Potts Wins The First In The Autumn Series

Gunfleet Sailing Club held the first race in its Autumn Series on Sunday 15 September 2024 in a force three to four south-westerly wind, coupled with Summery conditions of blue skies and sunshine.  With the tide having turned and now ebbing, the helms recognised it was going to be quite a slog to beat down the coast on the first leg.  John Tappenden never got off the beach when the tiller on his RS Aero snapped, and he had to content himself by watching the race from the shore.  Back on the water, boats flew up and down the line, planning the best position to start from and, as the clock ticked by, so competitors secured their spot.  Tim Dye chose to take his RS Aero out to sea and then blast down to the start on a screaming reach; he made the line as the class flag came down and hardened up on port tack.  Meanwhile his biggest rival, Ken Potts, took his Laser away on starboard, having started by the Inner Distance Mark; there then followed a meeting of boats but Dye was required to bear away in order to avoid a collision.  However, the boot was on the other foot once both helms tacked, and Potts bore away behind Dye, so evening the score.  These two were not alone in avoiding incident as the fleet weaved in and out of the bays to mitigate the negative effect of the tide, highlighting the importance of smooth and seamless tacking.  Unfortunately Potts overstood the first mark at St. Michael’s and Dye slipped round and ran up the coast to the Lilley Farm buoy ahead of everyone; Potts was the second boat, followed by Paul Stanton in his Laser, and Brian Allen’s RS Aero.  It was good to see Paul Jackson close behind, in his Laser, and then Adam Kedge, also in a Laser.  Once round Lilley Farm it was onto the AWS buoy before a close reach out to the Seaward mark.  Whilst the top four placings didn’t change, slightly further back there were some interesting tussles between Dave Ingle and Martin Chivers, both sailing RS Aeros, Yvonne Gough in her Laser and Dave Fowell in the Solo, and Chris Maloney in his Comet and Simon Kedge, singlehanded in his GP14.  After gybing at Seaward it was a reach down to the Kingscliff buoy, and then further close-shore tacking back to the line.  At the end of the first lap, on handicap, Potts had a strong lead, followed by Stanton and then Dye.  Simon Kedge took his GP14 shore-side of the IDM and was disqualified, whilst, on the second lap, son Adam capsized his Laser, bent the mast, and was forced to retire; by now Fowell had also retired.  The wind just tipped into a force five but made little difference to the final positions.

Autumn Series - 1:
1.    Laser – Ken Potts
2.    Laser – Paul Stanton
3.    RS Aero – Tim Dye