Winter Series Win For Andy

Gunfleet Sailing Club members took part in the first race of their Winter Series on Sunday 19 October 2025, with the daunting prospect of large waves and grey skies as they arrived to rig-up.

An onshore south-easterly, force four gusting five, wind greeted the competitors but slightly more disconcerting were the steep waves crashing onto the shore.  The boats were all, wisely, rigged down before they were launched through the breakers, with the helms weighing up the best place to align themselves for the start.  At this point the wind decreased slightly, and even the sum managed to shine through, silhouetting the dinghies on the water.  With just seconds to go it was clear there were going to be a number of craft over the line, and such was the case that the Race Officer immediately called for a re-start; the general recall flag was broken out on the yardarm and everyone returned to try again.  The second attempt saw a clear start and Andy Dunnett, in his Laser, instantly took the lead on the water as the fleet reached up the coast to the Kingscliff mark, fighting the last of the flood tide.  As father and son, Simon and Adam Kedge, both sailing Lasers, reached the buoy they were neck and neck, with Adam being the windward boat.  The second leg was a beat out to the Preston Park buoy and then close hauled to the Seaward mark, Dunnett maintaining his lead.  The run in to the AWS buoy proved uneventful but the beat back out to Seaward split the fleet.  Some helms, on rounding AWS, sheeted in and took one large tack, whilst others chose to tack early and then tack again on the belief that the tide had just started to turn.  The penultimate leg was a reach into the Eastcliff buoy and it was on this leg that Simon Kedge lost his mainsheet, when it ran through the blocks, and subsequently capsized, losing valuable time; the Club’s Safety Boat standing by all the time.  The final reach through the line saw Adam Kedge just ahead on handicap, followed very closely by Dunnett, but the second lap saw Dunnett gain the lead to take the winning gun.  Meanwhile, sailing an extremely clean course, Finley Taylor quietly took his Topper into a sound third place.  

Winter Series - 1:
1.    Laser – Andy Dunnett
2.    Laser – Adam Kedge
3.    Topper – Finley Taylor