Fun Packed Weekend For Gunfleet Members
Last Saturday 6 July the Gunfleet Sailing Club’s Cadets and Otters took part in their first race of their SOS Class Points Series under blues skies, unbroken sunshine, and a pleasant easterly breeze. First away were the Toppers and with seven boats taking part it made for some exciting sailing as they battled round the course. As the dinghies beat up the coast to the Kingscliff buoy it was Robert Gutteridge that took an early lead and as they rounded the mark and reached to the Seaward buoy it looked as though he was comfortably settled into the top spot. Slightly further back Maddie Wyss, who had a very good start, was holding off Will Marsh and just behind them was Korben Symmonds. They all successfully gybed round the offshore mark and headed into the AWS buoy before a run to Eastcliff and a beat back to the line. It was on the penultimate leg that Tommy Martin, who had been closing the gap on Gutteridge, eased his Topper into the lead and, having cut tightly round the Eastcliff buoy, he continued to pull away and take the winning gun, leaving Gutteridge in second place and a very creditable third position for young Abigail Hayes who had sailed very cleanly round the whole course. Five minutes after the Toppers had started it was the turn of the Topazes; sailing the same course as the Toppers it was Beth Elliott and Darcie Baker that led the way to a clean win, with brothers Brogan and Max Bates coming in second. The Bates boys should be very proud of their achievement as they have only just started sailing and will clearly be ones to watch in the future. The next fleet to go was the Hobie 405 of which the Club now has four. These racing skiffs are designed specifically for young sailors and include a trapeze for the crew and a powerful asymmetric spinnaker, making an impressive sight on the water. Quite uniquely all four boats are owned and sailed by brothers. With some exceptional sailing it was Zak and Jake Kurtulus who lead the fleet around the course, which took the boats up to Kingscliff, out to the Seaward mark, down to the St. Michael’s buoy and back through the line. Although never able to really challenge the Kurtulus boys, Fabio and Sebastian Sanchez put up a good performance to come second. Finally the Menagerie Fleet set off and top young sailor Bethany Ford swept to victory in her Laser.