DF95 Summer Series at East Kent Radio Sailing Club - Week 6
by Peter Jackson 19 Sep 2025 18:31 BST
18 September 2025
DF95 Summer Series event 6 at Barton's Point © Alan Hounsell
10 Boats raced in the penultimate East Kent DF95 summer series event in a stiff but warm 17-18knot breeze and big waves using a mix of B and C rigs.
The experienced Ralph Wilkinson returned as race officer. Mike Brand and Peter Jackson won races 1 and 2 with C rigs. The rest of the fleet soon got the memo and switched to C. After a poor start Adrian Tomlinson hit form with 1st & 2nd in races 3 & 4. These 3 winners plus Alan Hounsell and Dave Adams filled the podium places.
After two 2nds Mike Brand got a second win in race 4, from Adrian and Alan, keeping up his usual strong start before it all falls apart. Mike Weston had headed back to RC Yachts HQ rubbing his hands in glee just before the conditions started taking their toll. And they did with a vengeance!
Three boats failed to finish race 4, then Both Mike and Adrian crashed out of race 5, leaving Dave Adams to take his first win, from Peter then Andrew Nichols first and only podium.
A pattern then emerged with mainly Dave mainly winning, from Alan and Peter. Alan topped the podium twice and Peter for a 2nd time in the last race.
Only 4 boats now remained, but all completed the final six races. Racing was very close and just one failed tack in the difficult conditions could cost a couple of places, Alan showed good skills to beat Peter by inches twice. Ed Coxon only had a B rig so borrowed a C and, coached by Adrian, claimed a 3rd place in race 9.
The final analysis was close, just 2 then 3 points separating the first three boats. Alan had the best points total by one point from Peter, but after the 2 discards Dave Adams took the event comfortably from Alan and Peter with Ed in 4th. Mike was 5th counting 5 DNCs!
Results:
1. 358 Dave Adams
2. 380 Alan Hounsell
3. 211 Peter Jackson
4. 07 Edward Coxon
5. 875 Mike Brand
6. 613 Andrew Nichols
7. 30 Adrian Tomlinson
8. 32 Spencer Pope
9. 156 Martin Hill
10. 86 John Barker