DF95 Autumn Series at East Kent Radio Sailing Club - Week 4

Start 1, Mike Brand away on starboard and Peter Jackson clear on port - DF95 Autumn Series at Barton's Point week 4 © Alan Hounsell

In perfect A rig weather increasing to 14 knot gusts 10 skippers contested event 4 of East Kent RSC's Autumn Series at Barton's Point Sheppey at the end of October, as member Mike Weston passed the reins of RC Yachts to Tim Long at Abersoch.

Peter Jackson celebrated his birthday by persisting with Mike Brand's old tactics of winning the first 2 races before fading away. Dave Adams passed Adrian Tomlinson and Mike on the last beat for 2nd in race 1. Peter did the same to Mike in race 2 with Colin Honour 3rd.

Jim La Roche then got into gear with 2 wins in a row, from Adrian then Colin, ahead of Alan Hounsells only visit to the podium, and the first of a string of 3rd places for Peter. Series co-leader Dave Adams had missed race 2 for a winch change but then languished mid-fleet for a while fighting Alan and Rob Owens.

Mike finally got a win in race 5, followed by 3 more podiums, then Adrian, Colin and Jim each took wins before lunch. Adrians had three 2nd places to put him 1 point ahead or Peter at the break.

The wind backed over lunch and the fleet decamped from the point to the café area, which Adrian seemed to like as the wind also increased, with a sequence of 1,1,2,1 to give him an unassailable lead. Mike fell away and after battery issues sat out races 12 & 13. Robert Owens, having a poor day by his standards, finally put in an appearance near the head of the fleet with a 3rd & 2nd in races 11 and 13.

Dave also finally got his boat going finishing 2,1,2,1 to just overhaul Colin but Jim finished with two 3rds to hold Dave off for 3rd overall by 4 points. Peter was 2nd, another 5 points ahead of Jim, but Adrian recovered from an average morning to take yet another event win as Peter finished 4,6,4 to leave Adrian 9 points clear and clear ahead in the series.

Start 2, 30 seconds to go - DF95 Autumn Series at Barton's Point week 4 - photo © Mike Brand

Top Ten:

1. 30 Adrian Tomlinson
2. 211 Peter Jackson
3. 57 Jim La Roche
4. 358 Dave Adams
5. 48 Colin Honour
6. 875 Mike Brand
7. 380 Alan Hounsell
8. 470 Robert Owens
9. 32 Spencer Pope
10. 156 Martin Hill

Start 2, half a second after the gun - DF95 Autumn Series at Barton's Point week 4 - photo © Mike Brand