Peter Takes The Winning Gun

The second of the evening Summer Series of races was held last Wednesday 26 June in weather reflecting the series title.  The blue skies and bright sunshine, despite the lateness of the day, provided a perfect backdrop, but unfortunately for the competitors, the easterly wind was just a little too light.

In a clean start it was Derroll Pedder in his RS Aero that led the fleet away, up the coast to the Preston Park buoy, but Ken Potts and Eddie White stayed windward of Pedder, in their RS200, and edged in front; Brian Allen also slipping past Pedder in his RS Aero.  These boats, along with several others, beat towards the shore, whilst Peter Downer in his Comet, and Tim Dye in his Laser, both tacked out to sea, immediately having crossed the line by the Outer Distance Mark, and gained both cleaner air and the benefit of the ebbing tide.  As the craft rounded the windward mark it was Allen leading the way, followed by Dye, Potts and White, Pedder, and the RS Aero of Dave Ingle.  The second leg was a run to the AWS buoy and the RS200 hoisted its asymmetric kite and tacked downwind, whilst the rest of the fleet went straight for it.  As the boats hooked round AWS and headed out to Lilley Farm buoy, Allen remained ahead but, by now, Pedder was snapping at his heels.  Now laying in third place was Yvonne Gough in her Laser, with a determined Dye just behind, but neither were able to shake-off Downer, who doggedly stuck to them.  It was clear by now that the light wind was falling away, and at times was only just reaching 3 or 4 mph; progress against the ebb tide was therefore slow.

As the lead boats rounded Lilley Farm, to then make for the Eastcliff  mark, any hope of Pedder overtaking Allen were dashed when he touched the buoy and duly completed his 360 degree penalty turn.  Slightly further back, Paul Stanton, in his Laser, was chasing the other Lasers, whilst both Robert Gutteridge, in his Contender, and Andy Stafford, in his Lightning, retired out of frustration.  With no sign of the light breeze filling in, the Officer Of the Day reluctantly hoisted the Shorten Course flag which barely fluttered, and the competitors sheeted in and headed for the line.  By now, Dye had managed to slip ahead of Gough, and Downer then played a blinder by baring away sufficiently to also just creep in front of Gough and, on handicap, win the race.  

Results – Summer Series - 2:
1.    Comet – Peter Downer
2.    Laser – Tim Dye
3.    RS Aero – Brian Allen