Great Conditions Greet Gunfleet Sailors

Last Sunday morning 13 May fifteen boats took part in the Gunfleet Sailing Club’s race for the Wallet Trophy under blue skies and bright sunshine which, coupled with a force three touching four south/south westerly breeze, made for almost perfect conditions.  The first leg was a beat down the coast to the St. Michael’s buoy, the dinghies tacking close to the shore to mitigate the adverse affect of the last of the ebb tide.  It was then a reach back to the Eastcliff mark and at this point it was clear that Ken Potts had pulled ahead in his RS600, whilst Mark Venables lead the Laser fleet and Eddie White headed-up the Solutions.  The next leg took the competitors out to the Seaward buoy before gybing and then running in towards the shore.  It was this gybe mark that caught-out Matthew Gough in his Laser and also the Williams brothers in their Hobie 405; both craft capsizing.  The race then continued back out to sea, down to the Kingscliff buoy and then through the line.  It was good to see several of the Cadets taking part in the race and at the end of the first lap it was Charlie and Harry Spence out in front in their Topaz, closely followed by Robert Gutteridge in his Topper.  The wind freshened on the second lap and turned more southerly, assisting Potts to take the winning gun, closely followed by John Tappenden in his Blaze.