Clarke & Cossens Take Wednesday Evening Summer Series

Last Saturday 28 June the Gunfleet Sailing Club’s Cadets and Otters took part in the second race of their Class Points Series as part of the Sailing On Saturday programme.  As the boats were being rigged the wind direction shifted 180 degrees, changing from onshore to offshore, which provided an interesting twist to the race.  Each of the classes had separate starts and individual courses, with the Toppers being first away.  From the very beginning Harry Swinbourne took the lead but found himself being challenged by Max Bates in his new boat.  Slightly further back were Robbie Jay and Korben Symmonds, and it was impressive to see these two young sailors completing the two laps despite further wind shifts.  Next away were the Topazes and things were not so clear cut although Ross Aylen and Hugo Johnson, borrowing a Topaz whilst their Hobie 405 receives a new mast, opened-up a comfortable lead after rounding the Eastcliff buoy.  Try as they might, Zak Thomas, Zak and Jake Kurtulus, Caleb Aylen and Deacon Stevens could not catch these class interlopers, who opened the gap still further during the second lap.

The 405 fleet was slightly depleted due to a number of their hems visiting the Ipswich Music Festival, and a couple of broken masts, but still offered some excellent racing.  The boats taking part looked impressive as they started on a sufficient reach to hoist their asymmetric kites, making short work to the first buoy.  Charlie and Harry Spence grabbed themselves an early lead and managed to keep Connor Williams and Dominic Milham at bay for the whole of the first, and almost all the second lap, despite the latter snapping at their heels throughout.  Just as it seemed the Spence boys had sealed the race, beating down to the penultimate buoy at Kingscliff, they hit a hole in the wind which allowed Williams and Milham to slip by and take the winning gun.

The Lasers unfortunately didn’t fare so well as, with Robert Gutteridge leading all the way, the wrong course was taken resulting in the whole fleet being disqualified.  

 

 

On the Sunday the Club members took part in a Picnic Cruise with ten dinghies taking to the water for a sail down the coast, accompanied by one of the Club’s Rescue Boats.  Leaving with the last of the flood tide, under blue skies and sunshine, it was disappointing that grey clouds began to appear shortly after and the wind started picking-up.  As the fleet headed past Clacton Pier it was hit by a small squall but this didn’t deter anyone and it wasn’t long before everyone was ashore and tucking-in to a tasty spread.  A little later, after the tide had turned, the boats took to the water and made short work of the passage home, with the ebb assisting them on their way.

 

The previous Wednesday evening Gunfleet held the fifth and final race in its Summer Series.  The first four races in the series had seen four different winners which meant the results of this final race would determine the overall top spots.  An easterly force two to three breeze provided sufficient wind but the craft had to contend with a strong flood tide and a short sea chop.  Derroll Pedder in his Solution was just a little early arriving at the start line and took avoiding action by reaching down it, hardening-up and pointing towards the Kingscliff buoy the moment the race commenced.  Right behind him were the two Hobie 405’s of Brogan Bates and Beth Elliott and they, with the rest of the competitors, headed towards the shore to try and mitigate the negative effect of the tide.  However, husband and wife Matt and Yvonne Gough, both sailing Lasers, then put in a tack and went out to sea so defying the theory.  There then followed a reach out to the Seaward mark, but a number of helms misjudged the strong tide and found their boats being swept the wrong side, resulting in many wasted minutes clawing their way back.  It was then a run down to Eastcliff, before a beat back out to sea.  This latter leg proved particularly painful as the wind dropped away.  As the sailors then completed a second run down to Eastcliff they were all relieved to see the shorten course flag hanging from the yardarm, making the last, close-hauled, leg back to the line seem quite acceptable.  Gaining a second place in their Scorpion was sufficient for the series overall to be won by Simon Clarke and Emily Cossens.