Frustrating Conditions Challenge The Competitors

A very strange weather pattern lead to a frustrating race for members of the Gunfleet Sailing Club on Sunday 19 June.

The forecast predicted northerly force 3 to 4 winds, and as the competitors rigged their boats the elements complied with this.  The race, for the Hertford County Shield, was a “3 in 1” race, where three short back to back races are held and the overall positions are calculated on the placings in all three events.  In order to ensure a good beat during the race, and based on the then wind direction, the Office Of the Day set a broad reach start down the coast, under a freshly flooding tide.  The helms did well to hold their craft back, and off to a flying start were Ken Potts in his Laser, and Simon Clarke in his Solo, with Eddie White’s Comet in amongst them.  It didn’t take long to reach the Eastcliff buoy and at this point it was Andy Dunnett leading, in his Laser, followed by Potts and then Clarke.  After a disappointing start in his RS Aero, Dave Ingle had flown through the fleet and overtaken several competitors.  At this point the craft gybed before a second reach out to the Lilley Farm mark; Dunnett and Potts immediately then tacked and headed inshore as the boats beat back round the ODM but, surprisingly, a number of helms chose to just harden-up and head out to sea and into the stronger adverse tide; possibly in the hope of a more favourable wind.  But it was at this point that holes started appearing in that wind and, at best, some craft managed to stem the negative tide, whilst others found themselves being swept away from their destination.  Potts, having stayed close to shore, slowly made his way round the ODM but he too was hit by both a lack of wind and a slight change in angle; this resulted in him being swept towards Clacton Pier as he tried heading out to the AWS buoy.  Dunnett, slightly further back, had a similar experience, whilst Clarke crept his way along and tried heading-up once round the ODM.  For what seemed like an eternity, there was very little movement, but all of a sudden Chris Maloney seemed to get his own private breeze, and not only slipped quietly round the ODM in his Solo, but managed to overtake both Clarke and Dunnett; the latter being so frustrated that, at the first opportunity, he headed back to shore.  Potts was by now on his way up the coast to the Eastcliff buoy where he could then relax slightly as the tide took him back through the line.  Meanwhile, way back, west of the Lilley Farm buoy, Ingle’s RS Aero, White’s Comet,  Simon and Adam Kedge’s Topaz, and Finley Taylor’s Topper were almost rafted-up but declining any assistance from the Club’s Rescue Boat.  Eventually one or two succumbed to a tow back to the Club, whilst others, with gritted determination, sailed slowly back.  Meanwhile Potts took the winning gun, followed not so closely by Maloney.

However painful it had been to watch the event from the shore, it was the sailors on the water that returned most frustrated, and at this point it was decided to abandon the thought of any further racing that day.
 
Results – Hertford County Shield:
1.    Laser – Ken Potts
2.    Solo – Chris Maloney
3.    Solo – Simon Clarke