Tappenden Takes The Trophy

Gunfleet Sailing Club held its pursuit race “The Chase” on Sunday 3 July when it was joined by several catamarans from neighbouring Clacton Sailing Club.

The Officer Of the Day certainly had his hands full, with thirteen separate starts, some classes just 4 seconds apart!  A force three long-shore south-westerly breeze provided a good beat to the windward mark, and first to get underway was Eddie White in his Comet Mino.  Sadly he was just a bit overeager and jumped the line but there was no holding him back.  Just 11 seconds later it was time for the Comet, with its full rig, to get underway and Malcolm Smith soon had the bit between his teeth, overtaking White as he beat down the coast to the St. Michael’s buoy.  After 4 minutes the Laser Radials left the starting block, with Yvonne Gough and Rob Lockett fighting it out for class lead.  Simon Clarke lead the Solo class and, within the blink of an eye it was time for Clare Giles to get underway in her Europe.  The Laser class, with full rig, followed a few minutes later, followed shortly after by John and Sarah Heath in their RS200.  Then John Tappenden got a great start in his RS Aero, followed 9 minutes later by Ken Potts’s RS600.  This left the faster catamarans, and Robert Mitchell stormed off on starboard tack in his Dart 16, followed by Allan Griffiths and his crew.  Derroll Pedder and Michael Gutteridge’s Hurricane 5.9 was next to get underway, and 3 minutes later the three A Class cats, of Pete Boxer, Dan Brzezinski, and Brian Allen were off and heading, at great speed, after their rivals.  Finally, 37 minutes after the first dinghy had started, the Tornado of Matt Burrell and Mike Rolfe was on its way.  Having rounded the first buoy it was then a run back to the Eastcliff mark, before a reach out to the Seaward buoy, a gybe, and a reach up the coast to the Kingscliff mark, finally a beat back through the line.  As the craft completed the first lap it was Smith’s Comet that held first place, Lockett was second, and Clarke third, with the faster dinghies and cats working hard to catch up.  Unfortunately, Allen took his A class the wrong side of the Outer Distance Mark, as did Burrell and Rolfe in their Tornado, and both were disqualified; Boxer almost made the same mistake but corrected himself at the last minute.  Dave Ingle capsized his RS Aero on the leg from Kingscliff to the line but soon righted his boat and was back in the thick of it.  During the second lap Paul Stanton pushed his Laser up to third place whilst Clarke moved up one place to second, but storming through from seventh to first was Tappenden in his RS Aero; a position he not only hung onto but strengthened as the race went on.  Meanwhile Stanton moved into second place, pushing Clarke down to third; these places being held as 12:30 struck and the race concluded.
 
Results – The Chase:
1.    RS Aero – John Tappenden
2.    Laser – Paul Stanton
3.    Solo – Simon Clarke