East Coast Laser Challenge Win For Tappenden

Gunfleet Sailing Club played host to the East Coast Laser Challenge last Saturday 18 July with visiting helms from Clubs around the eastern region.  The competitors were greeted with a force four gusting six westerly wind and a rolling sea complimented by white horses.  As the boats rigged so the wind dropped a little, although gusts of 27 knots were still being recorded; and with these rather unsettling conditions a number of helms decided to sit the first race out.  Never-the-less twelve boats came to the start line and were soon heading to the Eastcliff buoy.  On the run that followed, out to the Seaward mark, capsizes started to occur but the Club’s two Rescue Boats were standing close by at all times.  First to retire was Gunfleet’s Antony Reeve, followed shortly after by Paul Doyle from Hertford County Yacht Club.  The beat back from Seaward to the Eastcliff buoy proved quite gruelling and after another run out to the Seaward mark it was a blinding reach to the Kingscliff buoy.  At the end of the first lap it was Gunfleet’s Ken Potts in first place but as the race progressed the places changed and changed again.  By the completion of the second lap it was John Tappenden, also from Gunfleet, that had taken first place and he maintained this position in the third and final lap to take the first race, followed by Richard Herbert from Brightlingsea Sailing Club in second place and Potts third.

In the second race Paul Stanton got an excellent start and managed to hold the rest of the fleet off on the first leg.  A new course reduced the amount of beating and provided more reaching which the competitors revelled in.  With winds now freshening the boats reached some alarming speeds resulting in the first lap taking just fifteen minutes, and whilst the second lap was just as quick it was proving gruelling for the competitors.  A number of retirements occurred through exhaustion but Herbert was just loving the conditions and stormed home to victory, followed by Tappenden and Potts.

Everything hinged on the third race and conditions did not moderate as the fleet once again beat towards the Eastcliff buoy.  All went well until gybing at the Seaward buoy when Andy Dunnett sustained gear failure, capsized, and struggled to right the boat.  After a number of abortive attempts his Laser was towed into the shore by one of the Club’s Rescue Boats.  Meanwhile the rest of the helms hung on and at the end of the first lap Herbert had a reasonable lead.  However, during the second lap Tappenden fought back, slowly gaining ground until the very last leg when he slipped into first place, taking the race by just two seconds, and the Challenge Trophy.

Results – Laser Challenge:
1.    John Tappenden – Gunfleet Sailing Club
2.    Richard Herbert – Brightlingsea Sailing Club
3.    Ken Potts – Gunfleet Sailing Club