Nationals Notes

Looks like we have 24 Scottish Toppers heading to Pwllheli next week. Sorry I have not been in contact but it has been a very busy time both at home and at work.

Things you might need to know:-
1. There is now a nationals mico-site which amongst other useful things has all the event documents incluing the welcome booklet http://www.sailracer.us/eventsites/home.asp?eventid=39676. You will get a paper copy in your welcome pack but the info will be useful to review in advance.
2. As wedecided at our parents meeting at Helensburgh I have made arrangements to have our own ITCA (Scotland) RIB and coach to be in attendance to support ALL the Scottish competitors during the week. I see this as also being part of our contribution by way of in kind support to the event. There are over 350 youngsters going afloat each day and this needs 35, YES 35! RIBS and 70 crew every day. RYA Scotland is sending our Topper class coach (Robin Paris) and one RIB but with 24 entrants we all felt we should be able to provide at least one more "Scottish RIB".
3. The RIB in question is being kindly provided by the Wilkie family as we were unable to secure the loan of a club RIB as most clubs are very busy just now. I will collect the RIB from Largs and tow to Pwllheli and back at no cost. Our ITCA Scotland coach will be Emma Wilkie who will be available to all the Scottish competitors, provide daily briefings and feedback and be providing on the water support for our team.
4. As I am sure you will appreciate all this will cost us and there is not enough in our Scottish funds to cover these costs so as agreed I am hoping that each sailor will be willing to find about £20 towards Emma's costs for the week. (More would be welcome if you feel able - the equivelant Youth Squad support is costing us £75 this year and will be £100 each at Garda)but please try and find at leat the £20. I will collect these contributions during the week.
5. The RYA squad sailors will also be being watched and coached by Robin but I hope will be willing to contribute equally as our RIB will be an essential part of the rescue fleet and we are all taking part and the RYA has not asked for a contribution to the RYA RIB costs.
6. We will need a volunteer to crew for Emma each day. I am working on a rota and will e-mail about this or catch you at Pwllheli.
7. Thursday is our day for Area duties, shared with the NE. We need a beachmaster, a beach crew of at least 6 parents, two people for the clothing stand in the marquee, a blogger and two people to distribute packed lunches in the morning amongst other things. Again I plan to e-mail about this to those for whom I have addresses.
We are also charged with running the Topper's got talent evening entertainment on Thursday in the Marquee. Help!
8. We still plan to provide pasta each day to our 24 sailors before they go afloat.
9. Fiona has arranged Scottish Toppers abroad clothing and hopes to have some available for purchase at the event. there may be an opportunity to place orders for the worlds..

Thats all for now.

More by e-mail.

See you all at Pwllheli.

G.

PS North Berwick has big rocks as Joanne found out at great speed this afternoon. One broken Topper, fortunately not the brand new one!

Lucy Yeates regains Topper 4.2 National Championship

Lucy Yeates of the GBR Topper National Junior Squad has regained the 4.2 National Championship title she first won two years ago. Lucy (15) of Leigh and Lowton Sailing Club sailing on her home waters led the 45 boat fleet round in races 1 and 2 held in a brisk 20 knot breeze. For Races 3-5 the wind kicked in with a vengance topping 37 knots at one point and giving these young sailors the chance to show the true quality of the Topper 4.2 fleet. This time it was Curtis Mearns (14), also of the home club who showed the way in a hotly contested top ten giving him the overnight lead. Third place was Northern Ireland's top 4.2 sailor, Laura Gilmore(13) of Strangford Lough Yacht Club with 2009 4.2 National Champion Dan Vennables(13) just behind.

These four were given a hard battle by Matt Vennables (14) also visting from the GBR Topper Junior Squad, Arran Holman (13), Optimist Inland Champion 2010, GBR Topper Intermediate squaddie Jamie Purcell (14) from Redesmere and Scotland's Joanne Foster the recently crowned Topper 4.2 Nationwide Champion so no shortage of talent on show and the racing was incredibly impressive with Toppers flying down the lake in balls of spray.

As the wind again topped 35 knots at the race officer decided he had seen enough (and run out of memory on his camera) and sent the fleet ashore after 4 races.

Saturday night was memorable for the world famous (so the locals told us) Leigh and Lowton bottle boat race (plastic bottles, plastic bags and gaffer tape a plenty) followed by a fab meal from the club galley and a quiz night with picture quiz and music clips! Well done the social committee.

Sunday dawned with the same brisk breeze blowing at the Premier Inn and seemingly everywhere else but Pennington Flash (the lake) where there was barely enough wind to set a course. With no tide to worry about the fleet duly set off for five more races.

Race five looked like normal service being resumed with the same top ten again leading the way although Lucy was clearly going to be hard to beat in the lighter breeze and Dan also loving the light stuff. Joanne slipped slighly to 9th.

Race six, seven and eight were much the same although Scotland's challenge was dented with Jo trapped on the wrong side of a 90 degree wind shift in race six and then tipping it in on the run in race 7 whilst trying some extreme kiting downwind to hold off the flying super lightweights.

As the fleet came ashore for lunch the wind returned and then vanished again just as the fleet launched for race 8. (sound familiar?) In a swinging wind the first start was a general recall as the fleet correctly identified the huge starboard bias and the black flag returned, not for the first time of the weekend. The restart was then postponed mid sequence as another huge windshift brought back some real breeze with Toppers seen briefly surfing between capsizes.

On a completely re-set course race 8 finally got away and despite a rapidly dying wind race 9 was also started with just eight minutes to spare from the absolute time limit.

In the final analysis it was Lucy who became the very deserving 2010 Topper 4.2 National Champion in an extremely close fought and high quality event with no less then three National Champions and six National Junior Squad sailors in the top 10. With competition of this calibre and 45 smiling faces returning to the launching area each day (thats the sailors - the parents were grim as ever!) this event and the 4.2 class looks set for a bright future.

In the battle of the Scots Joanne did not enjoy the very light wind races in what will probably be her last ever 4.2 event but managed to hang on to 11th overall just ahead of Lewis Marr who came through very well on the Sunday to pull up to 16th overall.

Next up the Topper 5.3 National Championships at Pwllheli. See you there.

Weymouth Final Report

Final Results are now available at http://www.sailracer.co.uk/results_report.asp?event=11169

This was probably the largest GBR Nationwide event ever held with a record turnout of about 230 boats in the 5.3 fleet PLUS a further 18 in the 4.2 fleet. Winds were light to moderate across both race courses which were set within the confines Weymouth Harbour. The weather was hot and sticky. There were a lot of protests which went on well into Sunday evening.

On the race course Alexander did very well and could readily have won the event but for a challenging final race. Samantha and Jessica had a battle royal to be the first Scottish lady which Jessica won in the end by a single place. Well done Jessica.

Aaron pulled up from a disappointing Saturday to finish in an excellent place by the end.

Apart from that I know very little...

Scottish Topper wins 4.2 National Series

Joanne Foster (13) from loch Tummel Sailing Club has won the inaugural Topper 4.2 Sailing Solutions Nationwide Series.

Heading into the final event of the 5 race National Series Joanne, a member of the ITCA (GBR) 4.2 National Squad, was in a strong position with scores of 3,1,3. There was however intense competition from the rest of the 4.2 squad and in particular Joseph Mullan who had reveled in the light winds at Derwent and with his new boat (46439) was determined to do all he could to gain the trophy.

As the fleet prepared all was set for the battle of the Jo-s. Joanne needed to be 2nd or better in this final event to secure the all important Nationwide Series Trophy without needing to rely on Joseph slipping up.

In the end Joanne used her new Sailing Solutions Sprint XL (46940) to do just what she needed to do, combining great starts and defensive strategy to sail a conservative series and secure 2nd place so that even by using his electrifying downwind speed in the tricky and often light wind conditions to secure the event win Joseph had to be content with second in the series.

The Nationwide Series Trophy is expected to be presented at the Topper 4.2 Class National Championship which takes place at Leigh and Lowton Sailing Club next weekend.

Well done Joseph on the event win and Congratulations Joanne on securing the all important first ever Topper 4.2 Nationwide Series.

With plans already underway for next year's 4.2 squad a separate 4.2 Regatta fleet being required due to strong demand during the Pwllheli 5.3 Nationals and a record turnout of around 50 boats for next week's 4.2 Nationals, the cracking little boat which is the Topper 4.2 class looks set to go from strength to strength.

G.

Weymouth Preliminary Report

Final Results (Provisional) 5.3 Fleet (230 entrants).

Chucky 9th, Jessica C 41, Sammi 42, Aaron 50, Jordan 73, Iain McLaughlin 90, Rosalind 104, Iain Symon 116, Dean Malcolm 174

4.2 Fleet (18 entrants)

Joanne Foster 2nd

G.

Weymouth News

I am not actually there as I am on call this weekend but overnight news from Weymouth is that Alexander Still had a great day and is lying 3rd, Samantha is second Scot in 43rd with Jessica Campbel in 45. Jordan is 63 and Aaron 71 I think. Sorry I dont have any more results in the main fleet but there are 230 boats so it was incredibly close racing in about 10 miles per hour of breeze.

In the 4.2 fleet Joanne Foster is lying 2nd and Just hanging on to the overall lead in the Nationwide series heading into the final day but little Joseph Mullan is electric downwind in this light wind and will be hard to beat.

Winds are forecast to be lighter tomorrow so it will be a difficult day for all the Scots.

G.