National 12 Open Meeting at Ely Sailing Club - 7th April
2002
Sun, a warm breeze and a nice cup of tea welcomed the National 12 fleet to Ely
S.C. for the first Midlands Area event of 2002. The first race kicked off in
testing conditions with the wind heading 20 degress with just 20 seconds to go
to the first start. Graham Camm & Zoe Ballantyne got off the line first in
their Numinous and kept clean air to hold the lead to the finish. The real battle in the first race was for
second place between Geoff Camm & Amelia Hall and John & Katy
Meadowcroft in their brand new Waller built modified Final Chapter (yet to be
named!). Despite being last off the
line, Geoff & Amelia closed the gap on John & Katy and were only a boat
length behind after the first lap. Geoff & Amelia got into a lee bow
position on the second beat to take second.
On the third lap their fortunes were reversed as John & Katy found a
40 degree lift into the windward mark to snatch second. Positions remained unchanged until the final
lap when Geoff & Amelia spotted a good shift on the right hand side and
once again crept into second which they then held to the finish.
The wind picked up to a force 2 - 4 for the second race and the shifts were
more pronounced, making the start very tricky.
The Ely race team filled the course board and sent the fleet around
every buoy on the lake, thereby ensuring a beat at some stage whatever the wind
did. Frances Gifford & Jess Brown
took the committee boat end and the best start but a large header enabled mid
line starters Geoff & Amelia Camm to cross ahead. Graham & Zoe Camm put a hitch up to windward and caught a
gust, enabling them to overhaul Gifford & Brown, Mr and Mrs Meadowcroft put
in the same hitch and this time were lifted all the way to the mark to take
them to second. Continuing to nip at
the leaders’ heals, they were unable to claim water at the next mark but played
the shifts well to take the lead on the beat.
On the second lap the shift gods favoured both Camm brothers who squeezed
past the Meadowcrofts with Geoff & Amelia making the windward mark first
and holding it to the finish.
The final race, as with so many meetings on the Twelve circuit so far this
year, was to be the decider. Three
boats were over at the start; both Camm boats and Jerry & Margaret Garner,
and the crowded first beat meant it was very difficult for them to
restart. Fran Gifford and Jess Brown
took advantage of the confusion and created a good lead in their Foolish with
Gerald Copsey in second in his Cheshire Cat.
Further back, Geoff & Amelia had made it back across the line first
and all they had to do was finish in front of Graham & Zoe to take the
meeting. But Graham & Zoe were
catching fast. Frances and Jess held on
to pole position for the first two laps, with Geoff & Amelia now feet behind. Fran tacked too closely to Geoff on the
third beat, allowing them to overtake.
Graham & Zoe had made it up
to 4th,battling with Class Chairman Meadowcroft & wife Katy, who
were showing serious bursts of upwind speed in their new boat. A collision between Meds and Fran on the 4th
beat allowed Graham & Zoe to sneak past.
With just one lap to go, the gap between first and second closed from
40m to a matter of feet but Geoff & Amelia were unflustered and kept the
lead to the finish. However, it was not
all over. Unfortunately, the round the
ends rule had been in place at the start and with Geoff Camm not having
satisfactorily restarted, they retired which gave the Open Meeting to older
brother Graham:
Results
1st Graham Camm & Zoe Ballantyne, Burghfield, (Numinous)
2nd Geoff Camm & Amelia Hall, RYA (Final Chapter)
3rd Francis Gifford & Jessica Brown, Aldeburgh (Feeling Foolish)
1st non-double bottom
Dan Cowin & Tim Foroer, Ely (Final Chapter)
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