Dye Takes The First Autumn Series Race

Gunfleet Sailing Club members took part in the first race of its Autumn Series last Sunday 14 September 2025 which, after an incredibly close fought battle, was won by Tim Dye in his RS Aero.

A force four, touching five, south/south-westerly wind determined a gate start with Ken Potts’ RS Aero being the pathfinder dinghy on port tack, trailed closely by the Club’s Rescue Boat.  Dye, timing it to perfection, cut past the transom of the RIB on starboard and as the Rescue Boat bled away so Potts also tacked and headed out to sea; Ella Langfeldt just behind in her RS Aero.  The first leg was a beat to the Lilley Farm buoy and with the freshly flooding tide under the competitors it wasn’t long before Potts rounded it, followed by Dye, and then a whole bunch of dinghies.  The second leg, a broad reach to the Eastcliff mark, saw Jono Dunnett in his Laser settle into third place on the water, whilst Brian Allen lay fourth in his RS Aero.  Rounding Eastcliff and running up the coast to the Kingscliff mark, Paul Sranton had his Laser just behind Allen, Langfeldt followed, and then Adam Kedge in his Laser.  Slightly further back were Laura Kedge and Gary Hollis in Lasers and then Belle Hart’s Topper.

Once round Kingscliff it was a short fetch out to the Preston Park buoy before a beat offshore to Seaward and finally a run back into the line.  Dye was closing the gap on Potts all the time and, as the leading boats reached Seaward, the two were neck and neck but Dye seized the opportunity to cut hard round the buoy and pull away; at the end of the first lap, Dye had it on handicap, followed by Dunnett and then Adam Kedge just a whisker behind.  The second lap appeared a bit of a procession on the water but the handicaps showed a slightly different picture; Adam Kedge now leading, then Dunnett, whilst Dye sat third.  The final lap saw Dye clawing his way back to the top whilst Dunnett just missed out on victory by a gnat’s whisker having capsized on the leg from Lilley Farm to Eastcliff, the only capsize of the race.

Autumn Series 1:
1.    RS Aero – Tim Dye
2.    Laser – Jono Dunnett
3.    Laser – Adam Kedge