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Well done everyone. A brilliant day and some splendid entertainment from our up and coming stars.

Caption photo#2

"That's the shampoo rinsed out, did you bring the conditioner?"

According to Ian he's been saving weight on the construction all over the place so anyone speculating in the metals markets can expect the price of lead to rise as it's brought up to weight.

Nice job Ian!!

2 more on Ebay not on the list either

2847 Mild Sensation. Trolley, trailer, cover. Boston. £200, no bids yet, 3 days to go

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/National-12-Wooden-Dinghy_W0QQitemZ190318056593QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Sporting_Goods_Sailing_Boats_ET?hash=item2c4fd71491&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A1|66%3A2|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50

2102 Squid. Vintage. Trailer, cover needs a bit of TLC by the looks of it. 99p, no bids yet, 8 days to go

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/National-12-sailing-dinghy-sail-boat-with-road-trailer_W0QQitemZ170351793669QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Sporting_Goods_Sailing_Boats_ET?hash=item27a9c21605&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A1|66%3A2|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50

4 boats not on the For Sale list

On Boats & Outboards
2466 China Doll Trailer, trolley, cover. Suffolk £350
http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/view/F209502


Street Legal Parker foam sandwich, trolley, cover. West Lothian £440
http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/view/F209293




3212 Crusader. New combi, covers. Devon £750
http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/view/F206607


On Apollo Duck

3274 Crusader 88. Recent combi, covers. Surrey £1000
http://sailingdinghies.apolloduck.co.uk/listings.phtml?cid=147

Are there any measurers going to Leigh & Lowton this weekend prepared to demonstrate sail measuring to me so that we can have a measurer on the South coast (based at Spinnaker)?


We will be travelling up on Saturday morning but I would hope there is time before racing on Sunday to run through it - might depend on how long the bar is open on Saturday though!

Give me a call if possible, number's in the book.

Cheers

We have transom flaps made from 2mm polycarbonate sheet (from Ebay). "Hinge" arrangement is two 4mm holes through flap and transom on vertical edge adjacent to rudder threaded with a loop of 3mm shockcord tied inside the transom tight enough to hold flap in position against hull but loose enough to allow flap to open when pressure of water on inside. Shockcord from the centre of the flap to the floor then keeps the flaps closed until needed. Works very well

Those carbon carp landing poles also make very good cheap tiller extensions. You probably have to pack the end so that the flexible joint will fit but mine's been going strong for 5 years now

Not sure where you're based but have a look at these 2 on Boats and Outboards


http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/view/F209293   -   £440


http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/view/F206607  -   £750

and this one on Apollo Duck

http://sailingdinghies.apolloduck.co.uk/listings.phtml?cid=147  -   £1,000


Good hunting

STOP PRESS - Spinnaker boat attends open meeting!!

Fantastic Mr Fox will be there with a full set of crews for all weather conditions, space for 2 (small) tents please

Countdown to a full weekend’s N12 sailing at Spinnaker. 

Coaching led by Graham on Saturday followed by a BBQ in the evening and our Open meeting the following day which counts for the Thames Area

Full details under Ian’s post “Spinnaker Invitation Weekend”

Unfortunately we don’t have any space for camping at Spinnaker but there are a couple of good campsites close by in the New Forest and plenty of B&B’s around for anyone who wants to make a weekend of it

If you are coming can you please let us know so that 
a) We arrange sufficient rescue cover and coach boats and
b) Let our caterers know numbers for the BBQ

Hope to see you there

Jane, not an unusual post at all as it's a situation we regularly face


We would very much like to get to more (ie some) open meetings but we are often constrained by our two youngsters, 7 & 9, who are both into Oppi sailing and would be keen to sail with dad but mum does that.

Whilst we are quite happy to allow our kids to play at our sailing club, they know the place and there are plenty of parents who watch out for each other's kids but that isn't always the case at a different club.

Is there any merit/demand for a creche/babysitting/kids minding service to be organised at open meetings to allow parents to sail? Is there anyone willing/able/prepared to take this on? It might need some upper and lower age limits but it was certainly a big factor in our not being able to get to Thorpe Bay this year (still spitting about that :-( ).

Distance aside, it might just encourage a few more people to travel

Cheers

Bala. Wales' answer to Lake Garda?? Except the wind doesn't blow just up or down it, Great when it does, interesting when it doesn't

We have a similar set up to Ian with the sheet led up from the rachet block to a through deck block in the side deck then to a cleat alongside. Works well but you have to make sure that the cleat is low enough to allow the sheet to be uncleated easily. It also makes setting the dangly pole easier as the helm (sat on the windward side) can cleat the jib sheet on the deck while the pole is being pulled out to windward by the crew.
Does anyone use a 2:1 system? First thoughts would be that it would need a lot of rope to accommodate the dangly pole and which might result in an awful tangle under the crew's feet.

Yes Phil, but they sail much better with the metal over the plastic!

;-)

Well, the forecast may have put a few people off, the early season (what? â€" it’s past Easter!!) may have kept some away but the hardy crews who did make the effort had a truly exciting day on (and in) the water.

It’s early season so the emphasis is very much on boat handling and with gusts to 25 knots, the conditions certainly stretched even the experts. The “starburst” effect as boats scatter across the water is always an impressive feature of windy days and N12s just seem to reach the far corners of the water that much quicker.

Tacking and gybing are always “must get sorted” priorities at this time of year and Ian and Gina, Steve and Jack made the most of the opportunity. Simon and Rosie arrived in fine style towing a newly sprayed boat behind a nearly matching (but borrowed) Land Rover. We know that LRs can tow up to 3.5 tonnes but I didn’t think a coat or two of paint would put that much weight on a boat, anyway, boat rigging was their morning activity.

Lunch break and discussions of mark rounding followed and, after weighing up the conditions, the brave ventured forth again. Ian had changed crews so they were busy getting sorted whilst Steve and Jack demonstrated the old adage that to finish first, first you’ve got to finish by exploding their kicking strap, twice. (Note to all Spinnaker sailors and to anyone given to sailing in predominantly light(ish) conditions, would your boat and all the fittings and strings be up to a blast in strong winds?) Meanwhile Simon proceeded to demonstrate what a brilliant paint job he had (had) done on the hull by displaying the whole of its bottom whilst upside down.

Notwithstanding the less than ideal weather, we dealt with some of the fundamental aspects of sailing and trust we at least got to thinking about our sailing, even those who decided discretion is the better part of valour and given the conditions, stayed ashore.

Many thanks to all who attended