Gul finalse open meeting

National 12 Gul Series Finale Northampton.

Saturday 15th  November was the last event in this year’s National 12 Gul Series. Despite a gloomy forecast, twenty National 12s turned out to compete for the ever generous Gul vouchers as well as to decide the overall series victor, admirals division and non winged rudder division.

The race officer set a simple triangular course for the first race. There was a puff of breeze on the left of the beat, John and Ollie Meadowcroft got there first and looked set to lead but Tom and Robert Stewart gambled harder, went further left and popped up at the top mark with a narrow lead. Antony and James Gifford, sailing an admirals cup (single bottom boat), made good speed on the first reach to escape from the Meadowcrofts and to hold off the recognised light wind experts Graham Camm and Zoe Ballantyne. Steve and Joanne Sallis used their years of experience to work through the melee to catch the Giffords on the line but were unable to catch the Stewarts.

As the five minute hooter went for race two the wind switched off leaving the lake smooth and shiny. The countdown continued and the Camms made the best start but in almost zero breeze, Tom and Robert Stewart drifted through to lead again. The wind shifted and the reach became another beat, followed by a series of fetches. Team Sallis pushed the Camms hard but with few opportunities to overtake the top three stayed in that order.

Race three was abandoned as the breeze failed to return.

Overall results

1st N3544 Tom and Robert Stewart
2nd N3531 Steve and Joanne Sallis
3rd N3530 Graham Camm and Zoe Ballantyne
4th N3348 Antony and James Gifford (1st Admirals)