Light Airs Hit The Racing Programme

Laser dinghies from across Essex and Hertfordshire came to the Gunfleet Sailing Club last Saturday 5 June to take part in the Gunfleet Laser Challenge, and the competitors were greeted by sunshine, blue skies and a light north easterly breeze.  In the first race it was Ian Newman from Brightlingsea Sailing Club that lead from the start, although Gunfleet’s Paul Davis did slip in front for a short while during the second lap.  As the race progressed the light wind fell away, making the beat from St. Michael’s buoy to the finish line quite gruelling, so a course change on the second lap was introduced.  Newman took the winning gun, followed by Davis in second place and Jim Thomas from Hertford County Yacht Club in third position.  In the second race Paul Doyle, from Hertford County, lead a small group of Lasers close to the shore to try and dodge the last of the ebb tide, whilst the rest of the fleet tacked out to sea to see if they could gain some more wind.  It wasn’t long before Newman went into the lead again and he proved unstoppable.  With the wind getting even lighter the race was shortened to one lap, resulting in Newman first, Stephen Williams from Brightlingsea second, and Paul Farr from Hertford County third.  The third and final race saw Newman once again taking the lead, Thomas getting second place and Williams third.

Results: Laser Challenge
1. Ian Newman – Brightlingsea Sailing Club
2=. Jim Thomas – Hertford County Yacht Club
2=. Stephen Williams – Brightlingsea Sailing Club

The next day the Gunfleet held its race for the Bill Clarke Shield in the morning.  Conditions were mixed with a light easterly wind and an overcast sky.  Thirteen boats took part and with the ebb tide under them they didn’t take long reaching the Kingscliff buoy.  There then followed a bit of a procession out to the Seaward mark and a run to the Eastcliff buoy.  Simon Clarke lead the Solution fleet whilst it was a very close tussle between Matthew Gough and Matt Downing as to who was taking the top spot in the Lasers.  Further back in the race, in the slow handicap fleet Bethany Ford and Aaron Baker in the Topaz had quite a lead on Robert Gutteridge in his Topper.  The long beat back to the Seaward buoy commenced as the wind began to fall away and soon there was not a breath of air.  The Officer of the Day watched as the craft struggled to stem the tide and when it became apparent the wind was not going to return for quite a while, hoisted the race abandoned flag.

Fortunately a small onshore breeze appeared in time for the afternoon race which was the rerun of the London Trophy, originally abandoned a few weeks earlier due to no wind.  The tide was by now flooding and the boats made slow progress to the Kingscliff buoy.  In a race of tactics it was evident from early on that the main battle would be between Clarke and Davis, both in Solutions, and a real game of tacking, shadowing, and luffing got underway.  However, with the light airs falling away everything appeared in slow motion.  Others, fearful of a repeat of the morning race, began to retire; whilst ghosting along and making very good time was Peter Downer in his Comet who slipped through took the winning gun

Results: London Trophy
1. Comet – Peter Downer
2. Solution – Paul Davis
3. Solution – Simon Clarke

The previous Wednesday evening, in almost perfect conditions, twenty three boats took to the water, with fourteen taking part in the second race in the Summer Series.  Unfortunately Eddie White jumped the line at the start, in his Solution, and failed to return to correct his mistake so was disqualified.  In the North Easterly force 2 wind the boats beat up to the Kingscliff buoy where Kelvin Morton, in his RS600, managed to capsize.  The boats then all headed out to the Seaward mark, gybed before returning inshore to the AWS buoy, along to St. Michaels and then back through the line.  As the sun began to set over a beautiful blue sky so the wind dropped right away, forcing the Officer of the Day to shorten the course to one lap.  

Results: Summer Series – 2
1. Blaze – John Tappenden
2. Solution – Paul Davis
3. Comet – Peter Downer