Gunfleet's 2026 Regatta A Flying Success

Gunfleet Sailing Club held its annual Regatta on Sunday 28 June 2026, sponsored by Orsted and Seamark Nunn, in lively conditions, attracting visiting sailors from far and wide, joining with members to have an exciting day of sailing.

The powerful sunshine was offset by a strong south-westerly wind which hovered around force 5 to 6 throughout the event.  Boats came from sailing clubs at Bristol, Reading, Alfreton, as well as more locally, Hertford County, and Walton & Frinton Yacht Clubs, to take part.  The first race was for the Diamond Jubilee Trophy and on a tight start line it was Andy Cornforth who lead the fleet in his RS Aero, with Adam Kedge’s Laser in his lee.  With an hour of flood tide remaining it was of no surprise that the fleet headed out to sea as the craft beat down the coast to the Eastcliff buoy.  Bunched close to the leaders were the RS Aeros of Ken Potts and Tim Dye, and the Laser of Jono Dunnett.  As the craft rounded the windward mark it was Dunnett now in the lead, followed by Cornforth and then Potts.  The second leg was a screaming reach out the Seaward buoy and at this point visitor Dave Perkins had taken his RS Aero into third place on the water.   A lively gybe then followed before a closer reach into the AWS buoy and a fetch back out offshore, the wind having backed more southerly.  After heading up the coast to the Kingscliff buoy it was then a beat back to the line.  At the end of the first lap, on handicap, it was Dunnett first, Cornforth second and Kedge third.  Those top three positions didn’t change in the second lap but on the third and final lap, Cornforth slipped ahead of Dunnett to win the Trophy.

Diamond Jubilee Trophy:
1.    RS Aero – Andy Cornforth
2.    Laser – Jono Dunnett
3.    Laser – Adam Kedge

After lunch the second race was held, for the RNLI Charity Shield.  As the class flag fell from the yardarm to start the race it was Dunnett’s Laser and the RS Aero of Robert Gutteridge that stormed ahead whilst much of the fleet seemed to still be sorting itself out on the line.  Dunnett was first to reach Eastcliff whilst Potts, somewhat further back, had got himself into second place.  Once at Seaward it was a run to Kinscliff before a beat back out offshore but whilst the tide was now ebbing, it seemed very weak and a number of the helms found themselves bearing away to avoid overstepping it.

RNLI Charity Shield:
1.    Laser – Jono Dunnett
2.    RS Aero – Ken Potts
3.    RS Aero – Tim Dye
1st Under 18:  Laser – Adam Kedge
  
The day concluded with class racing and some exciting battles ensued:

Class Racing Winners:
Toppers:  Finley Taylor
Lasers:  Jono Dunnett
RS Aeros:  Andy Cornforth
Comets:  Ben Palmer

The presentations then followed, with Malcolm Jolly, Chairman of the Directors, presenting the trophies to the day’s winners.