Harry Takes The Honours In His Laser

Gunfleet Sailing Club members have had a busy few days, culminating in sailing up to Holland Haven on Sunday 17 July to take part in the Clacton Sailing Club Regatta.  On the Saturday afternoon, 16 July, Gunfleet’s Cadets and Otters took part in their class-points race series in near perfect conditions.  In the Topper class it was unfortunate that nobody managed to complete the course but it was a different story in the Topazes.  The battle was on between the Aiken brother – Thomas, along with Jude Aylen battled it out against Joshua and Phil, positions changing as the race went on, but it was younger brother Joshua that took the winning gun.  In the 405 fleet it was an early lead for Tom and Ed Philpot, carving out a comfortable first place.  In the menagerie group it was Hannah Aylen in a Laser that managed to hold off Emily Newson, also in a Laser, whilst Alfie Searles and Henry Spooner were going great guns in their Pico, but realised, half way round the course that unfortunately they had left their bung out.  This didn’t deter the pair, despite a sudden capsize, and both vow to be back on the water for the next event.

 

In the evening the Club held its Moonlight Cruise, and as the sun set a fleet of dinghies, accompanied by the Rescue Boat, set off towards Clacton Pier.  By the time the craft made their destination, so night was falling and everyone sailed back with the coastline illuminated and the moon and stars shining bright.

 

The previous Wednesday evening 13 July, in light airs, the third race in the Tony Chadd series was run.  The first leg, a fetch up to Kingscliff buoy, saw Robert Gutteridge pull ahead in his Solution and he was first to round the mark.  On the reach out to the Seaward buoy he found the rest of the fleet closing in on him and as the boats beat in to the AWS buoy, first the GP14 of Derroll Pedder and Michael Gutteridge slipped in front of him, and then Harry Swinbourne in his Laser.  There then followed a bit of a wind shift and Swinbourne just pulled away from his competitors, making him a clear winner.