Royal Harwich National 12 Open Meeting 1^st – 3^rd June 2002

Race 1 saw a very eager fleet force the OOD to fly the black flag after a general recall.   The second start saw Caroline Martin and Sophie Mackley win the pin end, with John and Katy Meadowcroft also starting well.  At the first mark it was the Meadowcrofts, followed by export Jon Ibbotson crewed by Sarah Edwards, and Geoff Camm and Amelia Hall.  Ibbotson and Edwards overhauled the Meadcrofts downwind, only to be passed on the beat, the positions remaining as the first windward mark.

The black flag remained for Race 2 to calm the 12’s line keenness.  Just before the start a shift gave the port end a good bias, with Camm and Hall, Steve Sallis and Jenny James, Patrick Elcombe and Carol Shore making the best of the advantage.  The Meadcrofts once again went well on the beat to lead from Sallis and James, then Antony and Jo Gifford.  The second beat saw the Meadowcrofts and Giffords overstand on the left after a shift and reach into the mark with a significant advantage.  A pattern was emerging with the Meadowcrofts extending upwind and the Giffords catching downwind.   The Giffords finally turned the downwind advantage into a lead which they held to the finish.  The competition continued on Saturday night with croquet and barbeque on the lawn.

Sunday Morning saw an early start for the Burton Salver with a light breeze.  The course involved beating down river past Levington towards Felixstowe before rounding the turning mark back to the club line.  Jon Brown and Henry Johnson, tussled with the Giffords, with Brown and Johnson pulling away on the run back.  Sallis and James took third.  A minority could not drag themselves from the football and chose to sit out and watch England draw 1-1 with Sweden.

Race 3 was sailed in the afternoon with Chris Mayhew and Charlotte Ibbotson having a disaster off the start line, capsizing to windward as the mainsail halyard freed with the mainsail falling rapidly!  Meanwhile Sallis and James lead, closely followed by the Meadowcrofts.  A very close final beat sees Sallis loose out to the Meadowcrofts in the last tack to the line with Ibbotson and Edwards taking 3^rd.

Race 4 sees Tom Stewart and Liz Ross make a fantastic pin end start, which they manage to hold for the very tight run.  The Meadowcrofts loose out, with Sallis and James going well, passing Stewart and Ross even after some aggressive luffing from Stewart.  The Meadowcrofts come back on the beat, but Sallis and James seal this one with Brown and Johnson taking second, the Meadowcrofts third.

Monday morning sees the start of Race 5 begin in a light wind with an ebbing tide.  A few sore heads were apparent after last nights disco.  None the less the Meadowcrofts lead off the line chased by Brown and Johnson and Sallis and James.  The windward mark sees turns for Brown after clashing rigs with the Meadowcrofts.  The leg down tide is light.  The Meadowcrofts stop on the beat with Brown and Johnson go oneside while Sallis and James go the other.  Brown and Johnson eventually win from Ian and Alex Gore, followed by Sallis and James.

The final race and decider left it all for Sallis and James to do in order to steal the event from the Meadowcrofts.  After waiting for the wind to settle, Meadowcroft takes Sallis to one side of the course and both round the windward mark around 20^th.  Both remain close at the leeward mark. The Gores lead, with Brown and Johnson chasing.  Notable performance were also seen with Hannah Playford pushing father Nigel to the front of the boat, rounding the first mark in 5^th.  Sallis and James managed to sail the right way around some commercial shipping as the leaders have to wait for it to cross them.  At the windward mark the Meadowcrofts are back in the top 10 but still just ahead of Sallis and James.  Sallis makes a good decision at the windward mark avoiding some starboard tack boats whilst the Meadowcrofts are taken wide. Sallis ducks out and squeezes behind them and past the mark whilst we tack.  Sallis and James chase hard, but cannot catch Brown and Johnson, who left the Gores to take 1st.  Sallis and James finish 3rd which is not enough to beat the Meadowcorfts.

Overall Points

 

Position	No	Name	Helm	Crew	Points
1st	3473	Max Factor	John Meadowcroft	Katy Meadowcroft	7
2nd	3436	Dilbert	Steve Sallis	Jenny James	9
3rd	3426	Purple Pants	Jon Brown	Henry Johnson	10
4th	3441	Matilda	Ian Gore	Alex Gore	13
5th	3447	Random Zig Zag	Antony Gifford	Jo Gifford	16

 
Burton Salver

Position

No

Name

Helm

Crew

1st

3426

Purple Pants

Jon Brown

Henry Johnson

2nd

3447

Random Zig Zag

Antony Gifford

Jo Gifford

3rd

3436

Dilbert

Steve Sallis

Jenny James

 
Admiral Cup Boat
3410, Bim Daser and Camilla Temple, and Rebecca Johnson