In the wake of a hurricane; National 12 Open at Solway YC, 17th
and 18th September
Later in the year than usual, the annual National 12 open at Kippford on
“The Scottish Riviera”, didn’t look promising weatherwise, but contrary
to forecast, Saturday dawned bright and by early afternoon a pleasant
breeze saw the fleet sailing out to the bay, past a sad scene. The
previous Tuesday night, the tail end of a hurricane had hit Kippford and
several yachts, including the Solway YC flagship trimaran “Mingulay” lay
stranded and battered high on the rocks. Others were more fortunate,
left high and dry on the soft salt marsh, the Merse, but a big task
awaited the owners on the next Springs.
Once on the startline, the fleet set off on a big “triangles and
sausages” course nicely set by PRO Lindsay Tosh. Sporting their brand
new P&Bs on N3384 Cunning Plan, it was Ian & Margaret Purkis first to
the windward mark, followed by N3356 Squidgy Bits with Howard Chadwick
crewed by SYC Secretary Fiona McCulloch and N3462 Mark Simpson and SYC
Junior, Rhys Williams. Howard and Mark then engaged in a lengthy battle
for position, allowing Ian & Margaret to build a growing lead. By
lap 2 Mark and Rhys had finally got clear of Howard and Fiona, so set
off after Cunning Plan. By the final upwind leg Mark got ahead, but
thanks to a lucky lift, Ian and Margaret were on Red Snapper’s transom
rounding the mark. Downwind on the sausage leg, Ian wasn’t beaten and,
keeping Mark covered, got the vital overlap approaching the Leeward
mark. As they rounded and now back in the lead, Ian only had to hold on
to the finish line to win, his first ever in an N12 Open. To his and
Margaret’s delight, they did it, amazing so soon after Ian’s first N12
Open, only 40 odd years ago!
Race 2 and Mark wasn’t going to let that happen again! A blistering Port
end start saw Mark & Rhys cross well ahead of the rest of the fleet with
Howard and Ian, now joined by Neil McInnes and crew Rachel on N3216
Twice Shy, all in close company. With Red Snapper disappearing into the
distance it was left to Howard and Fiona to give chase. Sadly the wind
died and the fleet was left wallowing in the swell on a falling tide.
The PRO wisely decided to finish the race on the water before some
really foul weather arrived.
Saturday night and the now traditional N12 “Open House” saw the N12
crews, families and SYC members enjoying a pleasant social at the Purkis’
house. Tales of brave parachuting teddy bears summarised the mood, until
the protest committee declared the winner, Penelope Panda, NOT a teddy
bear!
Sunday and a change to the usual N12 Open format; tides and date clashes
meant the event had to be combined with the annual SYC up-river
Palnackie Pursuit race so with the N12’s sailing of NTOA recommended PYs
and with a fleet of Mirrors, Toppers, Lasers, plus and GP and an
Enterprise, the fleet set off in a brisk breeze through the moored
yachts. Rounding into The Devil’s Reach it was Mark, now crewed by son
Toby, chasing Howard and Fiona. Into the trees and hills and the wind
now fickle Mark took the lead but then lost it again and in the shifty
conditions Howard was first to the turning mark, the tidal gate already
closed. Rounding the wrong way Howard first had to unwind, then re-round
but, caught by the tide, hit the mark so it was turns for Squidgy Bits,
With Fiona, his crew, now giddy, Mark & Toby closed the gap as the
finish line approached and almost grabbed the lead, finishing second and
within a boat length. Meanwhile further back Angus Beyts and crew Martin
Ellis, appeared from nowhere in N3406 Agent Orange to claim third. The
National 12s took 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the Palnackie Race with Dewi
Williams, Rhys’s Dad, 4th in the family Mirror. Not for the first time
at Kippford, 2 days National 12 sailing had the SYC members impressed by
the N12 class and talk of joining.
Report by Ian Purkis
Photos by Sarah Chadwick & Duncan Gillespie
Overall results
1st N3462 Red Snapper Mark Simpson and Rhys Williams/Toby
Simpson
2nd N3356 Squidgy Bits Howard Chadwick and Fiona McCulloch
3rd N3384 Cunning Plan Ian & Margaret Purkis
4th N3216 Twice Shy Neil McInnes and
Rachel Dean
5th N3406 Agent Orange Angus Beyts and Lynne Watt/Martin Ellis
Burton week
Organising an event