Ken Does It Again

Gunfleet Sailing Club’s Cadets and Otters headed to the Walton and Frinton Yacht Club last Saturday 11 June to experience sailing on the Backwaters.  Twenty young Gunfleet members headed out round Horsey Island in a fleet of dinghies and saw the wildlife, including seals - see full report, and pictures, under Cadets & Otters 2016.
 
On Sunday 12 June the Club held the singlehanded race for the Toppo Trophy with ten boats taking part.  The fleet was primarily made up of Lasers, with three Solutions and two Topazes also in the mix.  The wind was a steady force four, south/south-westerly and on a flood tide the boats headed down the coast to the St.Michael’s Buoy.  Several of the helms found they had to put a tack in on this long leg but one or two sailed tight and made the mark in one.  First round was Ken Potts in his Laser, followed by Sonny Hart in his Solution.  On the run back to Eastcliff Andy Dunnett, in his Laser, held off Paul Davis in a Solution and chased hard after Hart.  It was then a reach out to the Seaward buoy, a quick gybe, broad reach into the AWS mark before a fetch out to sea again.  At this point Dunnett had slipped ahead of Hart but still had quite a gap to close before he could be any real threat to Potts.  Meanwhile, just slightly further back was Cadet Harry Swinbourne, who was holding off many competitors in his Laser and gaining on the lead boats.  Back in the Topazes it was Steve Swinbourne who stole a lead on Eddie White.  As the end of the first lap came in sight Davis nudged into third place and this is how the places remained for the rest of the race. 
 
Results – Toppo Single Helm:
1. Laser – Ken Potts
2. Laser – Andy Dunnett
3. Solution – Paul Davis
Cadet Single Helm Winner:  Laser – Harry Swinbourne
 
The previous Wednesday evening the Club held the third race in its Summer Series, Derroll Pedder and Michael Gutteridge being spot on the start line in their GP14.  Potts had some technical issues very early on and watched the rest of the fleet sail past him as he sorted things out.  He then proceeded to pick his competitors off, one by one, until, by the end of the race he was in the lead – some impressive sailing.
 
Results – Summer Series 3:
1. Laser – Ken Potts
2. Laser – Yvonne Gough
3. Solution – Robert Gutteridge
Course Board
Date 12 June 2016
Race Toppo and Cadet Single Helm
Start Time 14:00
Wind Strength (Beaufort) Force 4
Wind Direction South/South-westerly, backing South-east
High Tide 18:00
Course St.M - E - S - AWS - S - K - Line