Junior 12 Hour Race Report 2008.
Budworth Sailing Club claimed victory in the twenty-third Junior 12 Hour Race which started in winds of force four gusting to force five. There were twenty-eight teams competing for the nineteen trophies available. This is the highest number of entries in the entire history of the event.
With the wind coming from the southwest the GP14s were able to make full use of their spinnakers when sailing the leg on the eastern side of the lake.
From the beginning there were three teams in close contention for the overall winners trophy, there being very little difference between their average lap times. At the end of the twelve hours there was only three quarters of a lap separating Budworth SC, the overall winner with 63.75 laps, from Royal Windermere YC in second place with 63 laps, and Merchant Taylors' School also with 63 laps but with an average lap time of only 1.8 seconds higher.
Budworth SC were also awarded the trophy for the First GP14 and the fastest first two laps by an under eighteen team, while Royal Windermere SC won the award for the Fastest first two laps by an under twenty team.
Merchant Taylors' School were awarded the trophy for first Enterprise and also the trophy for the fastest last two laps.
The trophy for the first Bosun was won this year by Newcastle u Lyme School. This was a very spectacular improvement on their last year's performance.
By mid morning some teams had shortened sail, but the younger and less experienced helms found the conditions difficult and kept the safety boat teams busy throughout the race, there being many capsizes and fortunately only a few collisions.
The Southport boat had been consistently lying in fourth position until the late afternoon, when gear failure resulted in a drop of two positions and a final sixth placing below Bolton SC in fourth and West Lancashire YC in 5th positions. WLYC also won the trophy for the best aggregate result over the past three years, having been in third place in 2006 and placed 2nd in 2007, their closest rivals were Merchant Taylors' School and Royal Windermere YC.
Southport's second entry finished in twelfth position.
During the mid-afternoon the wind moderated slightly and some sail changes took place. However the wind strengthened again, just in time for the Under Fourteen Race at 1800 hrs. The U14 race was won by Toddbrook SC, closely followed in second place by Chester Sailing and Canoe Club who had entered a ten year old helm.
The Glossop SC team had arrived full of enthusiasm and were eager to sail. Unfortunately the Glossop boat failed to materialise. Their disappointment was ended by the kind offer from South Windermere SC to allow them to merge with their team to form the joint team 'South Windermere and Glossop'. This team gained a creditable 10th place out of the 28.
The event gave junior members of sailing clubs, scout groups, schools and other youth groups the opportunity to practice and hone their sailing skills, and meet socially with others with similar interests.
Feedback has been very positive with competitors stating how much they had enjoyed the event and many promising to return next year.
A measure of the enthusiasm and competitive nature of the teams taking part is that many of them now arrive with Tee Shirts and/or fleeces with printed team logos.
Our thanks to our sponsors MCK Partnership and Rowland Homes, and also to the many volunteers who made the event possible.
The next Junior 12 Hour Race will be held on Saturday 27th June 2009.
W.B. 28.06.08
Emails from competitors

Just a note to say how much we enjoyed the 12-hr race last Saturday. My cadets had a marvellous time and are still buzzing, not least because we were fortunate enough to have won the Bosun Class Trophy after finishing last a year ago.
I was again tremendously impressed by your club's welcome and organisation of the day and your volunteers were all really helpful and obviously worked incredibly hard beforehand, during the race and after the dust had settled.
Please pass on my thanks to as many of them as you can.
M.B.

Thanks for a great event.
D.H.

Race Report. - Southport Sailing Club National Junior 12 Hour Race - 26th June 2004.

This years event, the nineteenth time that the event has been run, was a very closely fought race in strong easterly winds starting at force three and gusting to force four but later in the day becoming force four and gusting to force five. Of the sixteen competing teams, five were sailing GP14s, eight sailed Enterprises and there were three Bosun dinghies.

Sedbergh School entered a Bosun winning the Simon Dawkins Trophy for 1st Bosun.

The enthusiasm and competitive spirit throughout the race was demonstrated by the closeness of the average lap time, which differed by only 2.5 minutes between the winning boat Hollingworth Lake SC, who were the winners of the Southport Sailing Club 12 Hour Race Trophy for the overall winner, and the last boat.

Hollingworth Lake SC sailing a GP14 completed 69 laps of the course during the twelve hours of racing.

During the first two laps the GP14s and the Bosun dinghies were able to use their spinnakers along both of the long legs of the triangular course. Hollingworth Lake SC again demonstrated their skill and determination to win by gaining the West Wind Cup for the fastest first two laps of the course, and also the prize for the fastest first two laps by an under eighteen team.

After approximately one hour the wind had veered slightly and boats were only able to use spinnakers on the west side of the lake. The wind then remained in a constant direction for the remainder of the event, however increasing in strength as the day progressed. In spite of the high winds only one boat decided to shorten sails during the day. Boats were often planing and coping well with the gusty conditions and the frequent squalls funnelling between the islands, often making good recoveries from near capsizes, which made interesting and exciting viewing for spectators.

Two boats sustained split rudders and one boat was holed in the bow in a collision. Our safety boats were kept extremely busy, however for most capsizes the safety boats were able to stand off and allow crews to right themselves and few boats required to be towed into the docking area. It was fortunate that the more severe weather forecast did not materialise. Thanks are due to our safety boat staff who braved the elements for long periods sitting in driving rain and cold conditions, made worse by the wind chill factor. Fortunately there were no reported cases of hypothermia.

After an hour of racing the rain had begun and continued for several hours, only stopping in the early afternoon, it then remaining dull windy and overcast until after 5 pm when the clouds dispersed. The rest of the race enjoyed brilliant sunshine.

There were four protests during the day and one application for redress, one protest for 'outside assistance' being withdrawn before the hearing after the offending boat accepted a one lap penalty, and two protests being dismissed. The application for redress was also dismissed. The successful protest, on the grounds of a windward boat not keeping clear, resulted in a two-lap penalty for the offending boat.

The only hazards to navigation at this years event were the Swans and cygnets in line astern attempting to cross the lake to the islands and a Mirror Dinghy that attempted to get into the action.

The prize giving was attended by the sixteen competing teams and their supporters, who numbered well in excess of one hundred and fifty.
Hollingworth Lake SC always looked like a winning team and did extremely well in winning seven of the nineteen trophies available. Leigh and Lowton SC sailing an Enterprise won the McDonald Cup for the second overall position, and also the Southport Lake Trophy for the first Enterprise, together with the McDonalds Ladies Trophy.

Chelmarsh SC in a GP14 were third overall winning the Lake Licensee's Cup for third position and also the Sandgrounder Trophy.
Budworth SC won the McDonald Plate, and Combs SC won Crusoe's Cup.

We were please to see entrants from school sailing teams winning trophies. Merchant Taylors' School winning both the Anderson Cannon for the third placed under eighteen team and the Last Gasp Trophy while Sedbergh School won the Simon Dawkins Trophy for the first Bosun. Windermere St Ann's School also took part sailing an Enterprise.

The Joint team entered by Frampton Sailing Club and Chester Sailing Club won the Under Fourteen Trophy. The stoical Frampton team members had travelled from the Bristol area.

I would like to thank the entire membership of Southport Sailing Club for their extremely hard work in all areas of the management of the event from safety boat staff to the galley team, timekeepers, scrutineers, protest committee, first aiders and computer operators all of whom made a massive contribution to its success.

After all had received their trophies and left for home peace descended on the lake once more and its occupation was returned to the swans, and other wildfowl.

Many thanks to William Birch for the report

National Junior 12 Hour Race at Southport on 21st June 2003 (Pictures below)

Our National Junior 12 Hour Race, held on 21st June 2003 started in the gentlest of breezes at 0800 hrs with no recalls and no premature starters.

With the wind, what little there was if it, coming from the south-west, and several areas of flat calm on the lake created by the wind shadows of the islands, the light air sailing skills of the teams were severely tested. Some indication of the wind strengths can be gleaned from the laps covered by winning boats in 2001, 72 laps and last year 69 laps, while the winners this year only covered 46 laps.

During the very early stages of the race a couple of teams were observed to be 'pumping', fortunately this ceased after a Race Notice was published and observers were sent out in the safety boats and on patrol along the lakeside. The remainder of the race passed without any further incidents of this kind.

Royal Windermere Yacht Club had obviously been honing their light air sailing skills, winning the 'West Wind Cup' for the fastest first two laps of the course. A few teams found themselves becalmed and had difficulty in coping with these conditions.

By late morning the wind had freshened slightly and the GP14's and Bosuns were using their spinnakers along the western and southern legs of the course.

Royal Windermere Yacht Club also won the Noon Race for the 'Northwest Sailboat Centre Trophy'. While the Noon Race for under eighteen teams 'The Sandgrounder Trophy' went to Budworth Sailing Club.

From a spectators point of view the day could not have been more perfect. The weather enabling both visitors and supporters to sit by the lakeside and enjoy the warm sunny atmosphere. Many had come prepared with folding chairs and tables of their own. The conditions were excellent for those of the fifteen competing teams who had camped overnight in order to make the early start.

On the water, teams had to cope with a few hazards to navigation, namely the Southport Jet Boat and its wake, and The Southport Belle (a replica of a Mississippi River Boat) that plies the lake as a commercial enterprise. The one incident with the Southport Belle forced one team to sail on past the northern mark thus causing them to lose time and two places on the water. However, their claim for redress failed on the grounds that they had been warned of other lake users in the Sailing Instructions and The Belle being seen as a commercial vessel of poor maneuverability would mean that sailors were obliged to keep clear.

By mid-afternoon the wind had veered and strengthened a little, and boats were now using their spinnakers on the eastern leg of the triangular course. This welcome increase in wind strength came just in time for the start of the 'McDonalds Ladies Trophy' for the lady helm sailing the fastest lap starting next after 1600 hrs. This race within the race was also won by the royal Windermere Yacht Club team.

The 'Under Fourteen Trophy' for the U14 helm with a crew under 20 years of age on the day started at 1800 hrs and was won by the home team Southport Sailing Club.
It was shortly after this that a small motor boat joined the fleet hired from the Lake Licensee operating from the south end of the lake. The motor boat had 'broken out' of its normal area of activity and steered an erratic course through the fleet towards SSC. Its three occupants who had obviously visited a few local hostelries beforehand were quietly and efficiently dealt with by our club safety boats and towed back, and were last seen heading south.

The Race was keenly contested throughout and the top positions came very close together.
The overall winners of the event were Budworth Sailing Club who were awarded the 'SSC Junior 12 Hour Race Trophy' and also the 'SSC Junior Trophy' for the first GP 14. Budworth were also the fastest boat over the last two laps winning the 'Final Fling Trophy'. Royal Windermere Yacht Club came a very close second gaining the 'McDonald Cup'. RWYC also won the 'Jolly Roger Cup' for the best aggregate result over the last three years. Both Budworth SC and Royal Windermere YC finished with the same number of laps, 46 and no penalty points.

West Lancashire Yacht Club entered two under eighteen teams both winning trophies.
'The Lake Licencee Cup' was won by West Lancashire Yacht Club under eighteen team who came third overall, and as first 'Enterprise' also won the 'Southport Lake Trophy' and the 'Booker Trophy' as the first U18 team. The WLYC second team won 'Crusoe's Cup' for the second U18 team.
Dovestone Sailing Club came in at fourth position wining the 'McDonald Plate'.

This year was the first time that the Bosun Dinghy has taken part in this event and we were pleased to see entries from Merchant Taylors' School and from Sedbergh School and MTS Combined Cadet Force. The 'Simon Dawkins Trophy' for the first Bosun was won by Sedbergh School.

The under eighteen team entered by Rudyard Lake Sailing Club, did extremely well at the start of the race as winners of the 'Rogerson Trophy' for the fastest first two laps by an U18 team, and again at the end winning 'The Last Gasp Trophy' for the fastest last two laps by an U18 team.
Merchant Taylors' School 'B' team won the 'Anderson Canon' for the third placed U18 team.

Our management team would like to thank Merchant Taylors' School and Southport Sailboard Association for the loan of their safety boats and also Southport Water-ski Club who provided additional safety boat drivers. Our thanks also to two members of WLYC for assistance with the race scoring

This event was sponsored by Taylors Transport of Banks near Southport who made a very substantial financial contribution to our costs.

To conclude, thanks to our many assistants, too numerous to mention who gave up their time and effort to help with the many jobs that are essential for the efficient running of an endurance event of this kind. Without their generous and voluntary assistance the event could not be run.

Finally, during the race and after the prize giving, many people approached myself and others stating how much they had enjoyed the day. We hope to see you all again next year.

Boat Number 3 - Sedbergh School sailing a boat on loan from Merchant Taylors' School.

Boat Number 8 - Merchant Taylors' School. Boat Number 9 - Merchant Taylors' Combined Cadet Force.

Thanks to William Birch for report / 22.06.2003