Burton week results - race by race

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results after race 3

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Race 4 - Wednesday

The forecast was for another toasty day with beaming sunshine  - yippee! Unfortunately the wind forecast was not so good, 5 knots from the north east and little prospect of a sea breeze as a result. The strongest wind of the day was forecast for around lunch time so the race officer postponed for an hour, which gave the fleet time to recover from the championship dinner the night before.

When the fleet got to the starting area there was indeed an nice stable breeze from the north east. After just one start and the raising of the round the ends flag the fleet behaved and got away cleanly. Antony & Jo Gifford looked good playing the shifts up the right of the beat. Caroline Martin & Andy Douglas were looking good on the left of the beat. Tom Stewart & Liz Ross popped out of the right hand side into the top pack in the final quarter of the beat. But in the end it was Graham Camm & Zoe Ballantyne who made it into the lead at the windward mark having made use of the shifts up the middle. A close bunch followed round the windward mark led by Jo Richards & Holly Scott,including

Antony & Jo Gifford, Tom Stewart & Liz Ross, Paul & Guy Pelling and Caroline Martin & Andy Douglas.There were 3 yellow buoys in the bay to choose for the gybe mark and the fleet struggled to decide which one to go for. Eventually the other gybe marks were moved by the other race teams operating in the bay leaving one for the 12s clearly indicated.

With a tight pack the run of the P course proved challenging, not helped by the light winds and the tide. Jo & Holly kept their second place, whilst Tom & Liz pulled through into third playing the left of the run in slightly more breeze.

Jo & Holly kept Tom & Liz behind for the next two laps, but on the third beat Tom & Liz pulled through on a series of good shifts on the approach to the windward mark. Tom & Liz pressed on in an attempt to catch Graham & Zoe. Big holes were developing across the race course as the wind died (as forecast) giving Tom & Liz some opportunities to catch up. Graham & Zoe however kept their lead to take the race

1st Graham Camm & Zoe Ballantyne
2nd Tom Stewart & Liz Ross
3rd Jo Richards & Holly Scott
4th Paul & Guy Pelling
5th Antony & Jo Gifford

[Tim L]

Go Rosie!

[MikeDay]

Well, well - thanks for great reports Graham and (speaking as one) well done the old lags - fantastic result for Paul and Guy Pelling yesterday and it's now two top 3 places for Jo Richards in Bouncer.  That's quite amazing after all these years and says much about the longevity of Twelves and Jo's sublime ability to make a boat go fast.  And of course, Graham and Zoe are putting on a very impressive show.  

Mike D
N3496

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Race 5 - Thursday

There are a number of requests for redress as a result of the wind in race 5 so anything could happen with the individual  results or the race could be abandoned.

In summary, a weak front was expected this morning. At around 09:30am it looked like the front was passing over. The race officer wisely decided to postpone until the wind had filled in fully. A nice force 3 filled the bay at around 11am and the fleet launched.

The wind shifted hard left half way up the first beat favouring those who had kept left. Leading this pack were Frances Gifford & Sophie Mackley with brother Antony just behind. Fran & Sophie rounded the windward mark first with Antony & J just behind. Close on their tails were Jon Ibbotson & Charlotte Stewart with Graham Camm & Zoe Ballantyne trying to overtake on the reach. All was fine on this lap but on the next beat things went a bit random. In summary it paid to go left or right but avoid the middle. Fran & Sophie went hard right, a bold move which initially looked risky, but in the end it paid off as they kept their lead at the second windward mark rounding. They were closely followed by Antony & Jo. John & Katy Meadowcroft led the pack going left. The left going pack looked really good early on and then somehow managed to consolidate their gains when the fleet joined back up with those coming with a huge lift from the right. Meanwhile those who went up the middle playing the shifts suffered.

The third beat was similarly variable as lots of rain clouds appeared and the bulk of the front passed over. As the leaders approached the windward mark the wind started to disappear leaving the fleet slogging away against a little chop. The next reach was very light as the wind vapourised. The fleet bunched at the gybe mark as a little wind filled from behind. Antony & Jo just managed to squeeze in front of Fran & Sophie at the mark. There was a small band of wind filling from the other side of the bay and the bulk of the fleet headed on a tight reach in order to get ot the wind, sailing about 20 degrees above the leeward mark whilst a few decided to stick to the rhumb line hoping the wind might fill from behind. In the end the wind filled from both behind and from the left in zephyr style streaks. The race officer decided to shorten at the leeward mark and the whole fleet crossed the downwind finish line within a few minutes of each other.

Positions were mixed up a little during the flat calm and subsequent return of the breeze hence a redress hearing going on at 1900 this evening.

We'll be back with more later...

[Mikey C]

ooo - controversial...

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The result of last night's hearing in the request for redress for race 5 was that the result of the race stood. The results of race 5 were therefore:

1st Fran Gifford & Sophie Mackley
2nd Jon Ibbotson & Charlotte Stewart
3rd Tom Stewart & Liz Ross
4th Graham Camm & Zoe Ballantyne
5th Jon & Juliet Brown

Race 6 - Friday
The forecast was for a south westerly breeze of around 10 knots with a warm front passing over the race course mid day bringing grim weather. Luckily for the 12 fleet the breeze arrived after an hour postponement and the warm front stayed away meaning the fleet had a cracking sail in beaming sunshine.

The race officer decided to make full use of the solid breeze and set 3 laps of course A, meaning we would do three sets of triangle and sausages (7 beats in all). The wind was moving through some big swings so judging which end of the line to start was a challenge. In the end the pin end paid. Antony & Jo Gifford looked good starting at the pin end and crossed the fleet on port early on, following the port lift in the middle of the beat. Jon Ibbotson & Charlotte Stewart also looked good being more left than the Giffords. Tom Stewart & Liz Ross started at the committee boat end but sailed fast and pointed high to pull up to the top pack by the end of the beat. In the end staying left paid off and Bruce & Clare Johnson rounded the windward mark first.

There was a lot of luffing on the first reach and Tom & Liz overhauled the pack to take the lead which they were then never in any danger of losing. Antony & Jo pulled through into second and despite the fleet having six more beats to catch up they were never under any threat. More place changing happened lower down the fleet. Long marginal planing reaches and shifts, swings and holes in the wind on the beat enabled much overtaking. Graham Camm & Zoe Ballantyne worked their way up the fleet to take third by the finish. With Jon & Char and the Meadowcrofts close behind.

1st Tom Stewart & Liz Ross
2nd Antony & Jo Gifford
3rd Graham Camm & Zoe Ballantyne
4th Jon Ibbotson & Charlotte Stewart
5th John & Katy Meadowcroft.

Full results to follow . . .

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Here are the final overall results and subsidiary trophy results

In summary,

Graham & Zoe narrowly beat Tom & Liz in the overall series

Paul & Guy Pelling won the Burton

Matt & Jo Stiles were first Admiral's cupper in the Burton

Royal Harwich won the team trophy just pipping team Burghfield

Rick & Sarah Perkins won the new comers (Arrows)

Caroline Martin won the Grand Masters and was also top lady helm

The Corrigan was hotly contested between Henry & Rebecca Johnson and Nathan Harding & Lucy Horsley. Henry won by a whisker - just 4 points ahead.

Photos from the fancy dress night to follow. But might have to be censored first!         :K) :B

[greight expectations]

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Here are the photos from the week

Burton week photos on Fotoboat  http://fotoboat.thirdlight.com/index.tlx?albumid=108656

Fancy dress party http://www.national12.org/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=29