Dunnett Does It Again

A force four north-easterly breeze, blue skies and unadulterated sunshine greeted members of the Gunfleet Sailing Club when they took part in the race for the Ken Dye Cup on Sunday 21 June 2026.  The race required a standard course to be set that when completed, would see the competitors rounding the Outer Distance Mark and retracing their steps back to the start line.  

First away was Jono Dunnett in his Laser, who stayed close to the Inner Distance Mark as he beat in towards the shore, so mitigating the negative effect of the freshly flooding tide.  He was followed by Robert Gutteridge in his RS Aero, slightly further out to sea, just windward of Tim Dye, also in an RS Aero.  The first to tack out to sea, on the beat up the coast to the Kingscliff buoy was John Tappenden in his RS Aero who broke away from the pack in order to gain clean wind and, on his next tack, then have starboard right of way on his competitors.  Jono Dunnett found himself having to bear away behind Gutteridge when he had starboard called on him.  At the windward mark it was Jono Dunnett first, followed by Gutteridge, Dye and then Jono’s father, Andy Dunnett, in a Laser.  The second leg was a broad reach out to the Seaward buoy and positions stayed the same, but whilst the gybe that followed was cleanly executed by most, unfortunately Gary Hollis capsized and turtled his Laser; however, it didn’t take long for him to right his craft and get back in the thick of things.  There then followed a close reach into the AWS buoy before yet another reach back out to Seaward, which then entailed another gybe before heading down the coast to the St. Michael’s buoy.  Jono Dunnett kept his lead as the fleet then beat back to the ODM, and at the halfway stage he was first both on the water and on handicap, Dye second and Tappenden third.  Now heading back the way they came, it was a long fun to St. Michael’s, followed by a beat out to Seaward when, at this point, Derroll Pedder capsized in his Solo but he too was quick to right the boat.  The next two legs were reaches and then it was a fetch from Seaward to Kingscliff before a run back to the start line, with it now clear that Jono Dunnett was unstoppable.

Ken Dye Cup:
1.    Laser – Jono Dunnett
2.    RS Aero – John Tappenden
3.    RS Aero – Tim Dye