DF95 Summer Series at East Kent Radio Sailing Club - Week 1
by Peter Jackson 4 Jul 2025 10:43 BST
3 July 2025
DF95 Summer Series event 1 at Barton's Point © Peter Jackson
With a ghost of a breeze and a 90 degree shift forecast only nine boats attended the first East Kent Summer Series event at the club's Isle of Sheppey venue. Adrian Tomlinson finally got a course set, but it quickly changed to two reaches.
Each competitor took a turn as race officer, the system working well. Stumps were drawn for an early lunch after four races, two won by Mike Brand and two by Dave Adams. Adrian Tomlinson had to settle for three seconds with Alan Hounsell getting three thirds.
During lunch the wind veered and firmed up from East North East. Mike Brand put in another win, from Adrian and Dave, then Adrian took a win, with Rob Maunder and Peter Jackson finally getting on the podium, both after earlier fourth places. But Rob was struggling and faded again, and Peters wayward boat finally lost all steering. Mike had a fourth win from Adrian in race 7 with Alan grabbing his fourth and final third place before also slipping back again. Dave Adams was the next to suffer equipment failure, missing three races.
Notable one race performances were put in by John Barker, fighting for the lead until the last leg, then Andrew Nichols leading the fleet for a lap in race 8 and finishing third behind Adrian and Mike. Ed Coxon also appeared near the front more than once, but temporarily.
Dave re-appeared three races later with his spare hull and winch servo, winning race 9. Rob Maunder bounced back with a second ahead of Mike. Dave's 10 points for a DNS had dropped him out of contention but Mike and Adrian at the front were now on equal points with two races to run.
Mike won race 9 and Adrian race 10, both with the other in second place, so finishing level on 16 points, needing the second tie break in two events, with different boats each time. Dave and Rob each managed another third. But the tie break countback for the win wasn't close, Mike's five wins trumping Adrians three. Dave also had three wins but was 11 points adrift after counting that third 10 pointer. Alan was on the tail of Rob but slipped to sixth in the final race so Rob's third gave him fourth overall. Andrew Nichols fifth helped him hold off Ed Coxon for sixth.
Results:
1. 395 Mike Brand
2. 30 Adrian Tomlinson
3. 358 Dave Adams
4. 571 Rob Maunder
5. 380 Alan Hounsell
6. 613 Andrew Nichols
7. 007 Edward Coxon
8. 211 Peter Jackson
9. 86 John Barker