Brian, Chris, Robert, and Yvonne - The Winning Team

Gunfleet Sailing Club held a race with a difference on Sunday 10 July when its Fleet Championship was also divided into four teams of sailors, randomly selected, to provide team racing.

The unbroken sunshine and force three south-westerly wind made for almost perfect sailing conditions, and there was little surprise sixteen craft took to the water to enjoy the fine weather.  At the start it was Robert Mitchell that lead the way in his Laser, starting by the Outer Distance Mark on port tack as the fleet beat down the coast to the St. Michaels buoy; Andy Dunnett, also sailing a Laser, being just in Mitchell’s lee.  At the other end of the line, much closer to the Inner Distance Mark, were Paul Stanton in his Laser and Keith Lamdin in his Comet; there aim being to cheat the ebbing tide which is at its weakest close to the shore.  Fete then stepped in by backing the wind slightly to the south and Brian Allen seized the opportunity to point high in his A-class catamaran and fly past his competitors, pulling away at an impressive speed.  Meanwhile Ken Potts, in his RS600, under-sailed Mitchell and Dunnett, whilst Tim Dye, singlehanded on his Dart 18, put an early tack in, headed out to sea, tacked again and headed straight for the mark in clean airs.  First round St. Michael’s was Allen, then it looked to be Potts, but Dye just slipped inside him; slightly further back was Tom Bartlett and crew on their Dart 18.  In the Lasers it was Mitchell that had pulled away from Dunnett, then Yvonne Gough in her Laser Radial, followed closely by Paul Stanton.  Chris Maloney was next round the mark in his Solo, followed by the Laser of Carlo Bardetti and Lamdin’s Comet, the latter having had to put a last minute tack in, so letting Bardetti go clear.  The second leg was now an exhilarating reach out to the Seaward buoy, a gybe at the offshore mark, and a very broad reach into the AWS.  By now Allen was blasting round the course, but Dye and Potts were not letting him have it all his own way.  There was a second gybe before heading up the coast to the Preston Park buoy, a third gybe, into the Kinscliff mark before beating back through the line.  Mitchell maintained his leading position in the Laser fleet whilst Lamdin kept ahead of Eddie White, in the Comets, as well as keeping the Topaz of Simon Kedge at bay.  There was little change in positions during the following laps, except Stanton broke away from Gough but not sufficiently to beat her on handicap.
 
Results – Fleet Championship – Individual results:
1.    Dart 18 – Tim Dye
2.    RS600 – Ken Potts
3.    A-Class – Brian Allen

The winning Team was:
Brian Allen – A-Class
Chris Maloney – Solo
Robert Mitchell – Laser
Yvonne Gough – Laser Radial