Twenty Boats Take Part in Tee Dee Trophy Race

Gunfleet Sailing Club held a race for its oldest trophy last Sunday 9 August, The Tee Dee Challenge Cup, with 20 boats taking part.  Under blue skies, unbroken sunshine and a light easterly breeze the craft all bunched together by the Outer Distance Mark ready for the off.  As the class flag fell from the yardarm, signalling the start, the boats all beat up to the Kingscliff buoy.  The slower handicapped craft all stayed close to the shore in order to minimise the impact of the flood tide and several lost time as they found themselves unable to quite make the mark at the first attempt.  There then followed a leisurely reach out the Seaward buoy, followed by a gybe and another slightly broader reach in towards shore before rounding the AWS mark.  By this time the wind had veered slightly southerly and freshened, requiring a beat back to Seaward.  The biggest fleet in the race was the Solutions with all five boats taking part.  Simon Clarke pulled away early on but the other four stuck close together with positions changing all the time, eventually Sonny Hart taking second place and Dave Fowell third.  In the Laser fleet it was Andy Dunnett that lead the way in the first lap, but later in the race Yvonne Gough pulled ahead, followed by husband Matthew.  All four Topazes taking part were helmed by Cadets and Bethany Ford, sailing single handed, took up an early lead but half way through the first lap Charlie Venables and George David, two up on their boat. slipped past.

On handicap though it was the Blaze, sailed skilfully by John Tappenden, which took the winning gun.

Results – Tee Dee Challenge Trophy:
1.    Blaze – John Tappenden
2.    RS600 – Ken Potts
3.    Solution – Simon Clarke

The previous Wednesday evening eleven boats entered the second race in the series for the Tony Chadd Trophy.   The wind was a force two, just touching three, south-easterly and there was a freshly flooding tide.  Matthew Gough unfortunately jumped the line but, seeing Code flag X flying, realised his error and returned to correct his error.  Tappenden lead the way in his Blaze followed by Ken Potts and Kelvin Morton, both sailing RS600’s, and then John Heath in his Laser.  As the race proceeded so the wind freshened, making ideal conditions.  At the end of the first lap Tappenden had a clear lead with Heath in second place but as time went on both Potts and Clarke managed overtake Heath and take second and third place respectively.

Results – Tony Chadd Series – 2:
1.    Blaze – John Tappenden
2.    RS600 – Ken Potts
3.    Solution – Simon Clarke