Brian Brings Home The Bacon

Gunfleet Sailing Club’s Wednesday evenings continued on 25 June 2025 with the first race in the Summer Series.  A fresh force four, touching five, south-easterly breeze greeted the sailors who rigged-up accordingly, but as the minutes ticked away so the wind strength began to drop and by the time the race got underway the wind had fallen to force three.  It was a closely bunched start with Paul Jackson just a fraction early, resulting in the individual recall flag being hoisted, but Jackson realised his mistake and had returned and restarted before the flag reached the yardarm.  Derroll Pedder then became the lead helm in his RS Aero, followed by Brian Allen and Tim Dye, also both in RS Aeros.  At the other end of the fleet was John Heath in his Blaze who was just a little late in getting underway.  With the wind direction as it was, the first leg was a reach up the coast, against the flood tide, to the Kingscliff mark.  First to round it was Allen, who was then followed by a closely bunched group of boats, Dye second and Pedder third.  It was then a short beat out to the Preston Park buoy when the competitors really noticed the strength of the tide and the lightness of the breeze.  The top three places remained the same, whilst sitting in fourth position was Adam Kedge in his Laser; Dave Ingle just behind in his RS Aero.  A broad reach back to the ODM, with the tide under them, was a quick affair but then came the daunting beat out to the Seaward mark.  The helms hardened up and pointed as high as they dare and if it was gruelling for the faster handicapped craft, then it could be seen as a complete slog for the three Toppers but they all completed it, Finley Taylor leading the fleet.  From Seaward it was a broad reach to Lilley Farm buoy, a short run to the Eastcliff mark before reaching back through the line.  After the first lap it was Allan that had a good lead, followed by Dye and then Pedder.  During the second lap the tide strengthened and the wind dropped to a force two for a while before picking up just a little.  Pedder put the pressure on Dye, particularly on the reach from Preston Park to the ODM.  Allen pulled away still further from the crowd and looked like he was going to win by a significant margin when, having rounded Lilley Farm he started to head straight back to the line.  Fortunately he quickly realised his mistake, corrected himself, and set a course for Eastcliff, rounding it and then crossing the finishing line; still with a very impressive lead.

Results – Summer Series - 1:
1.    RS Aero – Brian Allen
2.    RS Aero – Tim Dye
3.    RS Aero – Derroll Pedder