Jubilee Weekend Sailing Suffers From Weather

Bill Clarke Shield Course....Kingscliff - AWS - Seaward - Eastcliff - Seaward - Eastcliff - Line

Sunday 3 June's race at Gunfleet Sailing Club for the Bill Clarke Shield was held in fairly unpleasant conditions with a cold east/north-easterly force four gusting five wind, overcast skies and intermittent rain; all this coupled with a rather lumpy sea.  The first three legs of the course; a beat to the Kingscliff buoy, broad reach to the AWS mark and a fetch out to Seaward proved uneventful, but at the latter gybe mark Ken Potts capsized twice and allowed John Tappenden in his Blaze and Simon Clarke in his Contender to catch-up.  The run down to Eastcliff was a lively affair before a hard slog back out to sea, a second run to Eastcliff and then close hauled back to the line.  After the first lap Tappenden had a strong lead with Potts trailing.  However, on the second lap Potts snapped his rudder blade and promptly capsized, requiring the assistance of the Club’s Rescue Boat to tow him back to shore.  The fight was now clearly on as to whether Clarke could pull ahead of Tappenden but it was not to be.  Mention should be made of Yvonne Gough who sailed a clean course in her Laser and took a very convincing third place.

Results: Bill Clarke Shield:
1. Blaze – John Tappenden
2. Contender – Simon Clarke
3. Laser – Yvonne Gough
 
On Bank Holiday Monday there was Sail Training for the Cadets and Otters which commenced with rigging Toppers, there then followed “dry sailing” up on the greensward, and then it was time to put theory into practice on the water.
 
Unfortunately Tuesday’s planned race for the Jubilee Trophy had to be postponed due to force five gusting six onshore winds and a very high tide, coupled with large seas.  It is planned to rerun this race on August Bank Holiday Monday when conditions might be a bit more favourable.
 
The previous Wednesday evening the Gunfleet commenced both its After School Sailing for the Club’s Cadets and Otters and the first race in the Summer Series.  Just prior to the race a sharp shower and sudden squall, with winds gusting up to 33 mile per hour, hit the Club but this was immediately followed by light airs.  With high tide having just past it was hoped the freshly ebbing tide would hold the twelve boats taking part back but a number managed to jump the line at the start and so forced a general recall.  Ten minutes later and the fleet was away, reaching towards the Eastcliff buoy as the little wind fell away.  Very slowly the boats then headed out to the Seaward mark before heading to the Kingscliff buoy.  The very light airs then started to shift in direction and veered 180 degrees as the race went on, and the thought of heading back out to Seaward, and then into Kingscliff again, proved too much for a number of entries who retired; aided back to the beach by an obliging Club Rescue Boat.  The Officer of the Day hoisted the Shortened Course flag for the remaining contestants and Peter Downer was rewarded in his Comet by taking first place.  Just missing out on the top three spots were Conor and Finlay Williams in their Hobie 405, the two Cadets having only recently acquired the boat.
 
Results: Summer Series – 1
1. Comet – Peter Downer
2. RS600 – Ken Potts
3. Blaze – John Tappenden