2018 Sailing Season Welcomed In Style

Gunfleet Sailing Club celebrated the start of the 2018 sailing season with its Fitting-Out Supper, last Saturday 24 March, with members filling the Clubhouse for the traditional Fish and Chips meal.  Commodore Richard Walker welcomed all those present and spoke of the ups and downs of the Club over the winter.  The weather had disrupted the cutting-back of the cliff vegetation, and the Work Weekend was postponed a week due to the snow, only to be prevented from taking place the following weekend by further bad weather.  Fortunately a number of retired members had since met-up and carried out many of the jobs.  

On the plus side the Clubhouse now had an impressive new bar that lifted the facility from the 1970’s, when it was installed, to current-day requirements.

The winner of the Gunfleet’s Winter Series had been Ken Potts and he received double honours having beaten the Walton and Frinton Yacht Club local members in their Winter Series.

Finally, it was disappointing to have to postpone the first race on the next day, for the March Hare Trophy, due to the volume of sand blocking access to the beach after the recent storms.  The first race in the Spring Series was to be held on Easter Sunday and the postponed March Hare race would be run on Easter Monday morning.

Walker concluded his talk with a demonstration on the bar’s new glass washer which seemed to cause much amusement, particularly to the ladies.