Down to the wire

The National 12 open meeting at the Royal Harwich YC was a close run event

Round four of the 2007 National 12 Gill Series was held at Royal Harwich YC on 16-17 June, a joint meeting with Larks and Fireflies. With more than 60 boats, including 27 Twelves the event was an excellent success both on and off the water.

Race one saw Graham Camm and Zoe Ballantyne record a comfortable win. In the second race Jon Ibbotson and Charlotte Stewart won from the chasing Camm and Ballantyne and then Tom Stewart and Elizabeth Ross. The final race of the day saw a start line pile up at the pin involving a large blue boat caused chaos as the fleet tacked onto port to avoid each other. Remarkably Richard Williams and Stella Brown emerged in the lead at the first mark. A revved up Stewart and Ross worked their way through the fleet to win, ahead of Frances Gifford and Sophie Mackley and Antony and Jo Gifford.

Saturday night saw the bar open at 4pm, a Pimms party, giant jenga, Sumo wrestling, connect four, croquet and bar boat racing in an inter class challenge. A lot of fun was had by all; the Firefly team winning.

Sunday morning dawned with less wind. Stewart and Ross reasserted their dominance, winning race four from Camm and Ballantyne, with John and Katy Meadowcroft in third. The final race was a head to head between Camm and Ballantyne (who needed to win) and Stewart and Ross.

Early leaders Sam and Fiona Mettam were overhauled on the second beat by Gifford and Mackley who emerged from the pack by finding more wind on the right hand side of the course. In their 26 year old Tigress Matt and Joe Stiles doggedly held on in the leading group. With Stewart and Ross among the back markers, Camm and Ballantyne had the meeting up for grabs. At the final gybe, seeking an inside overlap on leaders Ibbotson and Stewart, they fouled and had to take a 720. The leaders were now very tightly packed with Stewart and Ross waiting to pounce. They timed their run to perfection, getting into the lead on the final beat, and winning from Gifford and Mackley, then Ibbotson and Stewart, with the Stiles hanging on to fourth. By winning the final three races, Stewart and Ross won their first Gill meeting of the year.

Results:

1-Tom Stewart and Elizabeth Ross, Royal Harwich YC
2-Graham Camm and Zoe Ballantyne, Burghfield SC
3-Jon Ibbotson and Charlotte Stewart, Royal Harwich YC
4-Frances Gifford and Sophie Mackley, Aldeburgh YC
5-Antony and Jo Gifford, Aldeburgh YC
6-Richard Williams and Stella Brown, Royal Harwich YC