What to do with my 12

[kudders]

[RogerBrisley]

Welcome Kudders,

Whats the sail number,  we can then identify the boat and others can then provide their best advice,

Roger
3334

[kudders]

hi the sail number is 2758 hope this helps.

[Roly Mo]

[kudders]

Hi thanks for that info but my boat is definatly not plastic   its wood all over.  If it is this design but in wood could i make it self draining? and would it be worth playing with or just to sell and get a newer design

Cheers paul

[Jane Wade]

Hi

In all honesty even if you did add a double bottom you wouldn't be competing with the modern boats.  What is the purpose of adding a double bottom?  It won't make the boat go any faster and depending on what kind of water you are sailing on could even slow it down since it can become harder to tack/gybe.

The best things you can do for your boat are to make it as light as possible (but not less than class rules allow) without spending large sums of money on a new rig etc.  Since it is wood there are good chances it is holding some water so a bit of time undercover with a dehumidfier would do it good.  Is there lots of excess wood that could come out?  Can you lose any weight by changing some of the string over?  Does it have a very heavy centre board?  Does it have a compass on it?

And the next is to tune it.  I am no help at all on this but start with is the mast straight?  The NTOA has a tuning guide which will help you check rake, mast position etc.  Get the tape measure out and calibrate the boat.

The Admirals Cup fleet is very competitive (non-double bottomed but not vintage) so there is no reason why you shouldn't enjoy some good racing in your boat.  Are you planning to bring it to Northampton for the 70th celebrations?

Jane

[kudders]

what is the current weight limit? at the very least i would need a new suit of sails as these ones are blown,  Northampton could be a possibility as thats reasonably local, what date is that?

As you can probably guess ive never had a 12 before (even though ive won the club series in this boat) but im used to fast skiffs so i was planning on pinching a few ideas from them to try and bring my boat up to spec as i would idealy like a 12 that could be competitive at open events as well as just 12 races

Thanks for all your input

[Jane Wade]

Well I am going to be brutally honest - even with a new suit of sails this boat is not going to compete on the open circuit - twelves or handicap.  It might be worth looking at the fixtures list and coming along to one or two meetings to get some ideas- there are far more knowledgeable people at these events than me.

The Northampton event isn't until the end of May and I guess you might want to get the boat flying before then.  

Jane

[Antony (Guest)]

Kudders,
What you own is:
a.  A very nice boat to sail
b. A boat that is competitive in handicap racing on inland waters.  Furthermore you should be able to pursuade your club to adopt the handicap that is recommended by the class for your age of boat.. rather then the current offical handicap that is set by the speed of the newest boats.  I do not have those numbers to hand or I would give you them.

What you do not own is:
A boat that can be updated sufficiently to make it competitive boat-on-boat with the current generation of 12s.  You will not get a return on money that you spend on your current boat when you come to sell it, and so I would suggest that you only buy new shiny things like sails or spars if you intend to keep them to put on a newer boat when funds allow.

Like most 12 sailors I started with older boats that were not fully competitive and have worked my way through to my 8th 12 over the past 17 years.  I hope that you have a lot of fun sailing your current boat and are at some point able to upgrade to join in the fun that we are all having with the latest varient on the 70 year old National 12.

Antony
N3484

p.s  I cannot remember the weight limit, I am not just ignoring that question!

[terry c (Guest)]

All up weight including mast and Centreboard is 78kg

If you are thinking of up dating your new boat it is worth joining the class and getting a set of rules before you start work

all the best with your new toy, you will have lots of fun

terry

[kudders]

Thankyou for all your speedy replies, i think then ill keep her generaly as she is and just mess about with my ideas for control lines, i would be very interested to see some of the latest 12`s close up so i may pop along to some of the open meetings (uni allowing)

I no this is a very general question but how do the modern 12`s fair in handicap races?

thanks again

[DavidW]

They can do very well - 2 in the top ten at the Bloody Mary a couple of  years ago  and 4th in it this year.

5th in the all class pursuit race at the Weymouth and Portland Sailing Accademy lastyear, 4th at the boat show pursuit race in 2004, 9th in 2005, 2nd at the Steve Nicholson Memorial race last year.

Plenty of us enjoy success at our own clubs in handicap events.

Have fun with your new toy!

David
3481

[Tim L (Guest)]

Hi,

old 12s are excellent for handicap racing - especially if you've got a lot of beating into tide or are on restricted waters.

Though it sounds like you've got a fair bit of experience anyway use the present boat to get your boat handling sorted - if anything the older boats can be more unforgiving on this front so all will seem easier when you upgrade!  It's worth bringing the boat along for the inlands and some other events as there's always a good spread of boats competing so you will have someone to compete against.  It'll give you an idea of what the class and the racing is like.

If you're keen to get more competitive quickly on a budget then a slightly later Ad Cup boat (say 3250 onwards) would be a good choice and then upgrade the rig and sails when the budget allows with a view to taking them to a new boat. and keep an eye on the 2nd hand list as some of the early 'moderns' are finding their way onto it with increasing regularity.

Happy sailing,

Tim
N3497 (ex-N3007 & N3295)

PS one event where this sort of boat is very competitive against the new ones is Salcombe - the open in May or the week in the summer - get to these events if you can!