Strong Winds Make For Lively Conditions

Strong winds continued to be a feature of the Gunfleet Sailing Club’s racing programme with a force five, gusting six, southerly greeting the competitors for the Bill Clarke Shield last Sunday afternoon 12 May.  Whilst a number of “would be” sailors decided to sit this one out there were still eleven entries, including four boats helmed by Cadets.

With one hour before low water the helms fought the last of the ebb tide as they fetched down the coast to the St. Michaels buoy, the RS600 making short work of the distance.  Once round the mark the fleet headed out to the Seaward buoy on a reach, attaining quite alarming speeds with a wake of white water behind them.  Retirements came in the slow handicap fleet with Aaron Baker in his Topaz deciding to return to shore and then, after quite a lively capsize, Conor and Finlay Williams headed back to the Club.  Unfortunately they gybed the boat as they reached the vicinity of the Club, capsized again and lost their rudder.  However, the Club Rescue Boat had escorted the two back and was quick to assist in recovering the craft and bringing it safely ashore, along with the two young boys.  Also forced to retire was Cadet Vice Commodore Matt Downing who found conditions a little too much in his Contender.  The rest of the fleet, once out at sea, then ran into shore and the AWS buoy before beating back out to the Seaward mark, taking a very broad reach to the Kingscliff buoy and back through the line.  Simon Mathewson capsized on the second leg and then started making a habit of it, but each time righting his Vortex and carrying on.  In the Laser fleet, dad to be, Paul Stanton was having great difficulty pulling away from Yvonne Gough who had her boat perfectly set up and whilst he just had the edge on her at the end of the first lap, Gough managed to gain sufficient in the second one to be the first Laser home.  Overall at the end of the first lap it looked like being Ken Potts’ race, sailing an RS600, but on the second lap he capsized twice which allowed Kelvin Morton to pull away; hanging onto the top position in the third lap and taking victory.  However, credit must go to Cadets Ben Withams and Robert Gutteridge who sailed the Topaz around the course and, despite a few capsizes, successfully completed the race.

 Results: Bill Clarke Shield
1. RS600 – Kelvin Morton
2. RS600 – Ken Potts
3. Blaze – John Tappenden

The previous Wednesday evening saw similar conditions, although the wind was slightly lighter, for the third race in the Gunfleet’s Summer Series.  In what proved quite testing conditions, in an event that used the same course as the Bill Clarke Shield, there were a number of capsizes with Mathewson once again taking the honours in this field.  Also mirroring the Bill Clarke Shield was Potts’s performance as once again he led the fleet after the first lap but capsized on the second lap, in about the same area of water, so allowing Morton to take over the top position.  This he guarded closely as he completed the second lap and went on to strengthen it in the third and final one. 
 
Results: Summer Series 3
1. RS600 – Kelvin Morton
2. RS600 – Ken Potts
3. Laser – John Tappenden