Class in focus: National 12

Gerald New looks at what the movers and shakers are up for this season

Designer Dave Greening has two of his Annie Apple design in build at the moment - one at Weston and one at Lymington from a Claridge-built hull.

Dave does not intend any more development to the design at the present although the Annie Apple was designed around his own light crew weight requirements and it would be possible to develop the design for better weight carrying. He feels that the National Twelve designs are dating slowly and it is better for the owners and builders if the designs stabilise for a while and that the main developments will be seen in the rigs.

Interestingly Dave pointed out that three members of the GBR America's Cup design team are former Burton winners and cut their teeth in National 12 design; Hugh Welbourne, Jo Richards and Phil Morrison.

Dave is a Naval Architect, whose daily work is in the commercial yacht world, but he considers the National such a challenge to designers because the length, for two people, is always too short for what it is trying to do. If you move to 14 foot with two people the whole thing is more controllable but if you try, as the International 14 does, to wring the maximum out of the length then again you are at the edge and really feel like you need more length. With this in mind he has been doodling with a Merlin design; "but only back of the envelope stuff at the moment".

The careful controls layout on his own boat reflects this background in attention to detail.

In a very neat arrangement the carbon mast is stepped on a custom made stainless plate.

All the sail, mast and kicker control-line blocks are taken to the plate, providing a strong attachment point with a minimum number of hull fixings.

Control lines run from the mast and the shroud attachments through the centreboard case/spine to the centre thwart, allowing sail adjustment and quick change of mast rake by the helm.

The mast is a carbon profiled design from Roger Angel and Dave has taken great care to avoid as many holes or attachments to the mast as possible to reduce the possibility of stress fractures in critical areas,

Annie also features the now standard flying jib stick, used on the National 12 on the reaches as well as the run.

Dave's version hangs from the spreader bracket and is permanently attached saving the need for the crew to have to rig the pole just when their weight is required further aft.

This feature has allowed him to keep the bow section slimmer than if he had to contend with weight in this critical area when gybing or bearing away.

So, plenty of action in the Nationals, no rule changes this year, a period of stability for the class with lots of double bottom boats with carbon rigs getting up to speed.

The Association numbers are good at around 300 with an increasing number of new boats and encouraging numbers going to Open Meetings - the season seems set fair for this long lived but eternally young class.

Burton Week 2002 is at Tenby SC from 17 to 23 August.
Class web site at http://www.national12.org
Hon Sec at::- ntoa@ndirect.co.uk