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looking like I will be there as well.  just banged Gordon in the garage for a repaint to the decks, and a rejig of the contol lines.... so I have some. so 10 days and counting to get him ready.  if not, I will bring up token gesture.
 
a second tent for the girls of OMSC to go with foxi's tent

Bassenthwaite is a great lake.  sailed there last year for the inlands for the enterprises. camping on site and good bar prices.  Perhaps an option would be to tie it in with Bass week early august, so people travelling further could stay for longer and enjoy a holiday in the lakes too?

what about Rutland. I am sure they have a few 12s there languishing inthe boat park, and they have a bunk house that allows 40 people, along with a campsite next door. fantastic facilities, althogh we would probably have to book early.
I know one of my 12s came from there last year, and another club member also bought one from there.  would be a good place to revitalise a fleet at.

graham asked for a helper if we had a good turnout,  and we have secured the services of a guy called Mr Angell. I believe he might have had something to do with masts and carbon, but I cannot be sure.
apparently he might have been quite handy in a moth a few years back too.
doing a beer mat calculation we are on about 9 boats definite at the moment, with a fair few possibles. I am sure if we end up with 13 or 14 there will be no complaints, so if anyone else wants to come along and benefit from the training, post here and I am sure we can make you welcome.
I am wanting to be trained in my cheshire (gordon), so if someone is not able to bring a boat and wants to borrow token gesture for the day, I am happy to provide boat as well as hospitality.

I thought it was 5 masts today, 3 masts yesterday, one boat holed on the road, a lot of carbon looking decidedly twisted.
 
the insurers must be very busy.  in the 80 boats there were 27 qualifying for AC, and either 7 or 8 vintage within that. and sunburn, lots of sunburn.
 
as a first time visitor to BW, along with a lot of others, I have to say the welcome was amazing, the shoreside very slick, rescue cover very professional (thanks for towing me in today guys) course setting was tricky in the first few days because of the fickle winds and spring tides, but todays courses were amazing. Above everything else, the sailors themselves were all so welcoming, and open with advice and historical trivia.  I met the guy who helped build my boat, several past owners who described exactly which bits they damaged and when, and more than enough people who were willing to help me set it up too.  The manners also extended to on the water in the mid to low fleet, and even extended to tips from the leaders as they lapped me in the Burton Cup on how to go quicker.
 
I cannot wait for the fotoboat pictures to come up, and to get to the next events.  Roll on next year's BW.

Thanks for posting them sam, you got my best side most of the time (from behind)
thankyou again for letting me sit on the tiller of the boat for the event, just wishh I could have made it go a little faster

Just a quick note to say thanks for the writeup, and a really good event.
It was great to see so many people turning up in ACs, just boat after boat after boat.... and the racing was great, although the wind was about as fickle as possible. I am really looking forward to the vintage / 4 plank event later in the year.
I do have to comment on Tom White's performance. it's only the 2nd open he has been to in his 12, a ken goddard made china doll, he is only 17 with a young crew. The first was the inlands last year.  To manage a race win and a 4th overall when he had never sailed on a river at all before is amazing. Shows that we do have at least some youngsters up and coming in the class to be nurtured and encouraged.
and thanks to sam from trent for lending me his boat and crewing abilities on the day.
Kevin.

it is the same week as the ent nationals, so that would explain the lack of numbers from them.

complete and back on the water:
 

the light wind boats will be harder to sail when the wind picks up, so surely having a boat that you can sail in the higher winds will give your son more confidence?
 
trying to sail a cheshire cat in a F5 is interesting to say the least, sailing a baggy I find possible with a 12 yr old crew, sailing the street legal is a scream. at the end of the day, a baggy will not disgrace you in the light stuff if you can sail it well and have an ultra light crew in the front, and you will be able to take it out in higher winds.  They are a solid design too that will not drop money, so in a couple of years when you want to get your £££ back to buy a dead cat bounce and play ion the DB fleet, it has not cost you.
 
Just my thoughts.  If I were you, I would spend a few hundred on anything solid and just get out there, get sailing, and have fun. is that tigress still available because they are great too, and at £400, yu cannot go wrong.

a baggy would be better for the sea sailing too, so I would be grabbing that offer with both hands. even if you do not end up with that boat for yourself for home club, it is worth the trial for the week.
 
to be honest, does it matter if you are not at the front of the fleet in your first 12?  I find my baggy easy to handle in the rough stuff, a lot better than the cheshire, which is a more competative light wind boat.  if it means you can go out in higher winds because of the additional righting moment, isn't it a good trade off?
 
 

Confirmation of a second boat from olton now turning up.
I have secured a crew, just need to choose the boat to bring down.  Do I go for Gordon, and prey for a drifter, token gesture, the best all rounder, or the street legal and hope it blows old boots all week.  Anyone got a triple stacker I can borrow?

just for moonshallow.....
 
whatever the design, can we have some in pink?

I will be coming down. after all, someone needs to be last and make everyone else feel better. Debating wether to bring gordon or token gesture at the moment.

Naomi, I was trying to be subtle and not give away the source... 
 
by the way can we not give monnshallow any kit as she was far to close to me last weekend and I fear a new set of sails might actually mean that she beats me, and we all know that feeling when one of you ex crews turns out to be a better helm than you are...
 
especially in a paper dart.