Lively Sailing At Gunfleet Over The Bank Holiday Weekend

Gunfleet Sailing Club members faced a strong south-westerly wind on Sunday 25 May 2025 when they arrived to take part in the race for the Bill Geddes Trophy, and with gusts up to 31 mph it deterred a number of sailors from taking to the water.

The race started as the high tide turned and started to ebb and Ken Potts in his RS Aero stormed away on starboard tack, close to the Inner Distance Mark, beating down the coast to the Eastcliff buoy.  Further out was Tim Dye in his RS Aero and he almost immediately capsized, allowing Adam Kedge to pass him in his Laser as he headed out to sea.  Potts was first to round the windward mark, followed by Kedge, then Dye and Brian Allen, also in an RS Aero.  An exhilarating reach then followed as the competitors headed out to the Seaward buoy, Potts now with a clear lead, before a controlled gybe and then a second reach into the AWS buoy and then a run up the coast to the Kingscliff buoy.  Dye capsized, again, as he rounded AWS, followed by Allen capsizing as he gybed to run to Kingscliff.  Finally there was a beat back to the line and as the boats completed the first lap it was Potts ahead by over one minute to his nearest rival.  However, having stalled momentarily, a couple of times, whilst tacking, Potts saw Dye close the gap by a not insignificant amount and the heat was on.  As the two rounded the Seaward buoy, Dye slipped neatly ahead and started to open the gap.  Meanwhile Allen capsized again and Kedge lost count on the number of times he capsized, but his youthful agility saw him right his Laser almost instantly and plough on.  At the end of the second lap it was Dye with a thirty second lead and, whilst he maintained that position until the offshore buoy, a sudden strong gust blew through and he capsized; this allowed Potts to retake the lead and, despite every effort from Dye, sail home to victory.

Bill Geddes Trophy:
1.    RS Aero – Ken Potts
2.    RS Aero – Tim Dye
3.    Laser – Adam Kedge

On Bank-Holiday Monday 26 May, in a force 5 gusting 6 south-westerly wind, the Club held its third race in the Class Points series and first away was the RS Aero fleet.  Ken Potts lead, followed by Brian Allen and Tim Dye as the fleet beat down the coast to the St. Michael’s buoy.  Rounding the windward mark it was Potts, followed by Dye, Derroll Pedder, Allen and then Dave Ingle.  After a long reach out to the Seaward buoy, Potts found Dye alongside him and by the time the two reached into the AWS buoy, Dye had taken the lead but this only lasted until the end of the run to the Kingscliff mark; Potts regaining prime position and pulling away on the second lap.

Five minutes after the Aeros set off it was the turn of the Lasers to start and Andy Dunnett and Adam Kedge lead on the beat to the Eastcliff mark, heading out to sea.  Paul Stanton tacked early, onto port, and broke away from the others, whilst Gary Hollis, having capsized, decided to retire back to the shore.  As the fleet reached its first mark, at Eastcliff, it was Dunnett leading, followed by Adam Kedge, Stanton, Yvonne Gough and Simon Kedge; the latter having capsized.  By the end of the first lap it was Dunnett, followed by Stanton and then Adam Kedge, whilst on the second lap, Stanton slipped ahead of Dunnett as they rounded AWS, but Dunnett took this back on the last leg but, on handicap, it was Adam Kedge that took victory.

After this the Solo, Comet, and Topper classes set off and in the lively conditions there were a number of capsizes and several exciting tussles took place.

Class Points 3 Winners:
RS Aero – Ken Potts
Laser – Adam Kedge
Solo – Michael Gutteridge
Comet – Simon Clarke
Topper – Finley Taylor