Wins For John Tappenden and Brian Allen

Gunfleet Sailing Club held the fourth and fifth race in its Summer Series, amidst variable conditions, and concluded by leaving the series still open to anyone to win overall.

Race four was held in a force three easterly wind and on a tight start line it was Brian Allen who had his Laser nose just in front of his rivals but seconds later John Tappenden had slipped between Allen and the Outer Distance Mark in his RS Aero, squeezing Rob Mitchell out in his Laser; the latter planning a similar move.  Meanwhile Ken Potts had driven his RS600 past the fleet, halfway down the line, and Andy Dunnett chose to keep clear, but downwind and nearer the Inner Distance Mark also broke away.  With the particular wind direction it was debatable if the first mark, at Kingscliff, could be made without putting in a tack, but Tappenden pointed his RS Aero really high and proved it was possible, just behind Potts’s 600.  It was then a reach to AWS where Simon Clarke managed to squeeze his Solo between the Lasers of Dunnett and Rob Lockett.  There then followed a definite beat out to the Preston Park buoy, and once again Tappenden out-pointed his rivals, before a reach to the Seaward mark, followed by a gybe and then a broad reach to Lilley Farm buoy.  By now, Mitchell had worked his way up the fleet and was in a very strong position but mistakenly began to head from Lilley farm to the line, only realising his mistake when he saw the others aiming for Eastcliff.  Lockett momentarily followed Mitchell, allowing Clarke to slip ahead, but quickly bore-away and corrected himself; Mitchell now desperately trying to make up for lost time.

Results – Summer Series - 4:
1.    RS Aero – John Tappenden
2.    RS600 – Ken Potts
3.    Laser – Rob Lockett

When the fifth race was held the wind was now southerly, and it was Allen that lead the fleet down the coast to Eastcliff buoy. Close-hauled, from the Outer Distance Mark , he was followed closely by Dave Fowell and John Tappenden in their GP14.  The second leg was a reach back to the Kingscliff buoy, hooking around AWS in the process, before a beat out to the Seaward mark.  At this point various tactics were tried; the choice being to point up hard and head out to sea but feel the strengthening impact of the ebb tide against the boat, or tack immediately and return almost parallel to the shore, but in the weaker tide, before heading out to sea and attempting to make the buoy in one.  Sadly neither tactic really worked, particularly as the wind began to fall away whilst the tide just got stronger.  What looked like a true course proved to be flawed as the craft found themselves being swept past the offshore mark; Yvonne Gough being particularly plagued with this issue.  Once rounded it was a run to Preston Park before a reach back through the line.  At every opportunity the GP14 had its spinnaker working but this didn’t make sufficient impact on Dunnett or Allen; the latter claiming victory by a small margin.

Results – Summer Series - 5:
1.    Laser – Brian Allen
2.    Laser – Andy Dunnett
3.    GP14 – Dave Fowell & John Tappenden