A total of 19 National 12s turned out for an excellent weekend’s sailing at Waldringfield SC on 6-7 September.

Patrick Elcombe and Carol Shore led the first race away up a shifty first beat, and held the lead down the first two offwind legs. Antony Gifford and Katy Meadowcroft sneaked through to establish an overlap at the gybe mark and took up the lead just ahead of the pack. It was Tom Stewart and Liz Ross, Chris Mayhew and Charlotte Ibbotson and Richard Williams and Stella Brown who emerged from the pack to fight for second place. Much place changing later, Stewart and Ross came within inches of snatching victory on the finish line, but Gifford and Meadowcroft just held them off.

Race two saw Gifford and Meadowcroft once again establish a decent lead, only to get caught and overtaken by Stewart and Ross approaching the last mark and having to settle for second. Mayhew and Ibbotson once again finished third, having broken clear of Jon Brown and Jules Brawn and Frances Gifford and Sarah Edwards.

Sunday dawned wetter and calmer. The third race eventually started after the rain in a very gentle breeze. Gifford and Edwards got away at the start and led until the approach to the final mark of the shortened course. In a particularly clam patch the dice was rolled, the leaders were engulfed by the pack, and then emerged again to claim their victory. Out of the melee in pursuit, came Caroline Martin and Lesley Iles in the latest 12 to grace the Martin family fleet, taking second place.

Overall it was the Saturday results that were to decide the final results, with Stewart and Ross winning the tie-break to take home the Cartoon Trophy.

Overall Results

1st Tom Stewart and Liz Ross, Royal Harwich YC

2nd Antony Gifford and Katy Meadowcroft, Aldeburgh YC

3rd Frances Gifford and Sarah Edwards, Aldeburgh YC

1st ‘Admirals Cup boat’ Patrick Elcombe and Carol Shore, Middle Nene SC