2009 Sailing Season Gets Off to a Cracking Good Start

The start of the Gunfleet Sailing Club’s 2009 season was celebrated last Saturday evening 28 March when the Fitting Out Supper took place in the clubhouse.  Commodore Richard Walker welcomed the members, looked forward to a very busy and enjoyable programme of events to come, and optimistically predicted sunshine and pleasant winds for the first race of the season, being held the following day.  He also presented the Cetoco Trophy to Simon Clarke as winner of the Club’s Winter Series of races.  The members then sat down to the traditional fish and chips supper.

The next day there was indeed blue skies, sunshine and a light wind to herald the first race of the season, for the March Hare Trophy.  Fourteen boats took part and five of these were helmed by Cadet and Otter members of the Club, highlighting the growing enthusiasm for the sport of sailing amongst young people in the Tendring district.

Simon Clarke led the fleet away from the start line in his Solution and made straight for the Eastcliff buoy, closely followed by a bunch of Lasers.  With the tide under them the first leg was a relatively quick affair but the broad reach that followed, out to the Seaward mark, took a little longer as the craft punched the strengthening tide.  For a while Paul Stanton was at the head of the Laser fleet but it wasn’t long before John Tappenden and then Andy Dunnett slipped by.

Further back but doing extremely well were Bethany Ford and Deanna Canavan in their Topaz, and Lydia Ward and Tilly Thomas also in a Topaz.  These four girls were having their own battle but after some good tactics on both sides it was Ward and Thomas that pulled ahead.

After the first lap Clarke had the overall lead but on the second lap Ken Potts pushed his RS600 into top position and during the third lap he strengthened still further his winning lead.

Results:

March Hare Trophy
1.    RS600 – Ken Potts
2.    Solution – Simon Clarke
3.    Laser – John Tappenden