Yorkshire Ouse SC held the Naburn Paddle open meeting for National Twelves over the weekend of 2-3 June. A total of 16 boats, including six clinker vintage boats, presented a visually varied spread of over 40 years of National Twelve history, ranging from N1620, a Proctor Mk VI, to N3448, one of the latest self -draining Feeling Foolish designs. All the different eras of hull design showed themselves competitive in Naburn’s river conditions.

Race one on Saturday had its own trophy, the Jubilee Cup. Fresh north-westerly winds allowed this to be sailed over a long course covering the club’s full normal sailing stretch from the Bridge mark half a mile upstream, then back down through the difficult ‘narrows’ under the high trees by Naburn Hall and on to the Lock mark – one and a half miles downstream. Philip David made the best of a good start in his China Doll to get clear air, closely followed by a group of four others tussling for second place. Bernard Clark in his Cheshire Cat nearly caught David in the narrows where concentration was at premium to find and use the puffs of wind to carry the boats through and lots of places changed. There was then a close battle between the fast tacking ability of the vintage boats of Vincent Phillips and Neil McInnes and the straight line speed of Peter Miatt’s new Feeling Foolish design on the long beat up from the lock mark. David won, with Clark second and Phillips third. On Saturday the club held the traditional Paddle barbecue on the club lawn for over 60 guests.

Sunday brought warmer weather and slightly lighter winds. Race two was again over the long course of two miles of winding river. Clark, Phillips and McInnes broke clear of the crowded port end of the start line and after the upstream mark opened up a good lead from the pack. Phillips caught the breeze out of the narrows to lead the run down to just before the Lock mark where he was caught by Clark, who then led until the finish,.

Race three was held over a shorter course on the stretch between the Club and Bridge marks where the river banks are mostly clear. Howard Chadwick led for most of the race in his Design 8, before being caught by Brian Herring’s vintage 4a and Philip David on the last run, Herring taking line honours.

The fourth race was led from the start by David, with the leading old and new boats fighting it out in the lighter shifting conditions at the top mark. Phillips emerged second and Chadwick third. Overall David was the winner of the Naburn Paddle for 2001. The continuing competitiveness of the narrow vintage boats in river conditions was shown by there being four clinker boats in the top six final places.

Overall Results

1st Philip and Helen David, N2545 ‘LittleMeg’ (China Doll,) YOSC

2nd Bernard Clark and Kieran Barnes, N2938 ‘Magnificat’ (Cheshire Cat), YOSC

3rd Vincent Phillips and Sarah Davenport N2531 ‘Invasion’ (Whisper Seven) YOSC

4th Brian Herring and Ros Stevenson N1673 ‘Let’s Go’ (Proctor Mk IV a) Redesmere SC

5th Howard Chadwick and Helen Nicholson N3356 ‘Squidgy Bits’ (Design 8) Yeadon SC

6th Neil and Yvonne McInnes, N2266 ‘Triarda’ (Starfish) Yeadon SC