Craftinsure National Series at Burghfield SC

23rd March 2025

Eight National 12s lined up on the Burghfield beach and gazed out at the mirror finish of the lake. Not a promising start to the 2025 Craftinsure National Series, particularly for an event that planned to run eight short sprint races in one day. However, right on cue, the wind filled in as the Race Officer finished his briefing, and the fleet took to the water.

The wind remained light in the morning; the Race Officer managed to run two races before the wind turned through 180 degrees. With a reset of the course, a third race was run before lunch. Geoff & Felix Camm in Total Perspective Vortex won the first race, having aced the beat, cruising into the windward mark with a well-placed band of wind. Graham Camm, sailing with Blue Camm in the Very Hungry Caterpillar, took the second race and there was a photo finish between the pair in the third race.

After a well-earned lunch, we returned to the water to be greeted by a stronger force 3 breeze. The fleet wasn’t line shy for the start of the fourth race with several boats over the line. Jon & Maya Brown made a clean start in Tonto and took maximum advantage of this to take line honours. In race five, the fleet was pushing hard on the line – so hard the Race Office called a general recall. The Very Hungry Caterpillar found her stride for the remainder of the afternoon, taking four wins.

Zoe Meadowcroft & Zoe Ballantyne in Lars Porsena Of Clusium also showed good form in the afternoon, taking two seconds and two thirds – and this brought them into fourth place overall, hot on the heels of Tonto and Total Perspective Vortex. Ed Willett & David Harris deserve a special mention for driving their vintage 12 N1833 Water Nymph deftly around the course, frequently right in the mix with the more modern Twelves. Tre & Laya Jacobs in Fools Gold were the youngest team and had a notable performance in the third race, claiming 3rd place.

The Race Officer had optimistically promised a minimum of eight races in the briefing, and managed to run all eight! The sailors all appeared to enjoy the format which kept the fleet close and offered plenty of exciting mark roundings.

The next event in the Craftinsure National Series will be hosted by Salcombe YC over the bank holiday, May 3rd-5th.