A Convincing Win For Adam

Gunfleet Sailing Club members took part in one of its 3-in-1 races, for the Tee Dee Challenge Cup on Sunday 5 July 2026, with Adam Kedge claiming victory in his Laser after winning two out of the three events.

The westerly force two to three wind continued to veer as the competitors rigged-up on the beach but by the time the first race got underway it had backed a little.  Tim Dye in his RS Aero lead the fleet, on a broad reach up the coast to the Preston Park buoy, with Kedge and Jono Dunnett, also in a Laser, close behind,  Accelerating through the fleet was Brian Allan in his Rs Aero and he was first to round the mark with an impressive lead, followed by the RS Aero of Ken Potts and then Dye.  Further back saw father and son John and Charlie Heath flying the gennaker on their RS200 but being thwarted by the wind shifts coming off the land.  The top three positions stayed the same as the fleet rounded the Seaward mark with Derroll Pedder in fourth place in his RS Aero, but as the helms beat into the Eastcliff buoy so positions changed with Potts now leading and Dye second.  When the boats finally crossed the finish line, on handicap, it was Kedge first, Dunnett second and Potts third.  

The second race saw Dunnett just the wrong side of the line but he corrected his error in seconds and was back in the bunch heading to Preston Park, the Heaths downwind tacking into the shore to mitigate the effect of the freshly flooding tide.  Once again it was Allan leading round the first mark but as they reached Seaward he had been overtaken by Potts, Dunnett and Dye, and there then followed a longer beat down to the St. Michael’s buoy.  Finally it was a reach back to the line with Kedge gaining his second win on handicap, Potts and Dunnett following; Finley Taylor gaining an impressive fourth place in his Topper.

The third and final race saw another very tight start, being lead by Dye, Kedge, Dunnett, and Allen, with Paul Jackson a little further back in his RS Aero.  Allen was, once more, first to reach Preston Park with Dunnett just behind but places changed on the next leg with Dye now level with Dunnett and Allen just behind.  The beat to St. Michael’s saw Potts tack early and nudging himself up to third place; Dunnett taking the honours as they crossed the finish line, Kedge second and Dye third, all three results counting to the final placings.

Tee Dee Challenge Cup:
1.    Laser – Adam Kedge
2.    Laser – Jono Dunnett
3.    RS Aero – Ken Potts