With so much interest in single handed Olympic sailing, it is appropriate that the 12–footers had their Irish championships a week after Annalise’s success in Rio at the Royal St. George Yacht Club. The 12–footers were used for the Olympic Games in 1920 and 1928.
These two classes share the same hull design, but they carry different rigs, the International 12 Footer uses a single sail in a balanced lug, while the DBSC 12 has the mast located further aft, and uses the same sail area in a gunter rig, along with a small jib. Racing within Dun Laoghaire harbour commenced with a force two wind from the north-west, on a traditional triangular course.
In race one, two DBSC 12s, Albany and Sgadan quickly pulled away from the fleet, and swopped places several times during the two lap race, before veteran sailor David Sarratt, and his friend Gail Varian, in Sgadan, took the gun.
By race two the wind dropped to a fickle force one, causing the race officer Vincent Delany to reduce the race to one lap. On the upwind beat the DBSC boats performed best, with Sgadan and Albany well ahead of the rest. However, the larger mainsail of the international boats enabled the international boats to travel faster. Cora lead from Pixie at the leeward mark where the entire fleet became bunched, and whistling for more wind. At the finish it was George and his son Andrew Miller in Pixie who took the gun.
12 foot dinghy competitors at the Royal St. George YC
When the fleet went ashore for lunch, Sgadan, Albany and Pixie were all sharing the lead on 9 points.
When they returned to the racing area the wind was again very fickle, this time, from the north east, so the race was again shortened after one lap. Cora was recalled at the start which set her at a disadvantage. In the force one wind, Albany the DBSC 12, sailed by brothers-in-law Tim Varian and Gavin Johnson, won race three.
The final race was sailed in a force two breeze which kept all the competitors bunched for the entire race of two laps. Again, it was Sgadan which pulled out ahead with Pixie second.
These two were on equal points, and thus the Irish 12 foot championship went to the DBSC 12, and winner of the final race. For full results see results attached below:
