Tim Wins After Lively Battle

Gunfleet Sailing Club’s second race in its Summer Series, held on Wednesday evening 2 July 2025, was dominated by the enthusiastic RS Aero fleet that’s popularity amongst members continues to grow.

After a wet and overcast day, it was good to see grey clouds disperse and the sunshine break through, coupled with a light west/north-westerly breeze.  This determined the competitors to maximise their rig size as they prepared to set sail, but once on the water the elements decided to play a trick or two.  Ten minutes before the start, the wind suddenly picked up, going from gusts of16 mph to 25 mph, the lower end of a force 6, and a number of dinghies were flattened.  This, coupled with slight variations in direction certainly kept the helms on their toes as they eased their way towards the line, mindful that the first leg was going to be a reach, coupled with an ebbing tide.  In fact this did catch two competitors out; as the class flag fell from the yardarm, signalling the start, both Derroll Pedder and Dave Ingle, in RS Aeros, found themselves on the wrong side, but no sooner was the Individual Recall flag hoisted than they had corrected their misdemeanour.  Unfortunately Tim Dye, being right on the button, feared he might also have been guilty and he too returned back to re-cross the line in his RS Aero, costing him valuable time.  Adam Kedge found the increase in wind strength just a bit too much in his Laser with a full sail so he wisely retired back to the beach where he changed rig size down to a 4.7 and ventured back out for a play.  Meanwhile the fleet made short work of reaching to the first buoy at Kingscliff, Pedder leading the boats round the mark, after a quick gybe, and immediately enjoying a second reach out to the Seaward buoy.  However, he certainly couldn’t relax because he had the RS Aeros of John Tappenden and Ken Potts immediately behind him, but all three were eclipsed by Dye who made up for lost time and slipped in front of them; the positions, as they rounded the offshore mark being Dye, Tappenden and then Potts.  The third leg was a beat down the coast to the Eastcliff buoy and there was a split in tactics at this point; Dye, Potts, and Brian Allen in his RS Aero, simply hardened-up and sailed parallel to the coast, fighting the might of the ebb tide but gaining a fresher, cleaner wind.  Meanwhile Tappenden tacked early and pointed straight into the shoreline, followed shortly by Pedder and then Ingle; the ploy being to take advantage of the weaker tide nearer the land.  Sudden wind shifts kept everyone very alert but both Pedder and Allen capsized, and they weren’t alone.  Dye made the buoy first whilst Potts and Tappenden arrived at the same time; a stonking reach ensued to the AWS buoy followed by a close haul return to Eastcliff before flying back through the line.  As the competitors commenced the second lap, the battle was on and Potts managed to overtake Dye and lead as they rounded Eastcliff, being ahead by just eight seconds going into the third and final lap.  But Dye was having none of it and regained the prime spot as they reached Kingscliff, continuing to pull ahead and take the winning gun.  

Results – Summer Series - 2:
1.    RS Aero – Tim Dye
2.    RS Aero – Ken Potts
3.    RS Aero – John Tappenden