Potts Defies Setback And Wins Bill Geddes Trophy

Gunfleet Sailing Club held the race for the Bill Geddes Trophy last Sunday 5 July in almost perfect conditions.  With a backdrop of unbroken blue skies, sunshine, and a pleasant force three southerly wind, twelve boats jockeyed for position at the start line.  Such was their eagerness that Ken Potts in his RS600, and Paul Davis and Dan Challis in their Xenon jumped the line, and despite the appropriate flag being hoisted only Potts returned to correct his error; this resulted in the Xenon being disqualified.  The boats positively romped to the Eastcliff buoy and once round headed back to the Kingscliff mark, making sure they hooked around the AWS buoy.  It was then a beat out to the Seaward buoy before running straight back through the line.  As this race counted towards Class points there was a double incentive for the helms of the Lasers and the Sea Rangers.  In the Lasers it looked, after the first lap, that Matt Downing using a radial sail might well be first in the class but during the second lap Yvonne Gough, using a 4.7 sail, pulled ahead.  In the Sea Ranger class Richard Walker lead for the majority of the race but lost the lead to Fred Webster on the beat out to sea.  However, despite his loss of time correcting the error at the start it was Potts that took his RS600 to overall victory for the Bill Geddes Trophy.

Results – Bill Geddes Trophy:

1.    RS600 – Ken Potts
2.    RS600 – Kelvin Morton
3.    Blaze – John Tappenden

The previous Wednesday evening, under glorious sunny conditions, twenty two boats from the Gunfleet Sailing Club took to the water; many of these taking part in the fourth race in the Summer Series.  In a north-easterly force 2-3 wind, and the last of the flood tide, all but one boat started on starboard tack with John Heath kissing the line as he ran down it with just seconds to go.  The one exception was John Tappenden who chose to head out to sea in his Blaze, weaving in and out of his competitors as he searched for clear wind.  Dave Rathbone, who had already capsized in his Byte prior to the start of the race, capsized again on the beat to the Kingscliff buoy and having righted the boat and gone over a few more times decided to retire.

After that the race settled down with a reach out to the Seaward mark, a gybe and back into AWS buoy before a long run to the St. Michael’s buoy and a beat back through the line.  After the first lap it was Ken Potts who had top position but John Tappenden nudged in front of him on the second lap, resulting in a narrow victory.

Results – Summer Series 4:

1.    Blaze – John Tappenden
2.    RS600 – Ken Potts
3.    Laser – John Heath