Ken Potts Wins The Ken Dye Cup

Gunfleet Sailing Club members basked in the sunshine last Sunday 28 July as they took part in the rather unusual “Reverse Race”, when a course is set, and when completed requires the competitors to circumnavigate the Outer Distance Mark and return the way they came in order to finish.

As the competitors rigged up on the beach an onshore sea breeze kicked in, providing a south-easterly force 3.  With the very last of the ebb tide the dinghies nudged their way up to the line; Dave Fowell arriving too early in his Solo and having to tack back, whilst Yvonne Gough bore away a little and managed to stay just the right side as the start signal went, then taking the windward position.  Alongside her were Tim Dye and Ken Potts, both sailing Lasers, whilst in their lee was Simon Clarke’s Europe.  Despite having his wind blocked by the other three, Clarke managed to edge ahead of the fleet and lead on the fetch to the Preston Park buoy, followed by Potts Gough and Dye, with Peter Downer windward of them in his Comet skilfully sliding into third place.  However, by the time the dinghies made the first mark it was Brian Allen leading in his RS Aero, followed by Potts then, after a small gap, Clarke. Gough, Robert Mitchell in his Laser, and Downer.  The second leg was a long reach down the coast, with the tide just turning, to the St, Michael’s buoy and, at this point, the fleet began to spread out.  The third leg was another fetch out to the Seaward mark and as the boats rounded it, Allen remained in the lead, with Potts second, but by now Paul Jackson had worked his way up to third place in his RS Aero; Gough and Mitchell side by side behind.  A run down to ODM, and the half way point/end of the lap, Allen still hung on to his lead, with Jackson now second; slightly further back being Paul Stanton in his Laser, Simon Kedge sailing single-handed in his GP14, Martin Chivers in his RS Aero and Chris Maloney in his Comet.  As the fleet returned, the way they had come, the beat out to the Seaward buoy saw a change in positions as various tactics were tried, Allen maintaining his lead but finding Jackson right on his tail.  The boats then headed to St. Michaels before a close reach back to Preston Park, at which time Maloney had pulled well ahead of Downer, finding conditions very much to his liking.  A final reach back to the line saw Allen first home, then Jackson, Potts and Mitchell, but once the handicaps had been applied it was victory for Potts.
  
Results - Ken Dye Cup:
1.    Laser – Ken Potts
2.    Europe – Simon Clarke
3.    Comet – Chris Maloney