Adam Takes The Honours

Gunfleet Sailing Club held the race for the Personal PY Trophy on Sunday 31 May 2026 with Adam Kedge taking his Laser to victory.  

Unlike the regular races, which uses the standard nationwide handicap system based on the class of dinghy sailed, the Personal PY event uses the individual place of each sailor over the past race results to calculate a personal handicap.

On a very clear start line it was Tim Dye who lead in his RS Aero, staying close to the Inner Distance Mark, whilst Derroll Pedder in his RS Aero was second, being further out to sea.  As the fleet beat down the coast, in a force 3 west/south-westerly wind, it wasn’t long before Ken Potts, in his RS Aero, overhauled Dye, whilst Adam Kedge’s Laser was just behind.  The majority of the fleet beat out to sea to gain the stronger flood tide, it then required at least one tack to make the windward mark but Potts and Dye managed to point high and were rewarded with making Eastcliff in one.  They were followed by Pedder who almost capsized as he bore away on a run, on the second leg up the coast to the Preston Park buoy.  Gary Hollis, in his Laser, was less fortunate and capsized, not once but twice; the run also catching out Chris Maloney in his Comet and Paul Jackson in his RS Aero, both of whom got a ducking.  Finley Taylor quickly seized the opportunity to take his Topper past Maloney.  Having rounded Preston Park it was a reach out to the Seaward buoy, by which time Dye had taken the lead but he lost it to Potts as the boats then beat into the Lilley Farm mark.  After a disappointing start, Brian Allen took his RS Aero through the fleet and was now in third place; Adam Kedge and Pedder close by.  Slightly further back there was a battle of Lasers between Simon Kedge and Paul Stanton. After Preston Park it was a very broad reach to the Kingscliff buoy before a beat back to the line.  It was on this last leg that Michael Gutteridge, who up to then had really been in the thick of things, capsized his Solo and turtled it, requiring the assistance of the Club’s Safety Boat, so putting him out the race.  The second lap saw further capsizes but, otherwise, was uneventful.

Personal PY Trophy:
1.    Laser – Adam Kedge
2.    RS Aero – Ken Potts
3.    Laser – Simon Kedge