National 12 Open at Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club

Paul Turner & Anja Colley win the Witchcraft Bailer in the N12 vintage series at Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club © Martin Ellis

Twelve National Twelves competed in the Yeadon Open Meeting held on the 3rd October. Because of the closure of Yeadon Tarn due to blue/green algae the event was held at Grimwith Reservoir, the home of the Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club.

The weather forecast for the afternoon was for gales and heavy rain and so two races were sailed back to back before lunch in a force four wind.

In race one Mark Simpson and Tressa King followed by Philip and Helen David showed a clean pair of heels to everyone. They were followed home in third by John and Alison Cheetham who were testing out the temporary repair to their transom, which had been become partially detached from the boat at Ripon the day before. Behind the first three racing was much closer with Neil and Yvonne McInnes finishing in fourth.

Race two followed the same pattern as the first with the first four places being the same, giving Mark and Tressa the overall win with a race to spare

After lunch the fleet set out again expecting increasing wind. The Davids elected not to race and Philip David crewed for Neil McInnes. At the first mark Neil and Philip were leading from John and Alison. John and Alison got through on the close fetch to the third mark and pulled away aided by an unexpected drop in the strength of the wind. Mark and Tressa passed Neil to finish second with John and Georgina Brookes in fourth.

First vintage boat overall was N2487 sailed by Paul Turner and Anja Colley in tenth place, they also took the Witchcraft Bailer for the vintage series.

Many thanks to Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club for hosting the event and to Mike the Officer of the Day for an excellent days sailing.

Mark and Philip are now level on six points at the head of the Old Spice Series (the northern travellers) with one more event to come.

Overall Results: