Another Win For Ken

The lovely sailing weather attracted a good numbers of entries to Gunfleet Sailing Club’s second race in its Spring Series, and resulted in yet another win for Ken Potts in his RS Aero.

A west/south-westerly force 3 to 4 breeze saw everyone reaching up and down the line, looking for the best place to start.  As the seconds ticked away it rather looked like John and Sarah Heath in their RS200, and Chris Maloney in his Comet, were going to be just a bit too early but both ducked back at the last moment; the fleet then beating down the coast to the Eastcliff buoy.  Potts lead as he headed out to sea to gain the benefit of the flood tide, Simon Clarke’s Europe in his lee, and the Heaths at the far end.  Derroll Pedder seemed determined to catch Potts, in his RS Aero, and the chase was on.  As the boats rounded the windward mark it was Potts out in front, followed by Pedder, Clarke, and the Heaths, all closely bunched.  Just behind were Dave Ingle and Brian Allen, both in RS Aeros, and whilst Ingle arrived first, Allen slipped past him.  Slight further back, Simon Kedge capsized his Laser but the Club Rescue Boat was straight on the scene, although Kedge soon righted the boat and was back in the thick of things.  The reach out to Seaward saw Potts maintain his lead but Pedder was not letting go whilst in the Topper fleet, Belle Hart pulled away from her rivals but Finley Taylor was hot on her tail.  After gybing at the offshore buoy it was then a reach into the AWS mark, followed by a further reach back out to Seaward; at this point Maloney capsized his Comet and, again, with the Rescue Boat standing by, he righted his craft and started to play catch-up.  After a second gybe at Seaward, with Potts still in front, there was a broad reach to the Kingscliff buoy, whilst Pedder made an impressive sight as he planed his Aero all the way.  By now the Heath’s RS200 was sandwiched by Ingle and Allen’s Aeros, and on the subsequent beat down to Eastcliff, Pedder put an impressively large tack out to sea, and it looked like he might have pulled it off but Potts managed to get to the buoy first.  It was then a run up to the Kingscliff before beating back to the line, and at the end of the first lap, on handicap, it was Clarke that was leading.  Allen was just ahead of Ingle at this point but unfortunately capsized, whilst Pedder, on the second lap, hit the Eastcliff buoy, almost capsized trying to complete a 360 degree penalty turn, and so chose to re-round the mark, dropping him back in the pecking order.  Things then settled down although the wind increase to a force five, making conditions a little livelier, helping Potts to pull still further away from his rivals.

Spring Series - 2:
1.    RS Aero – Ken Potts
2.    Europe – Simon Clarke
3.    RS Aero – Derroll Pedder