Gunfleet Regatta Enjoyed By All

The Gunfleet Sailing Club 2021 Regatta was heralded a great success by all those taking part last Sunday 25 July, with visiting sailors from Brightlingsea Sailing Club, Hertford County Yacht Club, and neighbouring Clacton Sailing Club joining Gunfleet members for an exciting day’s racing; 26 craft taking part. 

The morning saw the all-in handicap race for the RNLI Shield, and Gunfleet welcomed the crew of the Clacton on Sea Lifeboats as special guests to watch the event.  With a force two to three north-easterly breeze, and a flooding tide, the competitors bunched closely by the line, the lead at the start being taken by Simon Clarke in his Blaze.  However, it was only a few seconds before Messrs Pete Boxer, Dan Brzezinski and James Stacey overtook him, all sailing A class catamarans.  The first leg was a beat up the coast to the Kingscliff buoy and, after a good start, Emily Cossens found her Solo in amongst the Lasers whilst slightly further back was the Comet class, followed by the Omega and then the Topazes.  Those catamarans that started slightly back from the dinghies soon sped past but, as the race got in full swing, technical troubles on Brian Allen and Robert Mitchell’s F18 forced an early retirement and out with the toolkit.  The second leg was a long reach out to the Seaward buoy, followed by a run to a mark nearer Clacton Pier, a second reach to St. Michael’s buoy before beating back through the line.  At the end of the first lap Boxer had a slight lead overall but with Brzezinski snapping at his heels, whilst Clarke was third and leading the dinghies.  Ken Potts, who had a poor start in his Laser, was busy making up time but finding Andy Cornforth, also in a Laser, hard to make any real impression on; but Cornforth made a fundamental mistake at the end of the first lap when he crossed the line landward side of the Inner Distance Mark, so being disqualified.  On the final lap Brzezinski performed an entertaining capsize but got his catamaran up with such speed that he managed to edge in front of Boxer, however, on handicap it was Potts that took the morning race.
  
Results – RNLI Charity Shield:
1.    Laser – Ken Potts – Gunfleet Sailing Club
2.    Blaze – Simon Clarke – Brightlingsea Sailing Club
3.    A Class – Dan Brzezinski – Clacton Sailing Club
First Cadet Home:  Topaz – Harrison Smith – Gunfleet Sailing Club

Following lunch the class racing started, and the first fleet away was the catamaran and this time Boxer really powered-up his A Class to take an early lead and hold on to it throughout the race, Brzezinski having to make do with second.  In the Toppers it was clear from the start that it was to be George Smith’s race, whilst his older brother Harrison held off Owen Hooper, and Lauren Hooper and Francesca Cottee to take the Topaz race.  There was some exciting sailing in the Comet class with Keith Lamdin taking the lead from the start but close-by was Malcolm Smith; Peter Downer getting a poor start but edging his way up to second place by the end of the race.  All credit to visiting sailor Chris Dawes who took his Solo to class victory, whilst in the Lasers there were some close tussles leading to uncertainty who would win but Corforth made-up for his morning’s faux-pas and was triumphant.  Finally the menagerie fleet set off and Clarke had a clean sweep in the Blaze.

Class Racing Winners:
David Foster Catamaran Challenge Trophy:  A Class – Pete Boxer
Mad Hatter Trophy for Toppers:  George Smith
Dave Fowell Trophy for Topazes:  Harrison Smith
Tim Webster Tankard for Comets:  Keith Lamdin
Emily Dixey Trophy for Solos:  Chris Dawes
Paxton Trophy for Lasers:  Andy Cornforth
1893 Regatta Trophy for Menagerie:  Blaze – Simon Clarke