MICSLtd.com Scottish Topper Championships 2010

Largo Bay proved an excellent venue for the MICSLtd.com 2010 Scottish Topper Championships. Sun, sea and sand a plenty but sadly the light wind theme continued and the usual Largo Bay sea breeze failed to materialise although through the determination of the OOD four races were completed in the challenging conditions.

On Saturday a short delay was required before the wind settled to a steady force 2 from the South. Samantha Foster led race one from the start building a substantial lead by the end. Calum Tait led the chasing pack with Aaron Murray in third followed by Jack Aitken and Jordan Black.

Race two was a much closer affair as the wind initially fell away then returned from the East. Jordan Black led down the first reach but paid the price for sailing too high initially as Samantha and Aaron powered through on a straighter line to the gybe. There was a close battle to the gybe mark with Sammi holding the inside line but Aaron was just able to break the overlap with a few lengths to go and crossed ahead to lead on the second reach. With the wind failing he was able to stay ahead to the finish. Jordan was third with David Abraham coming through to fourth.

Race three was again a light wind affair with a strong start and good downwind speed the key to a top position. Final positions were exactly as for race 2.

As the fleet gathered for the Saturday evening barbeque it was Aaron leading from Sammi on equal points and Jordan third with Calum Tait in fourth.

For Sunday the forecast was promising and with blue skies and sunshine the signs were all set for a classic Largo Bay day of champagne sailing. The fleet launched on time but despite a lengthy delay the fourth race eventually got away in only the lightest of breeze. The time it was Calum Tait who showed the way from the start Aaron was next, this time pressed hard by Joanne Foster. Samantha was eighth at the first mark but pulled through to fourth by the leeward mark. With the race shortened to just one leg there were tense moments for both Jo and Aaron as Samantha chose the favored left side and was closing rapidly heading to the finish but in the end the wind filled in again and the positions remained unchanged.

After another lengthy postponement the wind refused to settle to the expected south Westerly and the OOD had no choice but to bring the fleet ashore.

Aaron Murray was duly crowned a very popular 2010 Scottish Area Champion with Samantha a close second and first lady. Calum Tait was third with Jordan Black fourth.

Overall Champion - Aaron Murray

First overall: Aaron

Second overall: Samantha

Third overall: Calum Tait

Fourth overall: Jordan Black

Fifth overall: David Abraham

Sixth Overall: Jack Aitken

First Female: Samantha Foster

Second Female: Joanne Foster (8th overall)

Third Female: Jennifer Abraham (11th overall)

First Junior: Aaron Murray

ITCA (GBR) Topper 4.2 National Squad

ITCA (GBR) Topper 4.2 National Squad - Notice of Selection and Application Form,
Saturday 26 June 2010

Following the outstanding success of this year's Topper 4.2 National Squad we will once again be selecting sailors for this squad towards the end of the year. With the current growth in the Topper Class, the success of the previous squad and the current interest already expressed this year, we are pleased to announce that the number in the squad will be increased this year to 18. Dave Cockerill, the RYA Topper Head Coach will once again run the squad.

Important please note:

Click Here to download the Notice of Selection which details the selection criteria and process - note that the indicator events will be the Sailing Solutions Topper 4.2 Nationals 2010 on July 17th and 18th 2010 at Leigh and Lowton Sailing Club and the Sailing Solutions National Series on October 16th and 17th 2010 at Carsington Sailing Club. Click here to download an application form which should be returned to Dave Cockerill. Note that this is a seperate process to the RYA Squad Application process

MICS Ltd.com Scottish Topper Traveller 3

Well it was another very light wind affair, this time with the addition of some tide to add to the challenge. The racing was exceedingly close, as always with a lot of place changing and a variety of race winners but in the end it was Alexander Still who took first overall. A full report will follow one I get a better picture of events down on the race course but headline results as follows

1st Alexander Still
2nd Calum Tait
3rd Aaron Murray
4th Samantha Foster
5th Joanna Barrie

29 boats in the main fleet and 15 in Developemnt so 44 Toppers in all. A brilliant turn out. Hope to see most of you at Largo Bay next week for the Topper Scottish Championships.

G.

Helensburgh Youth Regatta - Traveller 3

This weekend is the next Scottish Topper Traveller at Helensburgh. First start is at 13.00 on Saturday. The notice of race is here

We are with the Optimists again so there is a coached Development Fleet which you can join for just an extra £5.00. (please note there will not be a seperate Development Fleet for the Scottish Championships at Largo Bay, instead there will be one fleet sailing average laps so everyone gets to sail in the Championship)

I am also hoping to have a parents/supporters meeting at Helensburgh. Can we meet in the bar area 15 minutes after we launch the last Topper please? We can talk over lunch if need be. Main agenda items are Nationals plans, Largs Nationwide arrangements and next years sailing programme.

Be there or be square.

Graham

ITCA (GBR) Nationwide 2, Derwent Water

Well done Reuben Murphy from Portishead Sailing Club who placed first in very difficult conditions (see 4.2 Report below). It was undoubtedly a weekend that favoured the smaller sailors and light wind gurus with flat water and very little wind (when there was any at all) but interesting to note most of the National Squad members still made it into the top half.

With well over 200 boats on the water it was impossible to follow anything from the shore and they were too far away for any pretty pictures but this is what the results tell us:-

Top Scot again was Alexander Still in 26th closely followed this time by Andrew Mitchell in 31st. Joanna Barrie was top Scottish girl and 48th overall with Jordan Black in 58 just holding off Jessica Campbell in 61 (what is it with those two - are they stuck together this year?). Then the order was as follows:-
Kae Clark 107
Calum Tait 117
Aaron Murray 122
Rory Kilgore 134
Samantha Foster 140
Jack Aitken 142
Lewis Marr 146
David Abraham 149
Ian Symon 151
Ian McLaughlin 160
Rosalind Dunlop 175
Andrew Crocket 177
Jessica Milford 180

Well done everyone, great sailing to stick it out in difficult conditions. No discards. Over seven hours on the water. You can all be very proud of yourselves.

Next up is the Brown Cup, Scottish schools Sailing Championships at Loch Earn SC and then Helensburgh Youth Regatta is our next Scottish Traveller. See you all there?

Sailing Solutions 4.2 National Series 4, Derwent Water SC

Well it was exactly as forecast. No wind and a mini heat wave made for a lovely day for the parents ashore on saturday but no races were possible despite the entire fleet including PRO and rescue crews drifting around by the dam for a good couple of hours during the afternoon.

On Sunday a very determined looking PRO took the fleet back down to the dam at 09.30 but it was to be after 1pm and several abandoned races later before there was finally a stable enough wind to get race one away successfully. Full credit to the race team and mark layers who then ran the full three race programme before the 3.40 deadline for the last 4.2 fleet start.

The hero on the day was Joseph Mullan from Priory Sailing Club who dominated in the very light airs, winning all three races. Second was Halden Nielson-Timms from Redesmere and in a close faught battle our own Joanne Foster from Loch Tummel held on to third place by one point from Rutland's Hannah Stowe and Georgie McKenzie from Ripon.

Well done all.

Forthcoming Events 2

We are all off to Derwent Reservoir this weekend (not Derwent Water - thats somewhere else) but after that the next MICSLtd.com Scottish Topper Traveller event is at Helensburgh on 19 and 20th June 2010. Then we have the first potential date for the Topper Scottish Championships which will be at Largo Bay Sailing Club at Lower Largo in Fife on the 26th and 27th of June. This is a fantastic sea venue with a good chance of reasonable breeze. (If the wind gods are not with us the reserve date for the Championship will be Prestwick in early September.) The Scottish Championships will be part of the Largo Bay annual regatta and we are sharing with several classes but not with the optimists so the plan is that all Toppers will be sailing in one fleet with no separate Development Fleet course although we will be awarding prizes for first 4.2 and for some of the younger sailors as well as the top 3.

Good sailing,

g.