Downer Does The Business

Gunfleet Sailing Club’s race for its oldest trophy – the Tee Dee Challenge Cup was held in very unsettled conditions last Sunday 27 June 2021.  Under heavy dark cloud, and in a north/north-easterly gusting wind the competitors soon found it quite a handful once afloat.  First casualty was Brian Allen when his kicking strap broke and he subsequently capsized; any hope of an “afloat” repair was clearly out and he was forced to return to shore.  At the start it was Robert Mitchell leading the fleet in his Laser, with Ken Potts, also in a Laser, to his windward and managing to out-point his rivals as the dinghies beat up the coast to the Kingscliff buoy.  Once round the mark it was a rather lively reach out to Preston Park buoy when Mitchell capsized, not for the first time, but was soon up and chasing Potts, albeit with a rather bent top section of his mast.  Derroll Pedder was finding the Solo’s full sail quite a handful and this gave Yvonne Gough the opportunity to keep close to him in her Laser 4.7.  The third leg, following a rather lively gybe, was a very broad reach down to Lilley Farm buoy and those that held their nerve found some really exhilarating sailing install.  Finally it was a beat back to the line but not without further capsizes.  This race was to be one of the Club’s three back to back races, each with two laps, but such were the conditions it was decided to abandon the event and reschedule it for a slightly calmer day; albeit the positions are the first lap were 1.  Laser – Ken Potts, 2.  Laser – Robert Mitchell, 3.  Solo – Derroll Pedder.

The previous Wednesday evening Gunfleet Sailing Club held the first race in its Summer Series and the weather reflected the event title by being warm with a light easterly breeze and slowly fading sunshine.  After a clear start it was Mitchell and Potts that lead the fleet, in their Lasers, with the Comets being to windward of them.  The boats all headed close into shore to mitigate the effect of the flood tide as they beat up the coast to the Preston Park buoy.  Peter Downer was first to tack, in his Comet, but then re-tacked to hug the shoreline, whilst Pedder decided to tack straight out to the mark, a little early, in his Solo.  This proved to be quite a shrewd move on Pedder’s part as he rounded the buoy in third place, just ahead of Allen in his Laser.  There then followed a run down to Lilley Farm buoy and with the tide under the dinghies they were soon at their destination; Potts just ahead of Mitchell and Pedder managing to hold off Allen.  The third leg was a beat to the AWS buoy and at this point Potts chose to stay out in the tide whilst Mitchell headed inshore, gathering speed by bearing away.  Up to this point Malcolm Smith had maintained the lead in the Comet fleet but Downer seized the opportunity to slip ahead and also started to close the gap on the faster handicapped craft.  The ultimate leg, from AWS back through the line saw Potts in the lead but on the second lap Downer, once again, sailed close to the shore and caught both Pedder and Allen on the layline to Preston Park; the latter two getting caught down tide.  After a straight run down to Lilley Farm, again different tactics were used to reach AWS; Mitchell rounded the penultimate mark level with Potts and as they headed to the finish so Potts was obliged to undertake a 360 degree penalty allowing Mitchell the clear advantage.  However, whilst all this excitement was going on, both Downer and Smith very quietly sailed an exceptionally clean course and took first and third places respectively on handicap.

Results – Summer Series - 1:
1.    Comet – Peter Downer
2.    Laser – Robert Mitchell
3.    Comet – Malcolm Smith