Wallet Win For Williams Brothers

Gunfleet Sailing Club held its race for the Wallet Trophy last Sunday afternoon 27 April in a force four, touching five, easterly wind.  With the sun breaking through the competitors jostled eagerly at the line and, in some cases, just a bit too eagerly.  As the class flag fell from the yardarm the Hobie 405 of Charlie and Harry Spence, and Andy Dunnett’s Laser were both the wrong side; the individual recall flag being instantly hoisted to point out the error.  The Spence brothers lost little time in turning back and re-crossing the line but Dunnett clearly had the bit between his teeth and continued on the beat up the coast to the Kingscliff buoy, resulting in disqualification.  With the ebb tide under them the competitors soon made the first mark and were then on a broad reach to the Seaward buoy, a gybe followed by a second reach into AWS, a fetch out to sea, a run to Eastcliff before a beat back to the line.  The Lasers had their own battle going on as boats pushed to get to the front of the fleet whilst the Hobie 405’s made a magnificent spectacle cutting through the water.  Brogan Bates and Simon Clarke hoisted the asymmetric spinnaker at every opportunity and powered-up their 405 on the downwind legs but, having had a disappointing start, had a lot of ground to make up.  Meanwhile in the slow handicap fleet the Williams brothers, in a Topaz, quietly sailed a faultless course and won the race on handicap.