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Greetings Gerry & Team UR! See you at the Jolly Sailor Friday- but MORE bratz? What have you been up to this year?

Greetings! Team Trent Valley will be there too, operating out of the Burham Mark-up as usual! I understand that Peacock & Wood will be sailing their new yot (code named "The White Elephant"?) for the first few days and I will be there again with N3157 (now back to her orginal name of "Perfect Kiss"), ably assisted by Christine Marshall, for the whole week.

This boat was originally owned by Warwick Groves and, at his request, I collected her from his garden in 2005, With only a few minor repairs she was ready to sail again. I sailed her on a number of occasions, wining the odd TVSC pot, and sold her to Max Hatch who then sold her on to Paul Hammersley. She still resides at TVSC.
Although the records show her to be amateur build (four plank stitch and tape) she was actually professionally finished/decked at Jean Gill's Yacht Supplies Breaston by the late Keith Jeffery.

This was the second Aftermath boat from David Mathews and initally she didn't measure but after the judicious use of some car body filler she was cleared by the eagle-eyed Harry Dalby. Initally she had no transom flaps as I thought she would be so stable these would be unnecessary but the retro fit was soon in place! Being of a certain colour with a tendency to nose dive, she was soon referred to locally as the "yellow submarine". Won a few pots/opens and then sold her to A N Other at Up River for £1,100, and bought N2810 (a Cheshire Cat) instead from Mike Perry (which I absolutely HATED). Heard no more of Wild Oats until Ken brought her down to TVSC in a very sorry state and she was put out of her misery.

Hope that I am not going to upset too many people, but I really don't think that our current N12 logo means anything to anyone out there - except N12 sailors! Sorry, peeps, but it's meaningless! Where's the boat? ??)

This was probably the last N12 designed and built by Mike Nokes. Using the theory that other classes with easy fore and aft lines and a flat bottom went fast off- wind, Shotgun's bottom four planks are flat(two either side of keel) with a modest rocker). The design focused on the fact that on Burton Week courses, there were two off- wind legs compared to only one to windward - down wind performance therefore being more important.  Initally she had a pram type  bow, but after a weekend sailing at Blakeney (where she was extremely fast downwind, but very wet to windward), Mike chopped 6" off the back, put on a new transom, and extended and reshaped the bow. Mike sailed her only briefly before lending her to Alan Brunton who raced her for a season at Trent Valley with reasonable success with a lightweight crew, (even though not in her ideal sailing conditions, - (river instead of open water). She was lent to a few others,before being laid up, and has not been sailed for over 30 years. She now resides in Mike's front garden awaiting minor restoration by an enthusiast.

From that horrid bit of river at Trent Valley (where only two people have had problems with the dog ban because we rent the field to the farmer who keeps sheep) may I expand on the comments in the TVSC open meeting report.
My bet it is unlikley that we will hold another two day open meeting because of the poor turnout, and because it is not fair on, (and too embarrassing to ask) the rest of the club to give up their Sunday class racing for us and I'm certainly not going to put in that amount of effort if the N12s don't want to sail here!
So maybe we go for a Saturday only, but why should we bother when this disrupts our training days from which we get our new club members? Although the club is happy to support the vintage/4 plank event in September as we get 12+ attending.
So with the inceasing cost of fuel and our need to get more people sailing 12s, why don't we have a seriously reduced open meeting year (with say only GILLs and vintage?) and concentrate on building up our club fleets?
Sorry to be grumpy but I think we have lost the plot as a class in a very competitive dinghy world - and I'm banned from sailing for six weeks coz of the knee op which means missing not only Hykeham but also the TVSC June vintage/handicap event!

Christine Marshall and I hope to be there (subject to successful operation on my left knee on Monday***) :-/ with N2487 Dolly Daydream (although we might bring N2020 Starfish now nearly finished!) Paul, TVSC
*** prefer you send drink rather than grapes, please!;D

Greetings
The Trent Valley Open meeting is this weekend 10/11th May and I am perplexed that we seem to have had very little interest so far; I think that we have only FOUR (4) entries so far! If you are coming then please let me know asap to help with catering on and off the water.

Refering to the CULL thread, I would be very sad if we were forced to abandon future (all boat) opens at TVSC through lack of support and have only vintage/4 plank meetings in the future!?!

Paul 07710 324 800 :K)

Dearest Roly Mo, My apolgies to you. I, too, am dissappointed that the only practical resolution for the local difficulties was for the move to the Sunday, and that you will not be able to qualify for the Witchcraft Bailer. With so many open meetings there are going to be clashes (eg I missed the Earlswood handicap event last year becos of NWNW and the South Cerney open (incl vintage) will now clash with Olton Mere who we were minded to support being local(ish) to us.
So all this may now be overtaken for next year by the other thread about culling open meetings. Perhaps TVSC is up for the chop having been one of the first (possibly the first?) club to hold an N12 open 70 years ago. We have lost Beeston, Nottingham, Burton, Trent and Notts County locally; it will be interesting to see how many attend our non GILL open meeting 10/11th May. But we are a dull river club......but at least the Vintage yotters appreciate us and turn out 12+ on a Saturday in September......

Greetings All! Just to remind you all that there are THREE open meetings at Trent Valley this year....
10/11th May - the notice of this meeting for ALL N12s is posted elsewhere but there will be five races over two days with the usual TVSC supper on the Saturday night. PLease let us know asap if you are coming but as an added incentive I will NOT be sailing (knee operation on 12th) to give you all a chance of coming second to Grazz! Prizes for AC and vintage boats too!8)
21st/22nd June - Vintage/4 plank sailing. The Saturday will be sailing three laps any time during the day against the clock with numerous other old boats from various classes on modified PY - the fastest lap wins! Supper on the Saturday night and a Witchcraft Bailer Handicap meeting for vintage boats on the Sunday (three races, first scratch followed by two pursuits) NOTE the handicap meeting has been moved from the Saturday to the Sunday!:o
Saturday 20th September - Vintage and 4 Plank Meeting, we have had entries into double figures for our first two years, perhaps we might even get up to 20 this year?:K)
Paul n2020,2487,3157

I have just spoken with Kevan who has asked me to thank everyone for their well wishes and also for their patience.
Kevan has had a minor stroke, and after a short stay in hospital for observation and tests is now back home and awaiting the start of a course of treatment and phsyio.
Again, thank you to all of you for your patience, but "watch this space" - we have a "cunning plan" to fulfil all existing orders in the not too distant future and to carry on sail making.
Please DO NOT RING Kevan at home, but do feel free to email him at kevan@alverbanks.co.uk
Paul, Director Alverbank Sails Ltd

Had a great day on Saturday at the show; the stand looked good and there was lots of interest - particularly from a number of over 42s who waxed lyrical about the fun they had sailing wooden 12s in their youth and were amazed to learn that there is a vintage series/fleet!
Would it be possible to have an old N12 on the stand next year alongside the latest fast yot? I know that space and budget are limited but it doesnt have to be (fully) rigged - just the presence of a clinker hull with supporting video and flyers (I think) would seriously boost AC, 4 plank and vintage participation because there is definately an intercreasing interest in old boat yotting!

Has anyone got a broken carbon mast (bottom) section long enough for me to make a carbon boom from?
Don't panic vintage yotters it's for MicroClipper!;)

We have a very simple rule for the annual Trent Valley vintage & 4 plank event:

4 plank = four plank construction up to boat 3140 inclusive, no smooth hull or DB boats permitted.