Tappenden Romps Home

Gunfleet Sailing Club continued its Wednesday evening Summer Series with its fourth race on 16 July 2025 against a backdrop of variable wind directions.

On arrival at the Club the wind was a force three westerly but it soon had a touch of north-westerly, and forecast to drop slightly.  The first leg of the course was set for a fetch down the coast to the Eastcliff buoy and the ebbing tide held the fleet on the right side of the line, as predicted, until the start.  John Tappenden in his RS Aero immediately lead the way, all competitors being close to the Outer Distance Mark but Brian Allen, also in an RS Aero, was very close behind and it was clear he wasn’t going to let go; Tappenden having a 7 rig compared to all the other Aeros sailing with a 9 so, in theory, being the slower craft.  Allen rounded the mark first, followed by Tappenden and then Tim Dye, also in an RS Aero; fourth being Simon Kedge in his Laser.  As the competitors started the second leg, back up the coast to the Preston Park buoy, so the wind veered more than ninety degrees and settled to a north-easterly; the helms therefore finding the need to beat to the mark.  Unfortunately Kedge capsized which pushed him back in the pecking order.  Allen held his lead on the water, with Dye now second and then Tappenden as they rounded the buoy and reached out to the Seaward mark.  Following a quick gybe at Seaward the second reach back down the coast to Lilley Farm was disrupted for Dye when, freeing up the kicker just a bit too much, it resulted in a capsize, allowing both Dave Ingle in his RS Aero, and John and Charlie Heath in their RS 200, to pass him.  Allen held the top spot as they rounded Lilley Farm before the beat to the Kingscliff buoy; Dye, Tappenden and the Heaths tacked out to sea to gain the increased assistance of the ebb tide whilst Allen dogmatically headed towards the shore but this tactic did not pay off and Tappenden rounded Kingscliff first before a run back to the line; meanwhile Kedge capsized for the second time, practically in the same spot as previously.  It was clear that at the end of the first lap it was Tappenden that had the lead but the battle was to continue on the second and final lap.  Dye worked hard playing catch-up and got ahead of Allen on the penultimate leg when, once again, he headed out to sea on the beat to Kingscliff.  Allen sailed by the lee on the final leg, a run back to the line, desperately trying to overtake Dye, whilst Tappenden defied everyone by being first boat home over the water and winning, on handicap, by a very comfortable margin.

Results – Summer Series - 4:
1.    RS Aero – John Tappenden
2.    RS Aero – Tim Dye
3.    RS Aero – Brian Allen