Some Great Easter Sailing At Gunfleet

It was a busy Easter Bank Holiday for members of the Gunfleet Sailing Club, with Sunday seeing the third race in the Spring Series.  A light onshore breeze, as the helms rigged their boats, freshened just in time to provide a force three, gusting four, east/south-easterly for the event, coupled with sunshine and blue skies.  Carefully running down the line on starboard tack was Robert Mitchell, who got his Laser into a good lead when he sheeted in and pointed up at the very start, leaving his competitors in his wake.  The fleet headed up the coast, against the flood tide and as they rounded the Kingscliff mark it was Mitchell in front, with Tim Dye in his Laser just a little way behind him.  The second leg was a beat to the Preston Park buoy and then close hauled out to Seaward.  By now Ken Potts had taken his Laser into third place but still had to shake off Simon Clarke in his Solo who was very close behind.  The run down from Seaward to the AWS buoy saw Dye holding a perfect course, whilst both Mitchell and Potts got dragged down-tide, but as they hardened-up it was Mitchell still leading, followed by Dye, Potts and Clarke, and then Chris Maloney in his Solo.  Behind them was Paul Stanton’s Laser and then another cluster of dinghies.  After rounding the Lilley Farm buoy it was a short run to Eastcliff and then a fetch back through the line.  At the end of the first lap Mitchell maintained his lead, with Dye second and Potts third but on the second lap Mitchell overstepped the Preston Park mark allowing Dye and Potts to slip through.  Meanwhile, further back, Andy Cornforth was pushing his Laser hard, as was Brian Allen.  On the run, from Seaward to AWS, Potts drove his Laser into the top position and managed to maintain this throughout the third lap.  During the final lap Stanton started to work his way up the fleet but it was all a little too late to impact on the leaders.

Results – Spring Series - 3:
1.    Laser – Ken Potts
2.    Laser – Tim Dye
3.    Laser – Robert Mitchell

On the Easter Monday the sky looked somewhat cloudier, with a very light westerly breeze, but his did not appear to deter the Club members, keen to take part in the first race of their Class Points Series.  With eighteen dinghies taking part it made for a busy scene as helms rigged their craft ready for action; all hoping for just a bit more wind.  The craft slipped into the almost mirror-like sea and found it difficult to stem the flooding tide as the minutes ticked by to the separate class starts.  However, someone must have been looking kindly down on the Club as from the south west a fresher breeze made its way to the competitors, and as the five minute Laser Class flag was broken out so the wind filled in.  Ten Lasers jockeyed for best position and Tim Dye reached down the line on starboard with the aim of blocking his competitors and heading out to sea, and the stronger complimentary tide.  But it was not to be as at the start both Andy Cornforth and Ken Potts lead the fleet, on port tack, towards the windward mark at Eastcliff.

Meanwhile the Solos and Europe, which only have one point variance on their handicaps, were lining-up, Clare Giles being taking the instant lead in her Europe, followed by Dave Fowell in his Solo.

Soon it was the turn of the Comets and Peter Downer, whilst running along the line, made the tactical error of heading towards the shore rather that out towards the ODM; the result being that Malcolm Smith lead the class with Eddie White just behind.

In the meantime the Lasers were having battles within the class; Robert Mitchell was now in third place but Cornforth and Potts had pulled sufficiently ahead and were clearly focused on out-sailing each other.  The fleet, having successfully gybed round the Seaward buoy, then ran in towards the AWS mark, at which time it was Potts, Cornforth, Mitchell, Dye, Paul Stanton, Joff Strutt, Brian Allen, Carlo Bardetti, Brogan Bates and Tom Bartlett.  The course then took the Lasers to Preston Park buoy, into the Kingscliff and then back through the line, and at the end of the first lap Cornforth held top spot.

The Solo fleet seemed unable to overtake Giles in her Europe though Fowell never let go, whilst Derroll Pedder and Chris Maloney did change places during the race.

In the Comets it really looked as though Smith was going to maintain his lead throughout the race, with Downer having had such a poor start, even though he had managed to get ahead of White.  However, as Smith rounded the Kingscliff buoy to then sail the last leg of the two lap course, he tacked out to sea to both shadow Downer and gain the stronger tide but he stood-out too far and Downer managed to slip through and clinch the race.

In the Laser fleet Potts got ahead of Cornforth on the second lap but had to fight to maintain his position throughout.

Results – Class Points - 1:
Lasers:
1.    Ken Potts
2.    Andy Cornforth
3.    Robert Mitchell
Solos and Europes:
1.    Clare Giles
2.    Dave Fowell
3.    Chris Maloney
Comets:
1.    Peter Downer
2.    Malcolm Smith
3.    Eddie White
Menagerie :
1.    Dave Ingle (RS Aero)