Threes not a crowd for National 12s at the RYA Volvo Dinghy Show
by Sophie Richards 29 Feb 2012 11:55 GMT
Stand B26, 3-4 March 2012
(l to r) Zarniwoop, Paradigm Buster and Laughter racing in 2011 © K. Bloor
At this year’s RYA Dinghy Show the National 12 class is showcasing a range of designs; from the shiny, new 12s with t-foils, to the classic but competitive Admiral Cup designs and even the historic ribbed vintage boats.
On its stand, B26 in the Great Hall, visitors can view the very latest carbon technology of the t-foiling Paradigm Buster. This boat is a Paradigm 2 was designed by Gavin Willis and is one currently available production National 12s. Alongside Paradigm Buster will be Zarniwoop, a Tigress designed by Mike Jackson, which was built in 1980. Zarniwoop was beautifully restored in 2008 and has been back competing on the racing circuit since then.
The final design in the trio is Laughter, which is being displayed on the Jack Holt Centenary stand. This was the first boat to be built in Jack Holt’s famous ‘500’ series and he won the first post-war Burton Week (the N12 championships) in her in 1946.
Chris Troth from the National 12s is co-ordinating this year’s stand and says, ‘The National 12 class has some great new boats and second hand designs that are all out there competing on the water, we’re hoping at this year’s Dinghy Show we can highlight the diverse range of what’s available to sailors coming into the class.’
Whatever National 12 you sail you can join the fleet for the first Gill series events of 2012: Annandale (the Scottish Champs) on 14th and 15th April and Spinnaker on 21st and 22nd April. And to catch up on more National 12 news and gossip visit the National 12 website or check out our facebook page (click Facebook/Twitter tab below).