GUNFLEET Sailing Club held its laying-up dinner and dance at Clacton Golf Club.

Commodore Richard Walker welcomed 75 members and looked back over the club's first year of sailing with the new sea defence scheme.

The racing had been well supported but the cruises suffered from bad weather at times.

The Regatta, sponsored by Discount Windows and Conservatories, had seen some keen competition and the club's Cadet Week, sponsored by Dong Energy, had been very well supported and great fun, thanks to the many adult members volunteering to help.

The recent trialling of special sand mats, to assist the craft over the beech, had proved a great success and the club intend to purchase a set ready for the 2017 season.

Walker then invited Daisy Swinbourne, Gunfleet's cadet commodore, to present trophies to the following:

March Hare - Ken Potts; Spring Series - Andy Dunnett; Toppo Single Helm - Ken Potts; Cadet Single Helm - Harry Swinbourne; Wallet Trophy - Andy Dunnett; Egg and Bacon - John Tappenden; Jubilee Trophy - Ken Potts; RNLI Charity Shield - Ken Potts; Tee Dee Challenge Trophy - Ken Potts; Potterer’s Pot - Richard Walker; Ken Potts’ Pot - Steve Swinbourne; Austin Ladies Trophy - Yvonne Gough; Bill Clarke Shield - Peter Downer; Hertford County Shield - Paul Stanton; London Trophy - Paul Davis; Jim Suckling Shield - Andy Dunnett; Summer Series - Ken Potts; Tony Chadd Trophy - John Tappenden; Class Points: Laser - Ken Potts; Solution - Robert Gutteridge; 405 - Tom and Ed Philpot; Topaz - Steve and Daisy Swinbourne; Topper - Harry Swinbourne; Sea Ranger - Richard Walker; Bill Geddes Trophy - Ken Potts; Double “G” Trophy - Ted Newson; Bob Agate Trophy - Owen Hooper; SOS Trophy - Tom and Ed Philpot; Spirit of the Wind - Robert Gutteridge; Fleet Championships - Paul Stanton; Autumn Series - Ken Potts;

Tarrant Trophy - Dave Fowell; Senior Leading Helm - Ken Potts; Junior Leading Helm - Harry Swinbourne; Terry Baker “Cheers” Trophy - Derroll Prdder; Stan Camp Progress Cup - Robert Lockett; Junior Merit Trophy - Harry Swinbourne;

Cissbury Merit Trophy - Tom Philpot; Stein Ladies’ Merit Trophy - Helen Swinbourne and Rebecca Goodchild; Gentlemen’s Merit Trophy - Jon Meggison.

On Sunday, Gunfleet Sailing Club held the fourth race in its Winter Series.

Andy Dunnett led the way, on a reach, to the first mark at Eastcliff, but soon found himself in the wind shadow of Derroll Pedder's Solution.

Pedder quickly took over the front place.

There then followed a broad reach out to the Seaward buoy and while the leading boats stayed tight, positions seemed to change repeatedly.

Rob Lockett was driving his Laser hard and even got ahead of the Solution, holding him back for several legs before Pedder finally got the better of him.

As the boats beat towards the AWS buoy, various tactics were tried, with varying degrees of success, and then it was a clean run back out to Seaward.

By this time, Ken Potts had skilfully sailed his Laser into a modest lead, enhanced slightly by the beat to the Kingscliff buoy when he executed some perfect lay-lines, going on to be the first to sail through the line at the end of the first lap.

As the second lap unfolded it appeared things had settled down and a clear pecking order was being established until, on the run from AWS to Seaward, Dunnett released his kicking strap, in order to attempt to increase boat speed, promptly capsized and could only watch as several of his competitors sailed cleanly past him.

He did well to right the boat, chase after the tail end of the fleet, and start to push his way up towards the top.

However, in the third and final lap, his luck gave way when his tiller extension broke, forcing him to rather more cautiously complete the race.

Results: Winter Series - race four: 1 Laser – Ken Potts, 2 Solution – Derroll Pedder, 3 Laser – Rob Lockett.