Exciting Race Gets Potts Another Trophy

Gunfleet Sailing Club held it London Trophy race exclusively for the faster boats on Sunday 7 May, with 14 dinghies venturing onto the water and victory going to Ken Potts in his Laser.

With the tide only half an hour into the ebb, and the wind offshore, it meant the first leg up the coast to the Kingscliff buoy wasn’t going to take long.   John Tappenden hovered by the line in his Laser in order to position himself in the most advantageous spot but, as the last few seconds counted down, Potts powered up his Laser from slightly further back and went briskly past everyone and straight into the lead.  Very soon the Fireball of Jack and Elliot Berry slipped ahead of Potts but as the fleet, still very much closely bunched, started to round the first mark it was Potts back in front.  The second leg was a broad reach out to the Seaward buoy and the Fireball had its kite flying and pulled away, whilst Tappenden overtook Potts.  As the Lasers went round the offshore mark Andy Dunnett and Harry Swinbourne had their boats in with the two leading dinghies, whilst just behind was Derroll Pedder in his Solution.  Slightly further back the 405 of Alex Corbett and Henry Spooner hit a snag when the mainsail started to slide down the mast.  The two Cadets immediately swung the boat into wind and re-hoisted the sail before returning into the thick of things.  The third leg was a beat in to the AWS buoy before running back out to sea and then a long fetch down to the Pier buoy.  Tom and Ed Philpot decided to have a go at using the asymmetric spinnaker on their 405 but things didn’t quite work out so well and the two found themselves capsized, not once but twice.  Corbett and Spooner had similar problems with their kite when, on lowering, it decided to go into the water and under the boat.  With the tide now strengthening, the reach back through the line was quite quick; Potts, by now, having built-up a reasonable lead.  On the second lap Dave Fowell and Jeremy Goodchild pushed their GP14 up the fleet, opening the gap with Eddie White in his Laser but failing to catch Rob Lockett, also in a Laser; though by now no-one was able to challenge Potts.  

Results:
London Trophy:    
1.    Laser – Ken Potts
2.    Laser – John Tappenden
3.    Laser – Andy Dunnett