Dunnett Does It

Gunfleet Sailing Club held the first race in its Spring Series last Sunday 6 April in very overcast conditions with a force 4 – 5 south/south-westerly wind blowing.

 

Simon Clarke and Emily Cossens crossed the start line first in their Scorpion, neck and neck with Andy Dunnett in his Laser but Dunnett, being the windward boat, tried hard to pull ahead; unfortunately being luffed-up by the Scorpion to prevent such an occurrence.  Under a freshly flooding tide the competitors soon tacked out to sea as they headed down the coast, on a beat, to the Eastcliff buoy.  There then followed a number of reaches as the competitors headed out to the Seaward mark, then gybed and came back towards shore before rounding the AWS buoy and heading back out to sea.  Once again it was a gybe at the Seaward mark, followed by a run to the Kingscliff buoy and a beat back through the line.  Ken Potts in his RS 600 seemed to be making a habit of capsizing at the gybe mark but lost little time in righting his boat and continuing in full gusto.  Dunnett continued to dominate the Laser fleet throughout the race, whilst further back in the slow handicap fleet it was Nick Cottee that pulled ahead and lead the other three Topaz sailors.  At the end of the first lap Dunnett had taken the top spot and during the second lap he built on this to ensure a resounding victory over his fellow competitors.