Walker's Sea Ranger Success
Yet again the Gunfleet Sailing Club’s Sailing On Saturday for Cadets and Otters was blown-off, with winds gusting up to 33 mph, but on Sunday 4 August it was a far happier scene that greeted competitors for the Club’s Potterer’s Pot; a race specifically for the owners of boats in the slow handicap fleet. A force four southerly wind greeted the helms and at the start it was Richard Walker in his Sea Ranger that was right on the line. Almost immediately as the fleet went on its way, reaching to the Kingscliff buoy, the wind freshened a little and Beth Elliott and Brogan Bates both retired in their Topazes. Once round the first mark the competitors had quite a gruelling beat out to the Seaward buoy, punching into an ebbing tide and pounding the waves that had remained lively since the previous days strong winds. By now the wind had moved south easterly and Walker, who had been the leading boat up until then, saw Dave Fowell and Paul Davis steam past in the Witch. There then followed a run down to AWS buoy, followed by a fetch to Eastcliff and a reach back through the line. At the end of the first lap Walker had a small lead on handicap and as the boats commenced the second lap so the wind freshened to a force five, gusting six, veering south south-westerly. Positions, however, stayed fairly static and increasing his lead slightly it was Walker that took the winning gun.
Results – Potterer’s Pot:
- Sea Ranger – Richard Walker
- Witch – Dave Fowell and Paul Davis
- Sea Ranger – Lesley Sacre
