Tappenden Takes Toppo Trophy

The third race in the Gunfleet Sailing Club Cadet Class Points was held last Saturday 26 July in almost perfect conditions.  Under blue skies, bright sunshine and a pleasant force three onshore breeze it was the five Toppers that started first.  Harry Swinbourne lead the fleet and pulled away at an early stage as he reached to the Eastcliff buoy and then beat back along the coast and then out to the Seaward mark.  A little further back Abigail Hayes was challenging Robbie Jay but failed to get ahead of him.  Five minutes after the Toppers had gone and it was the turn of the Topazes.  First across the start line was Harrison Smith and Mac Symmonds, followed by Finn Harkin and Deacon Stevens, with Harkins and Stevens pulling ahead on the second leg.  However, on the run down from Seaward to AWS it was Maddie Wyss and Lydia Kurtulus that took the lead and held onto it until the reach from Seaward to Kingscliff when Harkin and Stevens got in front.  It was then the Hobie 405 class that were off and Charlie and Harry Spence lead the others, until Conor and Finlay Williams hoisted their spinnaker and blasted past.  Not to be outdone the Spence boys quickly hoisted their kite and soon caught-up.  The first leg was to St. Michael’s buoy and despite fighting the ebb tide the four 405’s soon reached this first turning mark.  Finally the Lasers were off and Robert Gutteridge made short work of the course.

 

 

Then on Sunday the Club held its singlehanded race for the Toppo Trophy, with the Cadet Single Helm Trophy being awarded to the first under 18 year helm home.  After an earlier bout of absolutely no wind it was good to see an onshore sea breeze that remained force three to four throughout the race.  Such was the eagerness of the competitors that several of them jumped the start resulting in a general recall.  Ten minutes later and the boats were away with Robert Gutteridge leading the fleet in his Laser, followed by Harry Swinbourne in his Topper, and Finn Harkin in his Topaz; all three being Cadets.  Very soon Ken Potts flipped his RS 600 as his recently repaired rudder snapped, putting him out of the race.  The remaining boats, all close hauled, made short shrift of the first leg to the Kingscliff buoy, the falling tide assisting them on their way.  The wind by now had swung slightly easterly, allowing the boats to make easy passage to the Seaward mark before running down to the Eascliff buoy.  It was then a beat to AWS followed by a reach back to Eastcliff and then straight back through the line.  John Tappenden pulled out an early lead in his Blaze and comfortably took the winning gun to collect the trophy his father had presented to the Club 39 years previously.  In the Cadet Single Helm it was Cadet Commodore Gutteridge that took first place.

 

 

 

The previous Wednesday evening Club members took part in the penultimate race for the Tony Chadd Trophy.  A force five, touching six, north easterly wind greeted the competitors, promising a lively race.  Even before the start capsized had occurred and it wasn’t long before Robert Gutteridge retired in his Laser, finding conditions too much.  Zak and Jake Kurtulus also retired in their Hobie 405 as a result of the weather.  After the beat up the coast to the Kingscliff buoy there was a very rapid reach out to the Seaward mark which required the boats to gybe before tackling the next leg.  It was at this point that Kelvin Morton capsized in his RS600, not for the first or the last time.  Ken Potts also capsized, after a further two legs, but with more serious consequences as his rudder blade broke and he had to be towed into the shore by the Club Rescue Boat.  Whilst all this mayhem was going on Harry Swinbourne cleanly sailed his Topper around the course, which included a gruelling beat from the St. Michael’s mark back to the line.