Cornforth Shows A Clean Pair Of Heels

Gunfleet Sailing Club held the third race in its Spring Series on Sunday 19 April 2026 with seventeen dinghies taking to the water.  With an offshore wind, varying in strength from force 2 to force 4, the helms debated which size rig would be most suitable and a few last minute changes occurred.

Such was the wind direction that the fleet started on a reach, and with the first leg being down the coast assisted by a flood tide it was inevitable that someone would be over the line.  The someone in this case was Andy Dunnett in his Laser but, seeing the individual recall flag flying from the yardarm, he hastily returned to restart.  Meanwhile Andy Cornforth and Tim Dye, both sailing RS Aeros, and Adam Kedge in his Laser, had a very tight start, as did John Tappenden in his RS Aero who stayed close to the Outer Distance Mark and so gained a stronger tide and a slightly stronger wind; his only disadvantage being that he was in the lee of many other competitors.  Robert Gutteridge, in his RS Aero, sailed through the fleet and by the time the Eastcliff mark was reached there was very close bunching.  First round was Tappenden, followed by Robert Gutteridge and then Ken Potts in his RS Aero but Cornforth, sailing by the lee, was soon challenging Tappenden who was quick to luff him up.  The reach out to Seaward, against the tide, did little to slow the fleet and as they rounded the offshore buoy it was now Dye in the lead as the helms faced the beat into the ODM.  It was this leg that helped to split the fleet as different tactics were tried, assisted or hindered by the variable offshore wind shifts.  Dye remained at the front as the boats hooked round the mark and began the run back out to Seaward but a quick thinking Tappenden cut round the ODM tighter than Cornforth and squeezed himself into second position; Jono Dunnett in his Laser now sitting fourth with the RS Aero of Martin Chivers just behind.  From Seaward it was a reach to the Preston Park buoy before a short beat to the Kingscliff mark and then a reach back to the line.  Robert Gutteridge was forced to retire when he had problems with his outhaul and his brother Michael, sailing a Solo, also retired.  Chivers then retired when he capsized, righted his Aero only to capsize again and stab himself in the ribs with his tiller extension.  At the end of the first lap, on handicap, it was Cornforth first, Jono Dunnett second, and Tappenden third.  During the second lap Dave Ingle capsized in his RS Aero, and Andy Dunnett decided he had enough of the conditions and retired, whilst the top three positions remained unchanged.  However, on the third and final lap, Tappenden slipped ahead of Jono Dunnett but was unable to stop Cornforth’s clean victory.

Spring Series - 3:
1.    RS Aero – Andy Cornforth
2.    RS Aero – John Tappenden
3.    Laser – Jono Dunnett