Tim Takes The Trophy

The Gunfleet Sailing Club members concluded their Wednesday evening Summer Series of races on 31 July 2024 in splendid weather – blue skies, blue seas, and a force four, gusting five, north-easterly wind.

With a clean start, Andy Dunnett headed out to sea in has Laser, on port tack, followed by Brian Allen in his RS Aero, both having stayed close to the Inner Distance Mark, whilst Ken Potts and Clare Giles in their RS 200 left the line on starboard and tacked close to the shore; the boats all beating up the coast to the Kingscliff buoy.  Allen had to tack early in order to avoid Martin Chivers, in his RS Aero, who was starboard.  As the tide was flooding, so causing wind over tide, it seemed surprising that so many competitors chose to head out into the adverse tide, but as they reached Kingscliff it appeared this tactic had not disadvantaged them in any way.  Rounding the mark first was Dunnett, followed by Tim Dye, in his Laser, and then Allen, Potts and Giles, Derroll Pedder in his RS Aero and Martin Chivers, also in an RS Aero.  The second leg was a reach out to the Seaward buoy and Potts and Giles immediately hoisted their Asymmetric spinnaker but found the angle just didn’t quite suit it.  Seaward was the gybe mark and Dunnett held onto his lead but Dye, with great boat handling, closed the gap on the second reach down to the AWS buoy.  It wasn’t long before Dye was windward of Dunnett but Dunnett was quick to start luffing Dye which not only prevented any overtake, but started to lose both helms time on the rest of the fleet.  Dye thought better of it and tried to go to leeward but Dunnett then regained his position.  Meanwhile, back at Seaward, Chivers capsized, righted the RS Aero, capsized again, turtled the boat, and in righting it, zapped all his energy; going on to retire.  From AWS it was a second beat to the Preston Park mark before a run down the coast, with the tide under them, to Lilley Farm buoy.  Slightly further back, Simon Kedge, sailing single handed in his GP 14, was holding back Paul Jackson and Yvonne Gough in their Lasers.  Meanwhile Simon’s son Adam was driving his Laser very hard and in amongst the RS Aeros and the other Lasers.  A short reach in to Eastcliff followed, and then the final beat back to the line, which still saw several helms tack out to sea; at the end of the first lap it was Dunnett maintaining a strong lead, followed by Dye and then Pedder.  Although the wind began to abate on the second lap, it didn’t prevent a few capsizes; Potts and Giles tipping the RS 200 over at the Kingscliff mark, and Dunnett going over at Lilley Farm.  This could have spelt disaster for Dunnett but he had his Laser up and on its way before Dye even reached him.  As the leading boat rounded the Eastcliff buoy the helms sighed a relief to see the shorten course flag flying from the yardarm;  Dunnett maintaining his lead and claiming victory, followed by Dye second and then Pedder third.  Just missing out on the top three places was Cadet Adam Kedge whose skilful Laser handling took him into fourth position.    
 
With the conclusion of the series, Dye’s second place in the final race cemented his victory overall.

Results – Summer Series - Overall:
1.    Laser – Tim Dye
2.    RS Aero – Dave Ingle
3.    RS Aero – Brian Allen