Adam Smashes It

The second race in the Gunfleet Sailing Club Autumn Series was held on Sunday 18 October 2026 in very mixed weather conditions but managed to take place between the rain showers and saw Adam Kedge take his Laser to victory despite a poor start.

A force three to four north/north-westerly wind provided a wintery feel to the air as the competitors rigged up and looked at the ominous grey sky above them.  However, as time ticked on so sunshine and blue skies appeared but it proved short-lived.  With the tide just turned and the flood commencing, it helped to hold the eager racers on the right side of the line but Adam Kedge was just too far advanced in his Laser and whilst he tried to hold himself back he did not quite do enough and found himself subject to the individual recall flag at the start; forcing him to return and putting him well at the back of the fleet.  Meanwhile his father, Simon Kedge, having capsized twice just before the start in his Laser, was able to see his son shoot off and play catch-up.  The first leg was a reach up the coast to the Kingscliff buoy with Ella Langfeldt windward of Ken Potts, both sailing RS Aeros, and leading the pack.  Potts managed to cut inside Langfeldt as they rounded the mark but it wasn’t long, as they broad reached out to the Seaward buoy, before she overtook Potts and opened up a gap. John Tappenden decided that the conditions were not for him and sailed his RS Aero back to the shore.  The third leg was a beat into the AWS mark and the fleet basically just hardened-up and sailed down the coast, each competitor choosing to tack at different times and this allowed Potts to retake the lead.  A run back out to Seaward saw Langfeldt capsize as she gybed round the offshore buoy and this gave Arlo Atkins the opportunity to sail past her in his Laser, keeping her at bay on the fetch into the Eastcliff buoy.  Adam Kedge sailed past Paul Jackson in his RS Aero and continued closing the gap all the time on those still ahead of him.  As the boats reached to the line, so Langfeldt overtook Atkins and at the end of the first lap it was Potts in top place with the other two second and third, on handicap, respectively.  On the second lap Atkins capsized between Kingscliff and Seaward, righted his craft and capsized again; Potts pulled away from Langfeldt but Adam Kedge moved up a gear and simply stormed around the course in record time to take the winning gun.  

Autumn Series - 2:
1.    Laser – Adam Kedge 
2.    RS Aero – Ken Potts
3.    RS Aero – Ella Langfeldt