Winter Sailing Update

Spot the 12s at the Steve Nicholson

Despite the cold and sometimes stormy conditions, the 12s have been out in force over the winter. The highlight was the Bloody Mary where we had a strong entry and were awarded a fleet prize - won by Jeremy and Luke Hartley. Not all the competitors made it to the finish so well done to Jeremy and Luke and John Rees and Mari Shepherd for completing an epic race.

There has also been hot competition in the 12 fleet at the Steve Nicholson, Datchet Flyer and Tiger Trophy. You can check out all the results and enter for the final event, the Grafham Grand Prix on the series website.

The one National 12 open meeting of the winter was as windy as some of the big handicap events. Whilst no racing was completed there is an excellent video by Jeremy Carey and the Thames Area lunch went down well. You can check out the video here. 

N12 Newsletter

The new look National 12 magazine

The first edition of the Class Newsletter was actually published some 52 years ago in July 1962! Looking back at issue #1 it is interesting to reflect on its opening sentence: "We never know what is going on in the 12 Foot Class...so we hope to send out some news three or four times a year"! Amen to that!

The Newsletter was then published in A5 format for the next 46 years with two issues a year until 1994, and then a single annual issue until #78 which was published in January 2008, when it quietly ceased publication...as at the time the NTOA had moved into the digital era and created "The Latest Chapter" - a monthly electronic newsletter that was emailed to those on the N12 email list, and which continues to this day as time and copy has demanded.

So, at the time of writing the Class has been without a paper Newsletter/magazine for some seven years and following a review by the NTOA Committee it was decided to re-introduce the Newsletter for members of the NTOA with the production of this, the 79th edition!

This new edition is 40 pages long in a full colour B5 format comprising articles on the latest designs and restorations of older boats, reviews of the various events from the National Championships and Gul sponsored Travellers series through to the Vintage Travellers series and its own Championship and almost all aspects of the Class in between!

The Newsletter is being sent in good faith to all Full and Associate members of the NTOA who were paid up members for 2014. If you'd like a copy then please join the NTOA via the website www.national12.org

Members of the NTOA also receive the Annual Yearbook which was first published in 1950 and which maintains a record of trophy winners and dinghies built, and the comprehensive Association Handbook which was first published in 1972 with the current sixth edition having been printed in 2010. The comprehensively illustrated 262 page Handbook contains a detailed History of the Class, a record of all National 12 dinghies ever built together with a record of all Trophies and winners since award, many going back to 1936!

Dinghy Show 2015

It's almost time for the biggest sailing event of the year that doesn't involve any water! 

The National 12s will be exhibiting 2 boats at the RYA Dinghy Show on 28 February / 1 March at Alexandra Palace, London on stand B46:

• Neal Lillywhite’s Design 8 N3271 “Indecision”, built in 1987 by Arnot Dobson and refurbished by the Boat Yard at Beer in 2012. Neal is a member of Burghfield SC and sails with his 11 year old daughter Freya. They won the Admirals Cup prize for older boats at the 2014 Gill Series and were widely travelled on the Open circuit, visiting Carnac, Salcombe YC Regatta and Burton Week.
• Graham Camm and Zoe Ballantyne’s Dead Cat Bounce N3530 “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”, built in 2010 by Boat Yard at Beer/ P&B and winner of Burton Week and the Burton Cup in 2010 and 2012. Graham and Zoe won the Bloody Mary pursuit race in 2014, were the leading 12 at Carnac, won the 2014 Inland Championships and placed second overall in the Gul Series.

N12 T-Shirt Competition

Win a National 12 T shirt of your own design! The winning design T shirt will be printed and you will receive a complimentary T shirt that will also be worn by National 12 owners throughout the year.

Design a 2015 T-Shirt that is exciting and reflects the National 12 class- a vibrant and exciting family and lightweight two person hiking dinghy that is responsive and dynamic. The T-shirt design should have one colour only so you need to thinking carefully about how to create an exciting image. 

You may enter as many times as you like with different designs. Closing date for entries is the end of the weekend of the dinghy show (Sunday 1st March 2015). 

Get your entry form (and all the details) on the 12 website.

 

Crew Matching Service

Are you a helm with a space at the front and are looking for a crew?
Are you a crew itching to grab hold of a jib and looking for a helm?
 
Have you answered yes to either (or both!) of those questions? Well, we have an email address for you!
 
crew@national12.org
 
We aim, wherever we can, to match helms and crews up for GUL series and other major events. Drop us a line (with as much notice as possible before the event) and we will see what we can do! Let us know who you are, the event(s) you are wanting to do and anything else you think we need to know.
 
First event is the GUL series one dayer at Burghfield – 28^th March!
 
Here’s to crew matching!
 
The Crew Team
 

Upcoming Events

Apart from the Dinghy Show, next up for the 12s is the opening event of the GUL Series at Burghfield Sailing Club on 28th March. This one is always popular and hotly contested.

If you can't wait until then, there is still some handicap sailing left this winter with the rescheduled Grafham Grand Prix on 22nd Feb, and the Starcross Steamer on 15th March (not on the 12 calendar but your editor is planning to go). 

Please note the Hamble Warming Pan has been taken off the 12 calendar as we won't have a start this year.

Looking a bit further ahead there are a couple of big dates to book into your calendar. Burton Week 2015 is on 22nd-25th August at Herne. This will be the biggest event of the GUL Series so enter now! If the dog has eaten your entry form then you can print another here.

Before then we have a new event for 2015, 12 FEST, on 20th-21st June at Northampton Sailing Club. This will be one you won't want to miss with professional coaching, National 12 handicap racing, a grand pursuit race, and lots of fun for the kids (and big kids). So before anyone tells you you're busy that weekend, book in the 12 and watch this space for more info!

Dates for your diary

• Burghfield SC 28th March -  GUL Series #1 & Sprint Champs
• Salcombe YC 2nd-4th May - GUL Series #2
• Brightlingsea SC 6-7th June - GUL Series #3
• Royal Harwich YC 4-5th July - GUL Series #4
• Herne Bay SC 22nd-25th August - Burton Week 2015 including Burton Cup and National Championships and GUL Series #5
• Solway YC 12-13th September - Scottish Championships and GUL Series #6
• Ripon SC 3rd October - GUL Series #7
• Northampton SC 7-8th November - GUL Series Finale and Inland Championships
• N12 Coaching & Summer Event at Northampton SC 20th-21st June
• Vintage Championships at Burton SC 27-28th June

A full list of fixtures for 2015 can be found on the N12 website.

Welcome to New Members

Finally, we'd like to give a warm welcome to all the recent new members of the NTOA. We hope you enjoy your 12 sailing as much as we do.

Stephen Moran of Dunvegan, Isle of Skye, with N2843
Philip Johnston of Haywards Heath, West Sussex, with N3474
Freya Lillywhite of Hartley Wintney, Hants, with N3441
George Finch of East Bergholt, Essex, with N3513
Adam Rose of Sholing, Southampton, with N3282 and N3317

I hope you enjoyed The Latest Chapter and have a great season of sailing in 2015. 

Chris Day
N3526