Tim Romps Home

Gunfleet Sailing Club members braved some very strong winds last Sunday 12 April 2026 to take part in the second race in the Spring Series with, following a closely fought battle, Tim Dye claiming victory in his RS Aero.

As the competitors took their boats onto the beach, the south/south-westerly wind was gusting 33 mph – a force 7.  Several members thought better of it and assisted in the launching of their colleagues before retiring to the Clubhouse to witness some lively sailing.  The start was an extremely tight affair with two boats over the line but, on sight of the individual recall flag, the helms corrected the situation but now commencing with a time disadvantage.  Lotte Langfeldt, Andy Cornforth, and Dye all hit the line spot-on and the three, all sailing RS Aeros, beat down the coast towards the Lilley Farm buoy, heading into the shore to reduce the negative effect of the ebb tide.  Cornforth appeared to have the speed but was sailing slightly freer whilst Langfeldt was slightly further out in the adverse tide.  Cornforth was the first to tack and took Dye, Langfeldt, and Arlo Atkins in his Laser, on starboard.  Next to tack was Brian Allen in his RS Aero and he timed it just right, following Cornforth, as lead boat, round the windward mark.  However, as they reached out to the Seaward buoy, Dye refused to take this laying down and accelerated past Allen and into second place.  Having been one of the guilty parties of being over the line at the start, Adam Kedge worked his Laser way through the fleet on the first leg and managed to slip past Langfeldt but she was having none of it and soon reversed the positions.  Once round Seaward it was a run to the Preston Park buoy and every competitor had to decide at what point to gybe their craft, but everyone handled the manoeuvre smoothly and there were no capsizes.  By now the wind had abated a little and blew a more steady force 5 gusting 6, allowing the helms to enjoy the reach back to the line.  At the end of the first lap it was Cornforth in first place, followed by Dye and then Allen but on the first leg of the second lap, Cornforth misjudged his tack to Lilley Farm and so allowed Dye to fly past.  From then on Dye pulled away whilst at the slow handicap end of the fleet, Finley Taylor sailed a very clean course and was first Topper home.  Having cemented his lead in the second lap, Dye then went on to take the third and final lap.

Spring Series - 2:
1.    RS Aero – Tim Dye
2.    RS Aero – Andy Cornforth
3.    RS Aero – Brian Allen