National 12 Burton Week at Thorpe Bay Yacht Club

Racing during National 12 Burton Week at Thorpe Bay © Richard Janulewicz / www.fotoboat.com

Racing during National 12 Burton Week at Thorpe Bay © Richard Janulewicz / www.fotoboat.com

Racing during National 12 Burton Week at Thorpe Bay © Richard Janulewicz / www.fotoboat.com

Burton Week, the national championship of the National 12 class, was this year held at Thorpe Bay Y.C. from 23rd – 26th May, the first time it has visited this venue since 1965. Sponsorship from Aardspars, Alverbanks Sails, Chaucer Syndicates, Designs42, Fuller’s Brewery, Fotoboat, Gill, Pinnell & Bax, and Southend Borough Council, allied with the switch from a traditional week long event in August to 4 days over the Bank Holiday weekend, contributed to this being an outstanding success.

The crews for the eighty boat entry, the largest for 15 years, ranged in experience from two teams of Thorpe Bay youngsters sailing their first Burton Week in boats loaned to them with money raised by the class association, to eight former champions and an Olympic medallist. In turn the boats ranged from a closely contested vintage section with 8 entries, the oldest of which first sailed in 1958, through to class chairman Dare Barry’s latest homebuilt “Pudding” design and the latest “Paradigm 2” offering from Rondar Boats, which hit the water for the first time for the first race on Saturday scoring a creditable 15th in the hands of John and Mandy Thornton.

Saturday’s opening race was subject to a number of general recalls due to the over enthusiastic starting of the fleet and an abandonment immediately following the first valid start due to a sixty degree windshift. However, when it did eventually get away cleanly under a black flag in a force 2, it was 2008 champions Graham Camm and Zoe Ballantyne who quickly established a good lead which they held to the finish. Behind them, Jo Richards and Sophie Mackley sailing Dead Cat Bounce, which features a number of innovative features such as a winged rudder, centreboard with trim tab, and completely new thinking on the underwater shape, scored a solid second followed by Tom Stewart and Elisabeth Ross in third. First Admiral’s Cup (single bottom) boat was sailed By Gerry Ledger and Alex Gore in 17th, whilst the Vintage section was headed by the oldest boat entered in the capable hands of Brian Kitching and local Thorpe Bay cadet Finley Cullender.

Race two quickly followed and this time it was Richards/Mackley who established a lead to win comfortably in the dying breeze from Stewart/Ross in second with father and son team Kerri and Thoe Harris filling third spot. Unfortunately the disappearance of the wind meant that only 18 boats finished this race within the time limit which expired only narrowly ahead of the water disappearing completely.

Saturday evening saw the competitors enjoy a free barbeque laid on by the club caterers aFORDERble Catering with the only complaint being that the portions were too large for a few of the more weight sensitive crews.

Sunday saw perfect Champagne sailing with brilliant sunshine and a steady force 3 breeze all day. Race officer Phil Crawford took the decision to go straight for the black flag which enabled all the races for the rest of the event to get away first time. The trapezoid course with its long run parallel to the shore made a great spectacle and warmed up the crowds for the Southend Airshow, which started as the sailing finished for the day. Something of a pattern began to emerge with Richards/Mackley taking both races having been pushed very hard in each by husband and wife team Antony and Jo Gifford. Another husband and wife team, John and Katy Meadowcroft took third in the third race, whilst brother and sister Jon Ibbotson and Charlotte Stewart filled that slot in race four. The Admiral’s Cup section was headed in both races by Phil David and Antony Copsey with two results in the twenties showing up many in newer double bottomed boats. The Vintage wing was again headed by Kitching/Cullender although they were pushed hard by their rivals in the latter race.

Sunday evening saw the fleet dancing to local 60’s band Larry and the Streamers whilst in various guises as the “Dress as a 12” fancy dress party was in full swing. The sight of Michael Douglas’s “Shiny Disco Balls” will stick in the mind for a long time!

Monday was Burton Cup day after which the event takes its name. By the terms of the deed of gift for this trophy, donated in 1937 by Sir William Burton, the race must be sailed around a course that cannot be shortened but consists of four triangles, with each leg being at least one mile long, followed by a final beat. The day dawned with a little more breeze which gradually built as the fleet launched. By the appointed start time it had reached force 6. These conditions proved to be to the liking of Kevin Iles and Jane Wade from the home club who narrowly led at the first mark from Steve Norbury and Andy Hill. However, by the end of the first lap it was Stewart and Ross who had a good lead of over 200 yards from Richards/Mackley. Over the next couple for hours the wind slowly dropped to little more than a force 1 at the finish and Richards/Mackley relentlessly ground away at Stewart/Ross to pass them just before the final leeward mark to go on and take their fourth win of the series. Third place was taken by the Giffords. The Admiral’s Cup and Vintage sections each saw new winners with Graham Iles and Kai Louden finishing 21st to take the former, and Howard Chadwick and Liz Wady sneaking across the line one place ahead of incoming class chairman Tim Gatti crewed by Yvonne McInnes to take the latter. With the Red Arrows performing overhead just as the last competitors came ashore, the 250,000 people who came to watch this classic event were then entertained by day two of the Airshow.

Monday night saw 130 people squeeze into the main bar of the clubhouse for a sit down dinner. The free wine ensured the tales of the day became more unbelievable as the evening progressed and resulted in a few sore heads emerging from tent city the next morning.

Tuesday, the final day saw the winds return with a constant force 5 to 6. Race 6 saw Richards/Mackley and Stewart/Ross again at the front with the former eventually establishing a commanding lead to win the race and with it the championship. Third place was taken by Iles/Wade who, with the assistance of many of their rivals – a great example of the camaraderie in this class – had replaced their slot gasket after it had fallen off the previous day. The Admiral’s Cup saw Ledger/Gore return to the front, while in the Vintage wing Gatti/McInnes finally came to the fore.

In an excellent display of sportsmanship (or maybe they were just enjoying themselves so much), Richards/Mackley decided to take part in the final race even though they had no need to and promptly romped away with it to record their 6th win out of seven races. Behind them, Iles/Wade relentlessly progressed from 10th at the first mark to pass Stewart/Ross on the penultimate leg and just hold off Ibbotson/Stewart at the finish. In the Admiral’s Cup, David/Copsey finished in 17th position, their best result of the event. Sadly, the wind strength meant that no Vintage boats competed in the final race as doubts over the strength of 50 year old glue meant that discretion was the better part of valour.

The class would like to thank all its sponsors and Thorpe Bay YC for hosting a fantastic Burton Week(end). The convenient location of the venue, excellent organisation and on-site camping (courtesy of special permission from Southend council) all conspired to make this an outstanding success and the class sincerely hopes it will be less than 44 years before it returns to Southend again.

Overall Results:
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