John And Adam Take The Winning Gun

Gunfleet Sailing Club held two races on Sunday 2 June 2024; one for faster handicapped boats, for the London Trophy, the other for slower handicapped boats, for the Potterers Pot.  The blue skies, sunshine and force three northerly wind attracted nineteen dinghies onto the water, and it was particularly pleasing to see six Toppers our there, all sailed by some of the Club’s Cadets.

First away were the faster handicapped craft and so tight were the competitors on the line that one helm, Tim Dye, found himself just the wrong side and was forced to return and correct his error in his Laser.  The RS Aeros of John Tappenden and Brian Allen lead the fleet up the coast to the Kingscliff buoy, the ebbing tide giving everyone a slight lift.  As they rounded the first mark it was Tappenden leading, followed by Simon Clarke in his Europe, then Ken Potts and Robert Mitchell, both sailing Lasers.  As the fleet headed out to the Seaward buoy so the Potterers Pot got underway, consisting solely of Toppers; Adam Kedge leading, followed closely by Finley Taylor, Laura Kedge, and Brooke Sayer.

Back in the fast fleet it was Tappenden still in top position, but Allen had regained his second place, followed by Potts.  The beat into the AWS buoy saw Potts get in front of Allen, followed shortly after by Clarke.  By the time the boats had returned back out to Seaward, Allen had slipped ahead of Clarke, whilst Mitchell, Dye, and Andy Dunnett were all neck and neck, Paul Stanton just at their transoms, forming a gaggle of Lasers.  The wind had beginning veering to a north-easterly direction resulting in a run down the coast to the St. Michael’s buoy, Tappenden pulling away all the time.  Meanwhile the Toppers saw Taylor close the gap on Adam Kedge as they made the Kingscliff buoy, but Adam surged ahead on the run to the AWS mark.  At one point Laura Kedge looked like she might overtake Taylor but he too, came into his own and pulled away; a short reach into the ODM and back to AWS, then a run to Eastcliff and beat back to the line, saw no change in positions.  

At the end of the fast fleets’ first lap it was Potts in the lead, on handicap, followed by Tappenden and then Dye, the latter having made a good recovery after his problematic start.  During the second lap it was good to see Chris Maloney, in his Solo, Yvonne Gough in her Laser Radial, and Simon Kedge in his GP 14, battling it out, but none of them could break into the top places; Tappenden going on to sail his RS Aero into an unbeatable lead.
 
Results: 
London Trophy
1.    RS Aero – John Tappenden
2.    Laser – Ken Potts
3.    Laser – Tim Dye

Potterers Pot
1.    Topper – Adam Kedge
2.    Topper – Finley Taylor
3.    Topper – Laura Kedge