RYA Scotland AGM

Just back from the RYAS AGM at the Falkirk Wheel. What a venue! On arrival delegates were treated to a sailing display by On Board sailors, Blair and Ryan from the Lowport Centre at Linlithgow in the new On Board Topper Fleet.

Chairman Hamish MacKay ensured a brisk pace through the multiple items of business including discussion of the new RYA Scotland strategy and new plans to ensure greater involvement of clubs in the RYA pathway. Roy McCubbin, High Performance Manager announced the establishment of a new post, the class pathway officer, to work with Scottish Sailing Clubs on developing class sailing in Scotland.

Exactly on time, Hamish handed over to former 470 crew mate Steven "Sparkie" Park, a product of RYAS and now Skandia Team GBR Olympic Manager. Steven gave a fantastic presentation on the experiences of the GBR Olympic Team sailors with a particular focus on Quindao 2008 and the remarkable performance of the GBR Team. Steven emphasised in particular the efforts of every member of the GBR and RYA support team, from the sailors themselves, to the expert support team, right down to the members of every club who has worked to raise the standards of racing all across the UK.

Finale of the day was a demonstration of boat handling and finesse in the Falkirk Wheel basin by Scottish Topper Squad sailors Andrew McGowan (GBR Topper Squad 2009), Jamie Noyes (Topper JDP National Squad 2009) and Alexander "Chuckie" Still.

RYAS is looking forward to another successful year promoting, developing and defending Scottish Sailing.

Bassenthwaite Winter Regatta

Congratulations Felicity.  Not a clean sweep by any means but sufficiently dominant to add the Northern Winter Regatta Crown to the Southern one she won at Weymouth a few weeks ago.

Best Scottish Topper was Andrew McGowan in an impressive fifth place showing the benefits of a long winter of hard work travelling the hard miles to GBR squad, to Cumbrae and training locally too.

Well done Andrew. We look forward to seeing your name becoming a regular on the ITCA results board.

The Bassenthwaite team did a fantastic job all weekend.  Despite very testing conditions and a difficult first start involving two mid sequence postponements and two general recalls the race finally got away under the first of many black flags. (ask Emily and Joanne!)

Races 1 to three were sailed in a mix of light winds with occasional squalls providing an interesting game of snakes and ladders for the 86 Toppers who had begun the day in spring sunshine but soon experienced the bitter chill of the Lake District in March.

Sunday brought a brisk force 4 which all but disappeared for the start of racing but soon returned making for some exciting downwind legs with many a "death roll" to hold the attention of the binocular equipped twitchers (concerned parents) on the splendid Bassenthwaite SC viewing deck.

Race six was a particularly breezy affair which brought quite a few early retrials allowing hot showers for the sailors and a chance of a record quick pack up and early get away for the waiting shore crew.

A short delay and the prize giving completed by 4pm rounded of a near perfect first ITCA Northern Winter regatta.  Well done Felicity Foulds, well done Bassenthwaite SC, well done the Scottish Toppers.

Full results here.    

Or for a professional write up see Yachts and Yachting.

Topper and Optimist Traveller at Annandale 4/5 April 2009

Here are the details for the upcoming Topper Open at Annandale Sailing Club.  This will be the first big event of the 2009 Scottish Toppers Traveller Series and looks like being an excellent event.  We are sharing with the Optimists so bring your little brothers and sisters too!

Be there or be square.

Click here for the Notice of Race.

Link to Poster

ITCA Winter Regatta, Bassenthwaite

Entries for the ITCA Northern Winter Regatta have reached 84.  This event, to be held at Bassenthwaite Sailing Club over the weekend 21/22 March is the second of the two ITCA winter events the first of which was held at the National Sailing Academy and 2012 Olympic venue at Weymouth and was dominated by 18 year old Felicity Foulds from Norfolk Broads Yacht Club.

On current form few would bet against Felicity to do the double but there are 83 other Topper sailors who will be out to prove them wrong.

 Event documents and results will be posted here.

West Squad at Loch Lomond

Laurie Marsden's West Squad Training continued on March 16th with the fourth of five scheduled training weekends.  Thirty enthusiastic young sailors assembled with their Toppers Fevas and Lasers at Loch Lomond sailing club but with winds reaching 40 mph at times the coaching team opted for a day of shore based training.  First up was physical fitness with a programme of circuit training set up in the sailing clubs spacious boat shed and enthusiasm aided with a dose of German Techno beat.  (thats a sort of weird music - I think).  Next was a theory session on strategy and tactics followed by some more team building exercises.  A "wee Roy 'l visit" then took place but it was RYA Scotland High Performance Manager Roy McCubbin who arrived not the other Royal and parents and sailors were treated to a detailed explanation of the RYA Junior and Youth Programmes, the various Class Association Training Schemes and the various merits of the RYA Youth classes including Optimists, Toppers, Lasers, Fevas, 420's and 29ers. (And RS200's, Roy)

It was a delight to arrive to a lovely force 3 breeze on Sunday and after another fitness session led by Laurie and her coaching team it was straight on the water for some practical exercises to demonstrate the importance of planning and strategy.  After another excellent lunch provided by the smiling kitchen team and a detailed debrief on wind and clouds which was valued as much by the assembled adults as the youngsters it was back on the water for an afternoon of "wacky races" and a final counting race which was memorable for a very impressive start by Topper sailor Andrew Mitchell.  

A big thank you to all the coaching team and especially to the event organisers and the many Loch Lomond SC members who helped make the weekend a great success. 

There are a selection of event pictures available here

Busy weekend for Squads

Whilst the Scottish Squad assemble at Cumbrae this weekend for some final preparations before the Northern Winter Regatta at Bassenthwaite the West Squad will be busy doing the same at Loch Lomond and the North Squad will be at Channonry.  Good Sailing all.

ITCA Open Training at Annandale

Whilst the National squad trained at Cumbare 16 sailors gathered at Annandale Sailing Club for open Topper training organised by ITCA the Topper Class Association.

With a good breeze and reasonable weather conditions coach Graham Foster got straight to business with a series of practice races designed to help identify the sailors strengths and weaknesses.  After a fantastic lunch in the Sailing Club and with the arrival of Calum Calder to supplement the coaching team there was an opportunity to divide the sailors into two groups depending upon their needs.  One group focussed on starting and mark rounding drills whilst the other focussed on boatspeed and the five essential of trim, balance, sail setting, centreboard and course made good. 

Sunday morning looked less promising with only  light breeze but thorough briefing on light wind techniques was enough to ensure the wind filled in as soon as the sailors went afloat allowing a full programme of mark rounding and start box exercises.

Another great lunch and a short session of polishing the sailor's new found skills was followed by a successful mini-regatta to round off a very successful weekend.

A big thank you to everyone who helped organise the weekend and those who helped, especially the on the water team of rescue assistants and the ever friendly and helpful kitchen staff.

The first Scottish Traveller of the season is at Annandale on 4 and 5th April 2009.

Mini regatta results 

1. Jessica Campbell

2. Joanne Foster

3. Alistair Johnstone

4. Craig Watters

5. Angus Johnstone

6. Reece McMichael

7. Rosemary Jennings-Maun

8. Fergus Barrie (yes Fergus Barrie - a ringer!)

9. James Campbell

10.  Rhory Henry

Scottish Squad at Cumbrae

Over the weekend of February 28 and March 1st the Scottish Toppers enjoyed their fourth Squad Weekend of the winter.   After gales forced the relocation of the third weekend to the SportScotland National centre at Inverclyde, it was a relief for the squad to get back on the water at Cumbrae.  With good winds and reasonable weather including an occassional glimpse of sunshine a full programme of on the water training was completed.