Mitchell Leads From Start To Finish

Gunfleet Sailing Club held the fifth race in its evening Summer Series on Wednesday 19 July with Robert Mitchell claiming victory in his Laser.

A fresh offshore wind greeted the fourteen boats as they launched into the grey North Sea but it immediately dropped down a few knots as the competitors jockeyed for position.  As the clock ticked-by the dinghies edged up to the line, using the last of the ebb tide to hold them back.  A number of helms feared they would be just a fraction too early and, with just seconds to go, swung back, but Mitchell held his nerve and broke the line as the class flag fell from the yardarm.  Leading the reach down the coast to the Eastcliff buoy, Mitchell had Ken Potts and Yvonne Gough, in their RS200, just behind him, then Derroll Pedder’s Solo followed by Simon and Nicky Kedge in their GP14.  By the time the fleet was rounding the first mark, John Tappenden had taken his RS Aero into third place, but on the run out to the Lilley Farm buoy he capsized and allowed a number of boats to sail past before recovering himself.  Further back, Finley Taylor had the frustration of watching his mainsheet slide through the blocks and he too lost several minutes rethreading it all before he could get underway.  By now Brian Allen had taken his Laser into third place with Pedder still holding onto fourth position.  After Lilley Farm it was a fetch back up the coast to the Kingscliff buoy before a reach to the AWS mark, and then a run out to Seaward.  Dave Ingle was now the leading RS Aero but was unable to break through into the top four, and found Paul Jackson and Lucy Powell constantly challenging him in their GP14, having overtaken the Kedges.  The last leg was a beat back to the line and surprisingly the whole fleet hardened-up and continued to punch the tide before tacking onto the Outer Distance Mark.  Mitchell timed it just right and was the leading boat, both on the water and on handicap, with Potts and Gough second, and Jackson and Powell third.  The second lap saw the wind fall away further, whilst on the water Tappenden worked his way past many of his competitors but sadly not sufficient to appear in the top three.  In fact the weather conditions seemed to suit the Comet class with Sue Sams taking her Comet into fifth place whilst Eddie White triumphantly gained a third, in his Comet, on handicap.

Results:
Summer Series 5:
1.    Laser – Robert Mitchell
2.    RS200 – Ken Potts and Yvonne Gough
3.    Comet – Eddie White