DF95 Summer Series at East Kent Radio Sailing Club - Week 3
by Peter Jackson 31 Jul 12:18 PDT
30 July 2026
First start, two seconds before the gun - DF95 Summer Series at Barton's Point week 3 © Mike Brand
14 races were run on a warm, sunny day with 2-8 knot winds for the 3rd East Kent RSC Summer Series regatta. With the previous event cancelled due to Ramsgate Week 3 of the top Ramsgate competitors fought out the podium places in similar fickle winds, as a light S.W. gradient wind was gradually replaced by a N.E sea breeze. Ralph Wilkinson was R.O. and Rob Owens, Ramsgate protest committee chairman, set the courses.
Peter Jackson won race 1, continuing from the previous 2 events, from club chairman Alan Hounsell, finding more speed under A rig, and Mike Brand. Peter carried on with 2 more wins and a 2nd in the first 5 races. Dave Tomlinson won race 2, and he and Mike Brand filled the places, with Rob Owens and Alan Hounsell each scoring a 3rd. As the wind started becoming fitful Alan and Rob got a 1st & 2nd ahead of Mike in race 6 before Mike plugged in two wins, from David (+a 3rd) & Peter with Simon Thornton appearing with a 3rd.
As the new wind steadied from the opposite direction Peter re-appeared at the front, though passed a 1st to Mike by thinking he'd finished race 8 after 1 half laps! His 2,1,2, in races 8 to 10 were beaten by Mike's 1,2,1 to put them both on four 1st & two 2nds places. Dave T grabbed another 3rd and Alan two more. As co-helm of IRC Class 2 'Buccaneer' at Ramsgate Week Dave got a 3rd, but Mike steering his YTC class X40 won with 4 wins in a row, and Peter in his IRC42 won in IRC with 5 in a row. Now it was head to head for the win in DF95's.
In race 11 Peter was fouled and spun out as International Judge Rob didn't quite miss his stern, but recovered to 4th behind Mike, Simon and Dave. Mike had now found the right settings and won race 12 from Alan and Peter. A poor start by Mike in race 13 let Dave in with a win from Peter and Alan with Ed Coxon 4th and Mike 6th, which was discarded. Peter won the last race but Mike now only needed a top 4 place for the overall win. He got a 2nd 2nd, ahead of Dave and Rob, to secure 1st in the event from Peter, with Dave another 11 points back, 7 ahead of Alan. Air racing ace Simon was consistent but not fully up to speed.
Peter leads the series after 3 events with 1,1,2 from Mike with 6,2,1 but with 8 events still to go. Entries are open to all just by turning up at 10.am or contacting Alan at EKRSC, through whom spare boats are available. The next event is 6th August.
Results:
1. 10 Mike Brand
2. 211 Peter Jackson
3. 750 David Tomlinson
4. 380 Alan Hounsell
5. 665 Simon Thornton
6. 479 Robert Owens
7. 07 Ed Coxon
The full results are now available to view at www.eastkentrsc.com/2026