An excellent turnout of 16 boats competed in yesterday’s (5 October) National 12 open meeting at Ripon SC. The event was held in shifty winds varying from Force 2-3 with a short period at Force 4 making the multi gybe course very interesting and for some very wet!

The first race saw Jon and James Whitehead take an early lead until they were caught out in the narrows by the shifty winds and capsized shortly afterwards to be overtaken by Steve Sallis and Jonathan Fowler who, despite several challenges, held the lead to the finish line. John and Alison Cheetham were again going well finishing third with Howard Chadwick and Helen Nicholson in fourth place.

Steve Sallis showed he was on excellent form by leading right from the start in race two and was never seriously challenged. Jon Whitehead finished second with places changing a lot in the following bunch and ending with Bernard Clark and Richard Willatt in third place having stayed the right way up throughout the race followed by Sue Jones and John Goodyear in fourth place.

The third race was again dominated by Steve Sallis hotly pursued this time by Vincent Philips and Helen David in the first vintage boat and John Cheetham in third place followed by Howard Chadwick.

Overall Results

1st N3436, Steve Sallis and Jonathen Fowler

2nd N3458, Jon and James Whitehead

3rd N3209, John and Alison Cheetham

4th N2531, Vincent Philips and Helen David

5th N3382 Bernard Clark and Richard Willat

6th N3384, Howard Chadwick and Helen Nicholson