Fantastic Start to 2010 Season

Over 50 members of the Gunfleet Sailing Club celebrated the start of the 2010 sailing season last Saturday 27 March at the Fitting-Out Supper, held in the Clubhouse at Holland on Sea.  Commodore Richard Walker thanked all those that had spent time at the Club’s Work Weekend a little earlier in the year and welcomed the enthusiasm for what promised to be a bumper season for the Club.  There then followed the traditional fish and chip supper.

The next afternoon fifteen boats took to the water when the first race of the season, for the March Hare Trophy, was held.  In a fresh west/south westerly wind, blue skies and unbroken sunshine the fleet beat down the coast, against a strengthening ebb tide, to the Eastcliff buoy.  Having immediate problems was Cadet Sebastien Mathewson in his new Byte when he found himself capsized on several occasions.  Not one to be beaten he persevered and after a while had the boat under full control.  In the fast handicap fleet it was Ken Potts that took the lead in his RS600, whilst there was a battle between Simon Clarke in his Solution and John Tappenden in the Blaze to take top spot in the medium fleet.  The broad reach out to the Seaward mark was quick but uneventful, however the following gybe prior to the fetch into the AWS buoy caught Mark Venables out in his Solution and he capsized and lost several minutes trying to right the boat.

By the end of the first lap it was Clarke in first place overall.  Slightly further back the Laser boys were staying close to each other with father and son Andy and Jono Dunnett, each in a Laser, having their own personal tussle, youth proving to have the advantage in the end.

As the race went on so positions changed and changed again and, whilst there could only be one winner, every competitor agreed it had been a fantastic first sail of the season.

Results: March Hare Trophy
1. RS600 – Ken Potts
2. Blaze – John Tappenden
3. Solution – Simon Clarke