GUNFLEET Sailing Club members have had a busy few days, culminating in sailing up to Holland Haven to take part in the Clacton Sailing Club Regatta.

On Saturday afternoon, Gunfleet’s Cadets and Otters took part in their class points race series in near perfect conditions. In the Topper class, it was unfortunate that nobody managed to complete the course, but it was a different story in the Topazes.

The battle was on between the Aiken brothers as Thomas, along with Jude Aylen, battled it out against Joshua and Phil.

Positions changed as the race went on, but it was younger brother Joshua that took the winning gun.

In the 405 fleet, it was an early lead for Tom and Ed Philpot, carving out a comfortable first place.

In the menagerie group, it was Hannah Aylen, in a Laser, that managed to hold off Emily Newson, also in a Laser, while Alfie Searles and Henry Spooner were going great guns in their Pico.

However, they realised halfway round the course that they had left their bung out.

This did not deter the pair, despite a sudden capsize, and both vowed to be back on the water for the next event.

In the evening the club held its moonlight cruise and, as the sun set, a fleet of dinghies, accompanied by the rescue boat, set off towards Clacton Pier.

By the time the craft made their destination, night was falling and everyone sailed back with the coastline illuminated and the moon and stars shining bright.

The previous Wednesday evening, in light airs, the third race in the Tony Chadd series was run.

The first leg, a fetch up to Kingscliff buoy, saw Robert Gutteridge pull ahead in his Solution and he was first to round the mark.

On the reach out to the Seaward buoy, he found the rest of the fleet closing in on him and as the boats beat in to the AWS buoy the GP14 of Derroll Pedder and Michael Gutteridge slipped in front of him, followed by Harry Swinbourne, in his Laser.

There then followed a bit of a wind shift and Swinbourne just pulled away from his competitors, making him a clear winner.

Results: Tony Chadd Series - race three: 1 Laser – Harry Swinbourne, 2 GP14 – Derroll Pedder and Michael Gutteridge, 3 405 – Tom and Ed Philpot.