John Wins Race But Ken Takes Series

Gunfleet Sailing Club held the seventh, and final, race in its Wednesday evening Tony Chadd Series on 12 June 2024, with John Tappenden claiming victory in his RS Aero but Ken Potts winning overall in his Laser; the series having attracted twenty four entries.

A force three to four south/south-westerly wind and ebbing tide held the competitors close to the start line, with Andy Dunnett just inches away when the race got underway.  Beating hard, and close to the shore, he lead the fleet away, whilst John and Sarah Heath stood out by the Outer Distance Mark in their RS200 and slowly overhauled him.  Between the two were Tim Dye in his Laser and John Tappenden in his RS Aero and, with his ability to point high, it was Tappenden that rounded the Eastcliff mark first, followed by the Heaths and then Dye; Dunnett having lost ground in sailing slightly free but a resultant longer leg.  As Derrroll Pedder got to the buoy, in his RS Aero, he was forced to put in a small tack but unfortunately touched the mark and subsequently put in a 360 degree penalty turn.  At this point it was noted that Simon Kedge was ahead of a number of faster handicapped dinghies in his GP14.  The second leg was a reach out to Seaward and Tappenden opened the gap and as the competitors gybed around the offshore mark, the Heaths hoisted their asymmetric spinnaker and tacked down-wind; in doing so, got the angles slightly wrong and allowed Dye to slip ahead.  The run to the Kingscliff buoy saw a number of changes in position, Tappenden continuing to lead, followed by Dye, the Heaths, Pedder, Dunnett, Kedge, and then Yvonne Gough in her Laser.  Slightly further back, and leading the slow handicap fleet, was Adam Kedge in his Topper.  The next leg was a beat down the coast to the Eastcliff buoy, a broad reach back to Kingscliff, and a final beat back to the line.  With the wind backing more southerly, it allowed many of the boats to just harden-up and make the line in one tack; the end of the first lap seeing Tappenden the leading helm, on handicap, followed by Dye and then Dunnett.  Dye worked hard on the second lap, and closed the gap with Tappenden, whilst the Heaths tightened their spinnaker downwind legs and also drew nearer Dunnett, but neither were sufficient to change the final top three placings of Tappenden, Dye and Dunnett .  

Results – Tony Chadd Series - Overall:
1.    Laser – Ken Potts
2.    RS Aero – John Tappenden
3.    Laser – Tim Dye