Andy Shows Them All The Way

Gunfleet Sailing Club’s final race in the Super September Sailing Series, for the Doug Ouwehand Trophy, held on Sunday 27 September 2026, saw Andy Dunnett take the winning gun in his Laser.

A force four onshore wind, blue skies and unbroken sunshine greeted the competitors as they considered rig sizes before setting sail; caution being clearly being the word of the day as the forecast indicated an increasing wind strength.  At the start it was Ken Potts and Brian Allen that led the way in their RS Aeros, starting close to the Outer Distance Mark, whilst in third place was Gary Hollis in his Laser, having chosen to stay clear of the pack and being closer to shore.  Michael Gutteridge found conditions a bit to lively in his Solo and retired back to the beach.  The first leg was a reach up the coast to the Kingscliff buoy and as the dinghies fought the flood tide, so Tim Dye and Paul Stanton flew past them in their Dart 18 catamaran, reaching the first mark in record time; Potts being the first monohull, followed by John Tappenden in his RS Aero and then Allen.  The second leg proved to be a beat out to the Seaward buoy and whilst many sailors hardened-up as they rounded Kingscliff and pointed high, a few decided to tack early to break away from the others and gain some clear wind.  The third leg was a run in to the AWS mark but it meant downwind tacking for the Dart 18, as it did for John and Charlie Heath in their RS200, which allowed them to hoist the asymmetric kite.  A second beat followed, back out to Seaward, before a broad reach down to the Eastcliff buoy, a gybe and then a closer reach back through the line.  By now there were some close battles within the race; Simon Kedge in a Laser was doing battle with Robert Gutteridge in his RS Aero, whilst Belle Hart and Finley Taylor were fighting it out in the Toppers.  Meanwhile Yvonne Gough kept clear of the crowds in her Laser and slowly picked off several of her competitors.  At the end of the first lap it was, on handicap, Andy Dunnett leading in his Laser, followed by Tappenden and then Potts, and these positions remained unchanged in the second lap but during the third lap Tappenden slipped back so allowing Potts to move up one place. 

Doug Ouwehand Trophy:
1.    Laser – Andy Dunnett
2.    RS Aero – Ken Potts
3.    RS Aero – John Tappenden