12's at the Birkett

A Healthy fleet of 10 National Twelves descended on Ullswater Yacht Club for the annual Lord Birkett Memorial Trophy weekend which despite the Foot and Mouth problems achieved a total entry of around 210 boats!

The Birkett consists of two long distance race taking in the whole of the lake and takes typically three and half to 5 hours to complete (longer if the wind is non existent). The Saturday race started in a light breeze with 200+ boats ranging from cruisers through to International 14s and every conceivable asymmetric boat to National 12s and Lasers etc. Not unexpectedly, with 200+ boats on the same start line, a general recall resulted in the black flag rule and even then a second recall was required before the fleet got away to the windward mark in a reducing and very shifty breeze.

Several 12's were well up at the windward mark, however, at the second mark a large raft of boats totalling 70-80 locked together to form a barrier from mark to shore almost! Howard Chadwick and Helen Nicholson (Design 8) having completed a devastatingly slow first beat arrived well down the fleet but just as the raft drifted away from the mark leaving them free to sail round the off into clear wind down the lake. A few more lucky breaks saw the pair finished ahead of the other 12's but to stony silence having been one of the few boats black flagged on the second recall from the 50 or 60 other boats over but hidden in the pack. Dave and Jennie Davies (Radical Posture) were close behind and took the line honours for our fleet with Bernard Clark and Trevor Shipley (Final Chapter) finishing second hotly pursued by Alan and Carol Thomson (Design 8) in third position.

As the Sunday start approached and the Saturday night hangovers subsided the wind disappeared and in came the rain but the 12s were not to be put off. Due to a wind shift before the start the 200 or so boats started on a downwind drifter at the first attempt having learned from Saturday's black flags to behave themselves. Several 12s were in the front end of the fleet at the first mark and started the long beat of about 6 miles or so to Norfolk Island. As the wind filled and shifted, the leg went from a beat to a run and all things between with much place changing. It finally ending up as a beat in a crisp force 3-4 breeze. David and Jennie Davies had opened out a lead but this was steadily reduced until they were overtaken by Howard Chadwick and Helen Nicholson with Bernard Clark and Trevor Shipley in third place. At the windward mark the two leading 12s were neck and neck as they shot off down the run, although this was resolved when an unnoticed starboard tack enterprise result in Howard and Helen performing a crash jibe and centreboard inspection! The final positions were Dave Davies first 12 , Bernard Clark second 12 and Howard Chadwick third twelve. Overall David and Jennie Davies' expertise and consistency resulted in N3260 being first 12 with a creditable 29th overall.

All in all an excellent weekend with a mixture of everything including and excellent social evening which will hopefully mean even more 12s will be at Ullswater next year.

The Results

3260 Dave Davies Jennie Davies 1st 29
3382 Bernard Clark Trevor Shipley 2nd 37
3295 Alan Thomson Carol Thomson 3rd 51
3216 Neil McInnes Katie McInnes 4th 53
3149 Peter Roe Helen Bird 5th 67
3356 Howard Chadwick Helen Nicholson 6th 110
3209 John Cheetham Alison Cheetham 7th 136
3106 Paul Metcalfe Cathy Lawson 8th 157
3230 John Burton Duncan 9th 188
3243 Ronald Melvile Robert Kelly 10th 191