National 12 Burton Week 2024 - Runners & Riders and Pre-Event Info

by George Finch & John Meadowcroft 14 Aug 11:42 UTC 18-21 August 2024

Allen Sailing National 12 Burton Week at Felixstowe Ferry © Pavel Krica

There is now less than one week until the pinnacle of National 12 sailing is about to unfold at Burton Week - the National 12 National Championship.

This year's edition of Burton Week takes place from 18th to 21st August 2024 at Felixstowe Ferry Sailing Club. The class have visited this excellent East Coast venue for Burton Week in 2022 and previously for open meetings and are looking forward to an excellent 2nd Burton Week here. With camping, catering and a well stocked bar on site, all the facilities you may require for a comfortable stay are at the venue.

Allen Sailing National 12 Burton Week at Felixstowe Ferry - photo © Pavel Krica

Runners & Riders for 2024

For the Overall Championship win, 2023 Champions Tom and Isobel Stewart will face stiff competition from Ollie Meadowcroft and Helen Hilditch and Graham and Blue Camm. Each of the main contenders have youth sailors on board. Ollie has had a strong summer of sailing, crewing to win at Salcombe Merlin Week, 2nd Overall at the Scorpion Nationals, a few top 10 finishes at the RS200 Nationals and is currently in the top 3, as crew, at the Merlin Nationals. What a way to finish an excellent summer of sport, he will be hoping to be the first youth helm to win overall in over 40 years.

These three favourite boats are either Dead Cat Bounce or Hijack designs from Jo Richards and Dave Hollom respectively. They use differing mast sections from Selden, Angell and Superspar with sails supplied by HD and P&B. The hulls are all more than 10 years old. The foils all are different too, coming from Composite Craft and Simon Hipkin, whilst Graham's are home built.

Returning to the fleet, after help N12 Legend Nigel Waller build the only 2 Paradox-design N12s in the 2000s, Nick Bubb, known as the mini transat sailor extraordinaire, sails his first Burton Week with son Rory in their recently acquired Feeling Foolish design, with a Simon Hipkin T-foil conversion added at the start of the year. Nick & Rory will be one of at least seven parent and child combinations, in addition to two married couples and two sets of siblings. Half the sailors entered so far are under 25.

The evergreen Steve Sallis crewed by daughter Jo will bring their experience to bear. They went very quick in the light stuff during Norfolk Week. They will fight out the over 55s trophy with Kevin Iles & Katy Meadowcroft and Jeremy Hartley, borrowing a boat a different for the 3rd year in a row will be looking to repeat his victories from the 1980s.

Young gun Jon Ibbotson, crewed by Rhona Enkel will be keen to upset the party, with limited sailing time together but Rhona did take 6 wins from 6 races with Tom Stewart at the RHYC N12 Open in July this year.

Nick Copsey with his hijack design, built by himself is more then capable of winning a race, or more. Having not sailed for 11 months before Norfolk Week, he did a horizon job in the first race at Snettisham Beach.

Antony Gifford won the Nationals in 1998, sailing this year with wife Jo, again more than capable of winning a race, or more, as long as they concentrate on the racing at not just keeping their sons behind them!

There will be many battles throughout the fleet with all helm and crew teams aiming to achieve their goals.

Allen Sailing National 12 Burton Week at Felixstowe Ferry - photo © Pavel Krica

The Racing

At Burton Week you can expect seven races over four days, which is two races a day apart from the Monday where the fleet will race for the Sir William Burton Cup. There is just one discard over the four days - so use it wisely!

Sunday - After a competitors briefing the fleet will launch to start Burton Week 2024, with two back to back races. Time for the fleet to see who will be on the pace. Don't forget you can't win a championship on the first day but you can increase or decrease your chances of it!

Monday - The Sir William Burton Cup will be raced for, in the revised format which was extremely popular with the competitors in 2021, 2022 and 2023. The Sir William Burton Cup was gifted to the class in 1936 and has been raced for every year since then, apart from during World War 2, 2019 (no wind) and 2020 (Cancelled due to Covid-19 Pandemic). The cup is one of the oldest trophies in the UK Dinghy Scene and it is waiting for your name to be engraved on it!! There are plenty of prizes awarded throughout the fleet too, so if you're only able to make one day of Burton Week, this is the day to pick.

Tuesday & Wednesday - Two races each day, held back to back.