Reports 2011

Gunfleet Sailing Club held its annual pursuit race last Sunday afternoon 31 July with the winner, Ken Potts, being the donor of the trophy.  Unlike the usual race where everyone starts together and a handicap system is used to calculate the winner, this race has a staggered start so that in theory, at a specific point in time, all the craft should be exactly at the same spot.  In a fresh south easterly wind seventeen craft took part on a course that started with a reach to the Kings

Last Sunday 24 July the Gunfleet Sailing Club held its race specifically for the slow handicap boats such as the Sea Rangers, Toppers and Topazes.  In a stiff offshore wind eleven boats came to the start line and it was Yvonne Gough in the Pico and Peter Downer in his Comet that lead the fleet on a fetch to the Eastcliff buoy.  It soon became apparent that not only was the wind gusting from a force four to a force six but it was also veering in direction by some 45 degrees, making c

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Gunfleet Sailing Club had a full and fun-filled weekend on 9 & 10 July when it held its annual Regatta with some 30 boats taking part.

On Sunday afternoon 3 July Gunfleet Sailing Club played host to the race for the Double Dan Trophy.  This unique Open event, first held on 28 June 1958, is based on a passage race from Brightlingsea to Clacton and always attracts a lot of interest, and this year was no exception.  Under bright blue skies and unbroken sunshine twenty six boats took part and it proved to be a spectacular sight as the fleet left the Brightlingsea Sailing Club start line in a force three south-easterly

Members of Gunfleet Sailing Club were up with the lark on Sunday 19 June in order to be on the water in time for the second and final race in the early morning Egg and Bacon Series.  A mix of sunshine and grey cloud welcomed the competitors; coupled with a westerly force four wind, gusting to five.  Matthew Gough got a cracking start in his Laser and the fleet beat out to sea to gain the strength of the making tide as they headed down the coast to the Eastcliff buoy.  It was no

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.

 The Gunfleet Sailing Club played catch-up last Sunday morning 5 June when it held the race for the Wallet Trophy; an event that had been postponed from 1 May due to very strong winds on the day.  Conditions were not a lot better this time with a force four gusting five to six north/north easterly wind and a lively sea offshore.  Capsizes came thick and fast with Eddie White in his Solution retiring back to the beach at a very early stage, followed shortly afterward by Matt Dow

The strong winds last Saturday 28 May prevented the members of the Gunfleet Sailing Club from taking part in what was planned to be the first cruise of the season; up the coast to Walton, and the even stronger gale force winds on Sunday forced the postponement of the race for the Jubilee Cup.  However on Bank Holiday Monday, with the return of lighter airs, a number of sailors took to the water whilst a group of members currently undergoing Rescue Boat training had the chance to put theo

On Saturday evening 21 May 2011 50 members of Gunfleet Sailing Club enjoyed a “Quiz and Curry Night” in the Clubhouse.  With special guest “Your quiz enquizeter Dennis” challenging the teams to answer as many questions as they could it was a close run battle; the intensity of which was only broken by a superb chicken and vegetable curry plus gateau at the halfway stage.  At the end of the evening it was the Spence family that got the highest score but everyone agreed that it had bee

Lively conditions greeted the sailors of the Gunfleet Sailing Club when they ventured out last Sunday 15 May to take part in the race for the London Trophy.  This race, exclusively for the fast and medium handicap boats, saw ten craft take part in a fresh westerly wind.  Just prior to the start Eddie White capsized in his Solution and decided to retire.  Jockeying at the start line it was Paul Davis that was first away in his Solution, followed closely by Simon Clarke, also in

Gunfleet Sailing Club members made the most of the fine weather over Easter with a good turnout for the final two races in the Club’s Spring Series.

Continuing good weather certainly brought the members of the Gunfleet Sailing Club out in force, with eighteen boats taking to the water last Sunday 17 April when the second race in the Spring Series was held.

Fifteen boats took part in the first race of the Gunfleet Sailing Club’s Spring Series last Sunday 10 April.  Competitors would be forgiven for thinking it was summer as they sailed away from the beach in blue skies, bright sunshine and a pleasant north easterly breeze.  As the seconds ticked away before the start the craft bunched-up tightly at the Outer Distance Mark, and at the head of this group was Paul Davis in his Solution.  With a real fear of jumping the line Davis beg

Members of the Gunfleet Sailing Club packed the Clubhouse last Saturday evening 26 March to celebrate the start of the 2011 with their Fitting-Out Supper.  After the traditional fish and chip meal Commodore Richard Walker highlighted just how busy the Club had been over the winter period with social events and Cadet meetings each month, plus the Work Weekend and Cliff Clearance day.  However he was pleased to report that now the true purpose of the Club would be coming to fruition a