National 12s at Waldringfield Cartoon Trophy
Nineteen twelves enjoyed an excellent weekend at Waldringfield
on 6th/7th of September.
Patrick Elcombe and Carol Shore led the first race away up a shifty first beat,
and held the lead down the first two offwind legs. Antony Gifford and Katy Meadowcroft sneaked through to establish
an overlap at the gybe mark and took up the lead just ahead of the pack. It was Tom Stewart and Liz Ross, Chris Mayhew
and Charlotte Ibbotson and Richard Williams and Stella Brown who emerged from
the pack to fight for second place. Much place changing later Stewart & Ross came within inches of
snatching victory on the finish line, but Gifford and Meadowcroft just held
them off.
Race two saw Gifford and Meadowcroft once again establish a decent lead, only to get caught and overtaken by Stewart and Ross approaching the last mark and having to settle for second. Mayhew and Ibbotson once again finished third, having broken clear of Jon Brown and Jules Brawn and Frances Gifford and Sarah Edwards.
Sunday dawned wetter and calmer. The third race eventually started after the rain in a very gentle
breeze. Gifford and Edwards got away at
the start and led until the approach to the final mark of the shortened
course. In a particularly clam patch
the dice was rolled, the leaders were engulfed by the pack, and then emerged
again to claim their victory. Out of
the melee in pursuit came Caroline Martin and Lesley Iles in the latest 12 to
grace the Martin family fleet, taking second place.
Overall it was the Saturday results that were to decide the final results, with
Stewart & Ross winning the tie-break to take the Cartoon home.
1st Tom Stewart & Liz Ross, Royal Harwich YC
2nd Antony Gifford & Katy Meadowcroft, Aldeburgh YC
3rd Frances Gifford & Sarah Edwards, AYC
1st 'Admirals Cup boat' Patrick Elcombe & Carol Shore, Middle Nene SC