Another Win For Ken

The last race in Gunfleet Sailing Club’s Autumn Series, on Sunday 9 October, saw first place going to Ken Potts in his Laser, so giving him overall victory.

 

The sun shone, the sky was blue, and with an offshore breeze it gave the competitors, rigging up on the beach, the feeling that summer had not yet left the east coast.  However, once out on the water the sailors realised that the wind was neither consistent in strength, nor in direction, flitting between north and north-west.  A strong flood tide held the boats back as they proceeded to the start line and it became clear that there would be no chance of anybody prematurely crossing it.  As Ken Potts in his Laser lead the fleet, Peter Downer immediately headed to the shore as the loss of a split-ring meant the mainsheet pulley on his horse had come adrift.  Hastily whipping out a spare ring from his pocket he was quick to make good and was back on the water with a lot of ground to make up.  Lying in second place on the first leg, a fetch to the Kingscliff buoy, was the 405 sailed by Tom and Ed Philpot, but by the time the mark had been reached Rob Locket had overtaken them in his Laser and was pushing hard to catch Potts.  A sudden gust caught Lauren Hooper out in her Topper and she capsized but it wasn’t long before she was up again and on her way.  The second leg was a reach to the AWS buoy before a run/broad reach, depending which angle the wind chose to blow, sent them out to the Seaward mark followed by a beat back to the AWS buoy.  Downer by now was starting to get in amongst the back of the fleet and worked hard to nudge his way in front, although a 405 calling water at the second visit to AWS impeded his progress slightly.  There then followed a reach down the coast to St. Michael’s before a long beat back to the line.  The wind then started to veer more north-easterly before dropping, making the second lap a much slower affair.