Weekend Starts With SOS & Ends With Ladies Who Launch

It was a very busy weekend for Gunfleet Sailing Club, starting with Sailing On Saturday on 21 May for the Cadets and Otters.  In blustery conditions, with winds gusting up to force 6, twenty-one of the Club’s younger members turned up to take part.  Peter Downer took those new to sailing under his wing and, with the aid of a Topaz on the beach, went through the theory of sailing; whilst Paul Davis took those that were experienced young sailors onto the water for some practice at getting a good start.

 

This latter training certainly paid off the next morning, Sunday 22 May, when Gunfleet held its race for the Wallet Trophy, in much lighter conditions.  Such was the eagerness at the start that many boats ended up over the line and it became necessary to hold a general recall.  At the second attempt it was Cadet Vice-Commodore Harry Swinbourne that lead the competitors in his Laser, followed by Dave Fowell and Daisy Swinbourne in their GP14.  Both boats beat almost parallel to the shore as they headed down the coast to the St. Michael’s buoy, whilst Peter Downer in his Comet, and John Tappenden in his Laser, both tacked out to sea and gained the extra support of the flood tide to help them on their way.  Once round the first mark Downer decided to aim for the wrong buoy, but realising his error, chased after the fleet, managing to get in front of Robert Gutteridge in his Solution, despite the earlier faux-pa.   Tom and Ed Philpot lead the Topaz fleet but the real action was in amongst the Lasers.  Paul Stanton, who revels in livelier conditions, found the light airs frustrating in his Laser and struggled to make much of an impression on his colleagues, whilst Andy Dunnett, having had a poor start, once again came battling through the fleet until he just had Tappenden to contend with.  It wasn’t, in fact, until the penultimate leg of the second lap that Dunnett got in front and he then romped home to the finishing line and victory.

 

 

In the afternoon the Club then held its “Ladies Who Launch” cession, when female members of the Club took to the water, many experiencing sailing for the first time, returning to a cream-tea in the Clubhouse.