Ladies Lead The Way

Once again the members of the Gunfleet Sailing Club had a very busy weekend that started on Saturday 1 August with a picnic cruise.  Ten Boats plus a Club Rescue Boat headed up the coast to Frinton, enjoying a pleasant reach as the craft took the last of the ebb tide.  As the crews all relaxed and took refreshment so the dark clouds began to gather and the breeze freshen.  The wind then swung south westerly and as the boats beat back it picked up further, resulting in a lively but speedy return to the Club.

On Sunday it was the turn of the ladies when they raced for the Austin Trophy.  A pleasant force 3 south westerly wind, blue skies and sunshine greeted the competitors as they jostled for position at the start.  First away was India Ford in a Topaz who lead on the beat to the Eastcliff buoy, chased by her younger sister Bethany, also in a Topaz.  Just behind was Yvonne Gough in her Laser 4.7.  The positions stayed like that on the reach out to the Seaward mark, into the AWS buoy and back out to sea.  Slightly further back was Catherine Venables in a Topaz, followed by Lesley Sacre in her Sea Ranger and Lydia Ward, also in a Topaz.  On the broad reach from Seaward to Kingscliff buoy June Richardson hoisted her spinnaker in the Magno and made up considerable ground, whilst Bethany had pulled ahead of everyone else and seemed unstoppable.  In fact Bethany was the first to pass through the line on the firsts lap and had a comfortable lead but as the wind freshened on the second lap so both the Laser and the Magno just took off, catching up for lost time and working hard to finish in first and second place respectively on handicap.

Results – Austin Ladies Trophy:
1.    Laser – Yvonne Gough
2.    Magno – June Richardson
3.    Topaz – Bethany Ford

The previous Wednesday evening saw the first race in the Tony Chadd series, four weeks behind schedule.  With a run of extreme weather on Wednesday evening the members were pleased to be greeted by a force four southerly wind.  Ten boats came to the start line but almost at the same time the wind started building and during the first lap it was hitting force six.  Such was the skill of the helms that they seemed to be coping, although the Rescue Boat crew were kept on their toes checking everything was alright as capsizes occurred.  As the wind continued to strengthen a number of members wisely retired, and during the second lap it was gusting force seven.  Helms battled it out, including Yvonne Gough, who coped magnificently in her Laser, and the competitors literally roared through the finishing line.  

Results – Tony Chadd Series – 1:
1.    Blaze – John Tappenden
2.    Solution – Simon Clarke
3.    Solution – Mark Venables