DF95 Autumn Series at East Kent Radio Sailing Club - Week 5
by Peter Jackson 1 Nov 05:26 PST
29 October 2026
Palace Coup Overturns Dynastic Order
With Dave Adams off on his successful DF95 campaign in South Africa family rivalry at
home in Kent saw Adrian Tomlinson thrown off his throne by prince in waiting, his younger
brother David.
The fight was blow for blow exchanging 1sts and 2nds until old rival Peter
Jackson surrendered a comfy win in race 7 by sailing past the line due to senility to give
David a 4th win to lead by the early lunch break.
Davids timing was good. With nearly zero wind forecast only 11 members entered and 9
raced. Ralph Wilkinson and Mick Speakman did RO and wind-finder general Alan Hounsell
moved the battlefield around as some catspaws allowed battle to commence and the wind
built slowly to a shifty 5-6 knots.
Peter stayed close with a row of 3rds after Robert Owens
claimed 3rd in the first skirmish then tried and failed to port tack the fleet for 7 races in a row.
Peter Glover, long absent, did a Blucher by joining the fray late but straight to 2nd in race 5.
Alan Hounsell guarded the melee with a straight run of 4ths up to race 6, where Peter J was
2nd to Adrian, with Andrew Nannery getting his first ever podium with 3rd.
The whole course
was been changed after an early lunch as Joan d'Arc noticed the wind defied forecasts to
back Eastwards. Alan liked that, taking a 3rd, but Peter liked it more, finally holding on to a
win in race 8, from the Tomlinson brothers with Rob Owens in 4th before two 3rds, as the
brothers now scrapped noisily ahead in the distance, swapping pairs of 1sts and 2nds.
As the walking wounded Rob Owens and Peter Glover retired early Adrian slipped, hitting a
buoy to finish 3rd behind Peter in race 12. But he then bounced back with a win from his
brother in race 13 with Alan 3rd.
Victory was on a knife edge into the last race, the Tomlinson
brothers equal on points. But it was Peter, scoring 3,2,4,1 who took the final bullet, a day
before his 75th birthday, as the three traded shifts up the last beat.
David ducked right and
landed a right hook, taking 2nd critically ahead of his big brother to take the event win by just
one point.
The cry went out; 'The king is dead, Long live the king!' But victorious general
Dave Adams is due back soon bearing Global Gold Fleet credentials to have a say about
that!
Results:
1. 750 David Tomlinson
2. 30 Adrian Tomlinson
3. 211 Peter Jackson
4. 380 Alan Hounsell
5. 479 Rob Owens
6. 613 Andrew Nicholls
7. 026 Peter Glover
8. 007 Ed Coxon
9. 004 Andrew Nannery
The full day's results are now available to view on the club website, www.eastkentrsc.com/2026