A Close Battle Until The End

Gunfleet Sailing Club held one of its 3 in 1 events, for the Wallet Trophy on Sunday 11 May, when three short back to back races are held with all three results counting towards the overall placings.  Conditions were a sailor’s delight with a force three to four easterly wind, blue skies and unbroken sunshine.

The Race Officer used a gate start and in the first race it was Simon Clarke in his Europe who was pathfinder and led the way, closely followed by the Club’s Rescue Boat.  All other competitors were required to position themselves to get the best start on a line that extended from the Outer Distance Mark to the Pathfinder, but always crossing behind the Rescue Boat.  After one minute the Rescue Boat broke away and the battle commenced.  The majority of the fleet remained on starboard tack, heading towards the shore as they headed up to the Preston Park buoy on the last of the flood tide, but both Chris Maloney in his Comet, and John Heath in his Blaze broke away from the pack gaining clean wind but fighting the stronger tide.  Heath was the first to round the windward mark, followed by Ken Potts in his RS Aero, then Derroll Pedder and Brian Allen in their RS Aeros, Clarke now following.  The second leg was a run down to the ODM, by which time Paul Stanton had taken his Laser ahead of Clarke; Martin Chivers just behind in his RS Aero.  There followed a beat back to Preston Park with the top three places remaining unchanged, then a reach to the AWS buoy before gybing and reaching to the finish line; the results of the first race being Potts, Heath, and then Stanton.

The second race saw Pedder as the pathfinder whilst both Heath and Clarke tacked across on port and headed out to sea on what was now a slack tide.  Pedder kept ahead of Potts, Heath leading as they rounded Preston Park, whilst Dave Ingle, in his RS Aero sat just behind Clarke’s Europe, neck and neck with John Tappenden in his RS Aero.  A little further back were Simon Kedge in his Laser and Paul Jackson in his Solo but when they crossed the finish line it was Heath first, Clarke second, and then Potts.  The wind freshened for the third race and Clarke and Heath stayed close to the shore, port tacked, and cut through the fleet just inches behind the Rescue Boat, now taking full advantage of the ebbing tide.  By the first mark it was Heath, Potts, Clarke and Pedder leading and, following some swapping of places it was Clarke that finished first, followed by Potts and then Heath.  The combination of all three races gave a joint first to Heath and Potts but under the sailing rules the advantage went on the results of the last race, Potts therefore winning by a whisker.

Wallet Trophy:
1.    RS Aero – Ken Potts
2.    Blaze – John Heath
3.    Europe – Simon Clarke