Scot on the Podium at Topper Worlds?

Forgive a proud father for this self satisfied post but just watched Samantha take 3rd place in Gold Fleet race 10 of the Topper World Championships at Malchesine. In Silver Dean Malcolm has also found his feet and posted a very impressive 5th place today...

Wish you were here .... I bet you do!

PS Picture shows Sammi in 2nd place surfing towards leeward mark with Jury boat in close attendance.

G.

Make your own blog - Topper World Championships

A little blogging game.

Complete the following:- (mix and match the answers given below)

Greetings from Italy
The weather is .........
The sceenery is ...........
The food is ...........
The sailing is ............
Our holiday is ...........

Answers

A. Incredible,
B. fantastic,
C. magnificent,
D. interesting,
E. wonderful.

Any or all of the above will be correct!

G.

Greetings from Garda

Sorry for the silence up to now. Lots to do, no internet connection and very very hot out here in Garda. And trying to have a bit of a holiday too.

Worlds now in full swing at Fraglia Vela Malchesine (Malchesine Sailing Club). With six races completed the qualification series is complete and the fleet now splits into silver and gold for the remaining nine planned races.

For the Scots the news is as follows

Alexander 15th overall (Gold Fleet)
Samantha 56th overall (Gold Fleet)
Jessica 59th overall (Gold Fleet)
Joanne 79th overall
Dean 90th overall

Racing is very tight on a difficult race course with not many options so starting is critical and eyes "out of the boat" to spot the swinging wind. There has been sufficient wind in the afternoons to keep everything on schedule but more like an average Force 3 than the 20 knots we all hoped for.

Weather is hot, very hot.

We arrived after our 27 hour drive to a major thunderstorm and torrential downpour but it has been mostly dry since. Weather last week was 20-25 degrees most days but has topped 30 this week and not much cooler at night. Yesterday whilst re sealing Samantha's self bailer in the dinghy park (she was full of water by race three) I had to have an assistant mopping the perspiration from my eyes so I could see the bolts!

There's not a lot to break the tedium for us parents but it makes a change to be buying ice cream and cold beer rather than coffee and hot chocolate. Seems a shame to be hiding in the shade all day but the frazzle factor makes other alternatives unthinkable. Lots of German sun worshippers here and they are very very brown.

No wind at all on the lake as I write this. (11.30 local time, 10.30 in UK) but the wind is expected to arrive on schedule about 1pm and racing will start shortly thereafter.

Will post a personal blog telling the story of our travels thus far once the kids are all afloat.

G.

Nationals 2010

Well done team Scotland on a fantastic performance at the Nationals, the gazeebo looked great, the flags and bunting was perfect, the on the water spares were put to good use, the on water support was much better with two RIBS and two coaches afloat, the pasta was on time every day, all of our duties were done and we survived Topper's got Talent night - thanks Jessica!

Despite all the stress, the worry, the pressure, the late nights and the early mornings we held it tgether and I don't think punches were exchanged even once, well done parents. And a big thank you to everyone who helped out by doing a duty either on land or sea and to all those who contributed towards the inevitable extra costs of making all that happen.

And the sailors were there there too, all 26 including Kirsten Napier from Lerwick. And did well. We can all be very proud. Alexander and Sammi probably had the worst luck and may not see 2010 as a year to celebrate but still did very well indeed, Aaron was an absolute star in the light stuff making Gold fleet easily by the cut as did Jo Barrie, Ian Symon pulled out the results just when they where needed to join him and Jessica and Jordan also enjoyed their first Gold Fleet experience. Six Scots in Gold was better than I had dared hope and equals last year's record.

Close behind in Silver we had real quality sailing with Sammi leading the fleet between black Flags and breakages and an Oh so painful death roll within 20 yards of the last mark whilst leading race 13 (which is the Race for the Scottish Topper Cup!), She recovered to a fourth place but that was not what I had planned . I guess it serves me right for watching from the Medic RIB. I'm blaming the Jury boat who had been in very close attendance for the last 500 yards or so, watching her fantastic downwind pace, surfing the Pwllheli waves but could find nothing to whistle at. By the it was Rory Kilgore who was top Scot in silver, with two podium finishes during the week and 11th overall with Sammi in unlucky 13. Next were a close group of Scots including Andrew Mitchell and Kae Clark, Jeniffer Abraham on a late charge after a slow start (no Kite on a Topper Jenny) with Jo Foster right up there showing the skills she has picked up in the National 4.2 squad and Jack Aitken in the mix too.

My proudest moment was the first race after the split when Sam and Jo both rounded Mark 1 in the top ten. Sadly another death roll, this time for Jo, put her back into the 20's by the bottom mark - keep practicing Jo!

With 26 in the team I can't mention everyone but the full results are now up on the website here



And if you have read all the way through this your reward is to have a look at Fotoboat, where there are some great pictures.

See you at the Worlds? or Prestwick after that...