Messages

David Henshall informs me that Mike died on 28 December.  Mike won the  Burton and week points trophy in 1949  sailing N504 Wanton, one of the Holt 500's.  I had the pleasure of meeting Mike at the Wraysbury Holt Centenary regatta and sailing Wanton.  Pictures on Data  Base.  Mike was involved in various trials for Olympic dinghy design selection.

Just heard sad news that Mike Noakes has died. Designer of N12's and Merlin Rockets in the 1960's.

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TC has now completed refurb and is ready to hit the water, photos below.

Agree with everything Chadders has said.  I do like my hot air gun and prefer to Nitromors as easier to clean up afterwards but stripper is useful in those tight corners where there has been a build up varnish and you do not want to keep blasting away with the hot air gun.

TC has now moved to Hunts SC in Cambridgeshire. She is in need of some TLC which I will be undertaking in the near future.  TC was 6th. in the Burton Cup in 1979 and had success at Salcombe and the Midland circuit.  She deserves a refurb!

She is still for sale in Woodbridge.  Price now reduced to £150.

Come on Ed, the metal plate gives this away as a 12 and anyway M/R 1776 is a Bob Hoare Mk.9 and the hull here has a W&C name plate.

I have always found the hot air gun and scraper best.  You do need to get the paint quite warm and it is essential that the scraper is kept sharp.

Wow! This must be one of the furthest "from home" 12's.   Did you export her yourselves or was she already resident in Oz.  I note that there are no details on her history as to design or builder so she may well have been built in Oz.  Note in one of the pictures what looks like a spinnaker - Nationals do not have spinnakers!  In the other picture she seems to have a daggerboard - a boat of this period would normally have had a pivoting centerplate.  Daggerboards were trialed much later but were eventually outlawed. Your mainsail is interesting as it would appear to have a few full length battens, again these are not allowed.  However as you are unlikely to come accross any other 12's and you are just enjoying sailing her none of these points matter!  Would be interesting to know more about her.

Sad news.  I remember "Podge" as he was nicknamed, well.  I crewed for him in Fireflies at Welsh Harp and in "Mirth" a N12.  One incident I remember well, we were coming up the hill from Kew direction towards Hanger Lane on the N Circular.  The car started spluttering just before the top "We are running out of petrol" said Podge, at which point the car came to a halt.  We managed to push it the last few yards to the top and were then able to coast down the other side to the garage at the bottom whereupon he put in 1 gallon!

I would not discount a vintage boat - these have no "go faster" gismos and rely on traditional sailing skills to get the best out of them.  Granted they do require more maintaince than modern plastic designs but this very fact encourages respect for the boat, so often lacking in youngsters these days.  Maintaince can be fun and instructive and instills a sense of pride in their boat.  A vintage boat can often be obtained for little outlay and there are plenty of them sailing & racing.

John, I note the owner of 3208 (based at Tamesis Club, Teddington) is looking for a c/b.  See on boat database.