Royal Harwich Midwinters

The season kicked off at Royal Harwich Yacht Club with the National 12 midwinter championships held on the 18^th of February.  

A healthy entry of fourteen boats, helped by some generous lending of boats by owners reluctant to sail in the deep mid-winter, took part.  This number was down somewhat on the staggering 85 people that had been seated for the dinner the previous night, so many of whom inexplicably did not show up in time to sail the following morning.

Richard Williams and Stella Brown won the first race from  Jon Ibbotson and Charlotte Stewart with the whole fleet finishing within seconds of each other.In the second race, Tom Stewart and Liz Ross and Richard and Stella broke clear up the first beat only to sit in a hole on the first reach. Tom and Liz escaped but Richard got swallowed by the chasing pack. Tom and Liz won with John & Charlotte pulling through to second place. Tom and Liz wrapped up the series with a win in race three. Alan Krailing and Helen Hunt led after the first mark but fell into a hole, which they tried to gybe out of only to have the wind fill in just where they had been. John and Charlotte came through to win the fourth race and secure second place. Fran Gifford and Sophie Mackley sailed consistently and took places throughout the race to get their second, second place of the day to finish third overall.

 1^st Tom Stewart and Liz Ross N3501

2^nd John Ibbotson and Charlotte Stewart N3494

3^rd Frances Gifford and Sophie Mackley N3431