Gunfleet Takes Honours

 

The day before, thirteen dinghies from the Gunfleet, along with one of the Club’s Rescue Boats, cruised up the coast to Frinton for a picnic and game of rounders on the beach.

 

The previous Wednesday evening the Gunfleet concluded its Summer Series with race number five which saw twelve dinghies take part.  On a very tight start line Paul Stanton was just the wrong side in his Laser but, despite the individual recall flag X being hoisted, he had the bit between his teeth and decided to carry on; so being disqualified.  In a force 3 to 4 north easterly wind the competitors beat up the coast to the Kingscliff mark, and as they rounded it, Andy Dunnett in his Laser lead not only his class but also the Solutions, being also quite close behind John Tappenden in his Blaze.  There then followed a broad reach out to the Seaward buoy, a gybe, and then a closer reach into the AWS mark and back out to sea; before heading down to the Eastcliff buoy and back through the line.  Further back in the fleet, in the slow handicap dinghies, there was a tussle going on between Aaron Baker in his Topaz and Robert Gutteridge in his Topper but it was Baker that pulled away as the race went on.  At the end of the first lap Potts had the lead with Tappenden second and Dunnett third but during the second lap places changed and Simon Clarke slipped into third place, and Tappenden overtook Potts to win both the race and the series overall.