Clarke snatches Wallet ahead of Coronation contest

Gunfleet Sailing Club held three races for the Club’s Wallet Trophy on Sunday 7 May. All three races were sailed over the same course and lasted only one lap giving helms the opportunity the learn from their mistakes and to improve their performance. The trophy was won by Simon Clarke sailing a Solo.

The Officer of the Day had set an unusual downwind start so as to prevent the competitors being carried over the start line by the flooding tide and all competitors got away cleanly with Clarke and the Lasers of Rob Mitchell and Brian Allen keeping close to the shore to cheat the tide as they ran towards the Kingscliff mark. The second leg saw the boats beat to Preston Park buoy with Chris Ingle in his Aero gaining a position before the boats gybed at Eastcliff for the final run across the line.

In the second race all the competitors stayed close inshore for the start and the fleet was closely bunched together. Positions were similar but further down the fleet the GP14s of Ian Barker and Paul Jackson were so close at the finish that their recorded times were only one second apart.

The third race saw the fastest times for all the boats despite the slightly more difficult conditions. A clear case of ‘learning by doing’. Paul Jackson sailing single handed in his GP14 gained a very creditable third place but this was not enough to give him a top three overall.

Results – Wallet Trophy

1. Simon Clarke (Solo)
2. Rob Mitchell (Laser)
3. Chris Ingle (Aero)

The following day Bank Holiday Monday saw fresher winds, a different course and different results with the first four boats again being separated only by seconds on corrected time. John Tappenden led the fleet in his Aero closely followed by Brian Allen, Robert Mitchell and Ken Potts. However by the fourth mark at Lilley Farm Ken Potts was only three seconds behind Tappenden being clearly faster to windward although Tappenden was able to pull away again on the reach to the line. A short distance behind a battle royal was developing between Simon Clarke’s Solo and the Europe of Claire Giles – two boats with an almost identical PY handicap – with Giles eventually proving the victor. Behind them the three GP14s were having their own private battle but unlike the previous day Paul Jackson found himself overpowered sailing single handed. In contrast Nicki and Simon Kedge now found conditions to their liking and led the trio home. As the winds freshened there were some capsizes and several competitors retired. Although Tappenden was first to cross the finish line it was it was Potts who won on corrected time with Mitchell squeezing into second place just ahead of Tappenden with Giles a strong fourth.