Scottish Topper Events 2011

After much shuttle diplomacy, some times more sucessful than others, it is finally time to announce the planned 2011 Scottish Topper Events.  These events have all been confirmed with the host clubs and are co-ordinated with the other main Scottish Junior and Youth Classes to try to ensure we have a travelling Junior Grand Prix with events shared wherever possible with the Optimists, Laser Radials, Fevas and possibly 420's. The traveller programme will be formally announced in a notice of race in due course but I do not now expect any dates to change.

This year there will be seven traveller events, but we will retain the same number to count (four) so there is more chance to complete a series and fit in a family holiday. 

There will also be five key stand alone events.  These are

RYA Junior Championships, Largs, 2nd/3rd April 2011
Scottish Junior Team Racing Champs. At Strathclyde Loch Sailing Club 25/26 June 2011
Topper Scottish Championships, Helensburgh, 23/24rd July 2011
ITCA GBR Topper National Championships, North Berwick, 31st July - 5th August 2011
RYA Zone Championships, 24th/25th September 2011.

MICS Ltd.com, our 2010 series sponsor, have very generously offered  support the 2011 Travellers Series which will comprise:-

MICS Ltd TT1 - Annandale 16/17 April

MICS Ltd TT2 - Dalgety Bay 21/22 May

MICS Ltd TT3 - East Lothian YC 4/5 June

MICS Ltd TT4 - Helensburgh SC 18/19 June

MICS Ltd TT5 - Aberdeen and Stonehaven YC 20/21 August *(not confirmed - now cancelled)

MICS Ltd TT6 - Loch Lomond SC 27/28 August*(not confirmed - now cancelled)

MICS Ltd TT7 - Prestwick 17/18 September

This is quite a full programme but hopefully gives something for everyone. 

For the first time we are planning a team racing event which will include training in the art of team racing (although some rules knowledge beforehand will help).  Details will follow but this is to be a fun introduction and current plan is for entries to be from interested individuals with balanced teams being set up on the day to ensure a level playing field.

The RYA Spring Championships event in April is a new RYA event with further details to follow.

The Scottish Championships will be a one off event at Helensburgh in July with it's own sponsor and prizes and which will not be included in the traveller series.

The Inland Championship Trophy is more of a notional trophy than a national trophy as we dont have one actually! but it will be awarded to the sailor with the best cummulative result from all the races at the two "inland" events, Annandale and Loch Lomond (less discards).

A particular priority for all Scottish Toppers must be to promote the National Championships at North Berwick to all our Scottish Club sailors.  The Nationals will include beginners, 4.2 Regatta, 5.3 Regatta and Main fleets and a social programme and East Lothian Yacht Club together with East Lothain Council are pulling out all the stops to try and deliver the best Topper Nationals ever.  With the cricket obsessed Southerners likely to be put off by the prospect of the lengthy drive through Englandshire to get here we will need to ensure a healthy turnout of Scottish boats if the recent trend of ever increasing Nationals numbers is to be continued!  Please start spreading the word around your clubs now.  The Nationals is for everyone and this is our big chance to get all our Scottish Topper sailors together for a whole week inside Scotland.

G.