity you can't make it - any chance of a last minute reprieve!
Tim

I will be there sailing with Gill Bilton in 'Gruffalo' - her first outing on the sea ('Gruffalo's' not Gill's)
Looking forward to it immensely
Tim

Yeadon SC will host their annual N12 open meeting on Sunday 6 October and, like our friends at Ripon,we are hoping for another great day of racing with a good turnout of boats.
So if you are planning on coming to Ripon on the Saturday, please do come and join us on the Sunday and make it a full-weekend of sailing.
Briefing will be at 11.00am with first start 11.30am followed by lunch and two races in the afternoon.
To help with catering please indicate below if you'll be coming.
We look forward to welcoming you back after last year's event was cancelled due to blue-green algae.
The barley straw seems to have kept the water clear of it this season.
Tim

I'll be there with Gill Bilton - probably in 'Gruffalo' and hoping that it's not too breezy for an open decked, wooden-masted, ribby.
Looking forward to it.
Tim

Thanks to all at Redesmere for running the N12 Open there yesterday.
 
There was wind - from a good variety of directions and at a wide range of velocities, a great lunch, good courses and endless cups of tea for those who needed it.
 
Patrick and Charlotte won the event with Tom White coming second in his Paradigm 'Lobster boat' (and wishing he had not waited until Race 3 to replace his winged rudder with a conventional foil!)
 
Brian and Ros sailed their Proctor Mk4A exceptionally well on their local water to collect both the Vintage and the Admiral's Cup trophies.
 
Tim

I have just heard from Brian Herring that the first race at Redesmere N12 Open this Sunday will start at 10.30am
Presumably there will be a briefing at 10'ish
The Club is planning two races before lunch and one after, so should finish reasonably early.
Any takers - besides BH and myself...?
Tim

Now owned by Ed Willett.
Some old photos attached.
Tim

For first vintage read 'only vintage'!  A bit of a shame really as it was listed as a Vintage and Northern event in our 2013 programme
Was a bit disappointed they chose not to use the N12 handicaps as it was a strictly handicap event, as that meant I was sailing off the same yardstick as the double-bottomed foilers which is a bit de-motivating, although we did manage a creditable 10th posn in Race 1 (out of 26 I think)
Maybe this could be reviewed if we are thinking of including it in the calendar next season - it might encourage more vintage and AC boats to attend, especially as there were no specific N12 prizes as they were all awarded on posn in overall handicap fleet.

[Results:]

Results:
1st   N3526   Christian Day and Sophie Richards  Leigh and Lowton SC
2nd  N3412   Chris Troth and Hannah Butler   Olton Mere SC
3rd   N3473   Jimmy Whitehead and Heidi Day  Redesmere SC
4th   N3541   Tim Gatti and Leonie Sutherland   Yeadon SC
5th   N3475   Simon Brindle and Matthew Brindle   Olton Mere SC
 
1st Vintage    N3541 'Gruffalo' Tim Gatti and Leonie Sutherland    Yeadon SC

Thanks to all at Leigh & Lowton for a fabulous weekend - of excellent sailing, weather and hospitality.
£20 for the six race event, including two free regatta tee-shirts if you pre-booked online, has got to be a bargain.
Had to leave earlier than planned on Day 2, but all in all - absolutely fab - if only more 12's had made it - you missed a cracker!
Tim
N3541 'Gruffalo' (amongst others)

Richard - not quite 'a thousand words' but haven't got my pictures to hand.....

On the front face of your mast you need to fasten some ss wire or dyneema. 
The top will be fixed a couple of feet below your spreaders, the bottom just above your gooseneck. 
Put a loop on each end of the wire/cord and fasten to mast with deck clips/lacing eyes using rivets or self tapping screws.
It needs to be pulled very tight as the pole runs up and down this line.

Next....

Let into the top cap of the pole (or sometimes fastened onto the pole using deck clips) there should be:

1. A stainless steel ring - usually on a loop of dyneema knotted through the pole cap.  The wire/dyneema on the front face of the mast needs to pass through this ring before it is fastened down.  The ring (and attached pole) can then slide up and down the front of the mast but the pole remains 'captive'.

2. A length of shockcord - to retrieve the pole back up the mast when not being used to pole out the jib.  All shockcords are different - you need to go for a length that gives enough support for the weight of the pole but not so much tension that you need the strength of a gorilla to pull the pole down and then causing the pole to fly up the mast like a crossbow bolt when you release it!

The longer the shockcord the better - one solution is to pivot a small block off the forward face of the mast at spreader height.  Start the shockcord at the base of the mast, run it up and through the block and then down to the top of the pole.

The Rolls-Royce solution is to let a halyard sheave into the face of the mast just above or below the spreaders and run the shockcord up the inside of the mast and out at the sheave.  The advantage of this method is that the shockcord doesn't suffer so much from weathering and UV degradation so that at the end of the season the pole hangs down like a limp... well, I'll leave it to your imagination!

Finally, the pole contol line ... this usually has a ball on the end to fasten it through the cringle on the jib clew - it then runs up though the pole, through a small sheave let into the top of the pole and down to foredeck level with at least another meter or two to enable the crew to take the line with them when they move right aft on a screaming reach - when the pole comes into its own.

The two main cleating systems are:

a) On the foredeck - adjacent to the mast, fasten a good cam cleat with a rear fairlead and just forward of that, a small turning block (often on a spring). The line comes vertically down from the pole top, through the turning block and runs horizontally through the cam cleat and back to the crew. Ensure the cleat is near the aft edge of the foredeck and if possible, aft of the back face of the mast.  That way the crew can operate it from both sides of the boat.  Using this system, you will need to unthread the pole line from the foredeck fittings each time you take your mast off the boat

b) A slightly more expensive option - but one which avoids having to re-thread your line each time you rig/de-rig the mast, is to use one of the excellent swivel jammers now on the market - Holt, Ronstan etc.  These have a sheave and cam cleats integrated into the fitting and can be swivelled through about 90 degrees to make cleating a little easier.  You will need to experiment with the optimum position for it to be screwed or rivetted to the side of your mast just above foredeck level.  Their drawback is that if the crew isn't paying attention - the jib sheet can sometimesget wrapped around it - which can really muck up an otherwise beautifully executed roll-tack!

Hope that helps - have got some pictures which I will try and post after the weekend.

NOTE: All the above refers to aluminium masts - the arrangements for internal shock cord  and swivel jammers might be a little different for carbon masts - carbon mast owners may wish to contribute to this discussion???

Cheers

Tim