Scottish Toppers at Loch Venachar

It's April so where else would you find the Scottish Toppers than Loch Vennachar near Callander? Sure enough thirty seven Topper sailors gathered this weekend for round two of the Scottish Topper Traveller Series, another joint event with our friends the Scottish Optimists.

The mostly light and typically shifty (for Loch vennachar) breezes made for fiercely competitive racing and with all six races were completed it was again Jamie Noyes who emerged victorious. This time Jamie was in commanding form and with at least ten boats easily capable of taking first places at this level it was particularly impressive that Jamie recorded the perfect 1,1,1,1,1 scoreline discarding a 3rd! Nearest competitor was Emily Robertson who had looked equally dominant on day one but found the going on Sunday a touch less to her liking allowing Angus Gray Stephens to draw level on 20 points by the end. Fourth place went to Alexander Still only one point behind and Fifth was Rory Kilgore on 24.

First place in the Regatta Fleet went to Ro Jennings-Maun who has been improving steadily at West Squad training this winter with Sphie Joseph in second and Andrew Corlett 3rd.

Click for results

Photo shows the prizewinners Alexander "chuckie" Still, Angus Gray-Stephens, Jamie "boy he's fast in the light stuff" Noyes and Emily Robertson (with mascot Sophie). I will try to post a full report later. Or perhaps, having completed all six races myself I have earned a hot bath....

See you at Loch Venachar?

Next event on the Scottish Topper Traveller Circuit 2009 is Loch Venachar Sailing Club Spring Regatta this coming weekend, April 25th and 26th 2009.

Entry fee is £15 which you can pay on the day but if you are coming please enter on line click here.

There is a briefing at 12 noon on Saturday with the first race starting at 13.00. Three races each day. First race sunday at 11.00.

For the Notice of Race click here.

Topper Nationwide 1 Rutland Sailing Club

Congratulations and well done to all the Scottish Toppers who made the trip South to Rutland Sailing Cub for the first Nationwide of the year.  With just under 200 Toppers competing in the six race weekend it must have been a very challenging event.  Felicity Foulds continued her successful season with another victory but from the results it looks like a close faught event with the first places shared between at least 6 different sailors.   

For full results please click here. 

West Squad at Monklands Sailing Club

As promised here is the update report from a sailors eye view:-

"Another successful West squad weekend, this time at Monklands Sailing Club started with a briefing from Laurie saying the weekend would be set around the needs of the 10 sailors. After their warm up and fitness session the sailors got changed and set out to a windy day doing practical exercises with Laurie, Emma and Robin the coaches.
The wind died down and the sailors came in for a wonderful lunch from the men of Monklands SC. After lunch the sailors went out to another windy session doing a race for their mini series held over the weekend.. The next day the wind had gone. With only a little breeze the sailors went out for a (very professional looking -ed.) drift. They did a little race and some racing exercises then they came in for another lovely lunch. The sailors went out for their final race and the wind had gone!
The sailors had a fun round of the whistle game to finish their successful winter training. On behalf of all the sailors I would like to thank Laurie Marsden, Robin Paris and Emma Wilkie, the volunteers at the host clubs and of course all the parents for taking us., Thank you."

Joanne. (11)

West Squad at Monklands

A small but select band of eager Topper apprentices gathered at Monklands on 11/12th April 2009 for the last of Laurie's Winter Training weekends of 2009.

I was not there because I was at Largs supporting sailors preparing for the Youth Nationals but Joanne was so I will post a fuller report when I get an update.

It seems to have gone very well...

Results and Next Traveller Dates

4/5 April Annandale Sailing Club Traveller 1

25/26 April Loch Venacher Sailing Club Traveller 2

30/31 May Largs Sailing Club Traveller 3

6/7 June East Lothian Yacht Club Traveller 4

4/5 July Chanonry Sailing Club Traveller 5

18/19 July Tarbert Loch Fyne Yacht Club Traveller 6

15/16 August Royal Forth Yacht Club Traveller 7

12/13 September Prestwick Sailing Club Traveller 8

19/20 September Loch Tummel Sailing Club Traveller 9

Annandale SC Scottish Traveller Series 1, 4/5 April 2009

Well done Annandale Sailing Club. A fine open meeting to start the 2009 Scottish Topper traveller series. The thirty four Scottish Toppers enjoyed a warm welcome, a friendly attitude and food provided for the competitors both between races and on the Saturday evening. If other clubs can match this standard then we are in for a fine travellers series through 2009.


Shared with the Optimists the event got off to a flying start on time in the surprisingly fresh and very gusty South Westerly breeze. Emma Palmer made the early running leading for most of race one before being overhauled by a fast moving Jamie Noyes but It was another Scottish Topper squad sailor, Alexander “chuckie” Still who made the best of the shifts up the close fought final beat to take the win. Despite all the snakes and ladders (place changing) around her Samantha Foster held third place throughout. Andrew Corlett won the development fleet race.

Race two looked to be a more pleasant affair than the first as the rain squalls gave way to spring sunshine and the wind settled to a force 2-3 but the wind was to return with a vengeance jut as the last of the competitors left the beach and concerned parents watched as their young Topper heroes and heroines disappeared down the Castle Loch in a ball of spray. The race was slightly delayed by the ensuing rescue operations that saw more than a few competitors returned to the clubhouse whilst their boats enjoyed a comfortable rest in the reed beds. Eventually just 10 very determined Toppers completed the course. At the front the racing remained close with victory this time going to Samantha followed home by Emma with Jamie in third and Jessica Campbell in fourth. Thank you to the squad sailors who then volunteered to go on a recovery mission for the young sailors boats. The development fleet went to James Campbell from Annandale Sailing Club.

Race three was another windy affair although most of the previously rescued sailors and the development fleet wisely opted to stay ashore. Samantha appeared to lead throughout but it was Jamie Noyes who took the gun with a late charge on the final long reach down the loch. Chuckie returned to the front with a third. Best of the rest this time was Callum McIver who had made the long trip from Chanonry.

So as the fleet walked up to the local church hall for the feasting and festivities it was all to play for with Samantha and Jamie tied on 6 points each.

Sunday morning dawned with plenty of the forecast sunshine and a mirror like sheen on the loch but at 10 am a lovely force 3 arrived and race 4 started exactly on time. This time Jamie was on a mission and led from start to finish with Jessica Campbell demonstrating her skills in the shifting breeze to pip Samantha at the post for 2nd and 3rd respectively. Chuckie came through to fourth.


By Race five Jessica finally had the measure of her competitors and sailed off into a healthy lead leaving Samantha to lead home the fleet with a new face, Iain McLaughlan from Largs taking third. Jamie held on for fourth. This time it was Largs sailor Ross Maclean who took line honours in the development fleet.

Race six was always going to be a tense affair with Samantha and Jamie still on equal points but was made all the more interesting by a novel interpretation of the port starboard rule on the start line by one of the less experienced sailors which left both the main competitors stranded head to wind as the rest of the fleet started. Both recovered remarkably well although neither could recover to the top three. Jessica Campbell again led the fleet home with Chuckie in 2nd and Emma third. A fourth for Samantha was a great recovery but just not enough and with the pair still tied on equal points it was a delighted Jamie Noyes who took first place overall on count back by the “most firsts” procedure.

The Development fleet finished as it had started with a first for Andrew Corlett from Largs Sailing Club which was enough to secure first place overall.

Well done Jamie and Andrew. Next event is at Loch Venacher on 25th and 26th April. See you all there?....


The Main Fleet Prizewinners at Annandale, Alexander, Emma, Samantha, Jamie and Jessica.

Full Reults:-
Development Fleet
1st Andrew Corlett, Largs SC 1,2,(4),2,1 (Tot 10) 6pts
2nd Ross Maclean, Largs SC (DNF),4,1,1,2 (Tot 14) 8 pts
3rd Chay Turner-Richards, Annandale SC 2,(3),2,3,3 (Tot 13) 10 pts
4th James Campbell, Annandale SC 3,1,3,(DNC), DNC (Tot 19) 13 pts
5th Lydia Reilly, Solway Firth YC (DNF), DNC,DNC,DNC,DNC (Tot 30) 24 pts

Main Fleet
1st Jamie Noyes, St Mary’s Loch SC 2,3,1,1,4,(7) (Tot18) 11pts
2nd Samantha Foster, Loch Tummel SC 3,1,2,3,2,(4) (Tot 15) 11pts
3rd Jessica Campbell, Annandale SC (11),4,5,2,1,1 (Tot 24) 13 pts
4th Alexander Still, Royal Gourock 1 (DNF),3,4,6,2 (Tot 46) 16 pts
5th Emma Palmer, RFYC,DBSC,RNCYC 5,2,(8),6,5,3 (Tot 29) 21 pts
6th Callum Mciver, Chanonry 8,6,4,(10),9,6 (Tot 43) 33pts
7th Iain Symon, Helensburgh SC 7,5,6,11,8,(12) (Tot 49) 37 pts
8th Jennifer Abraham, Helensburgh SC 10,8, (DNC),8,7,16 (Tot 79) 49 pts
9th Kae Clark, Helensburgh SC (16),9,7,16,10,15 (Tot 73) 57 pts
10th Joanna Barrie, Annandale 19,7,10,14,16,(20) (Tot 86) 66 pts
11th Callum Gibb, Largo Bay SC
12th James Marson, St Mary’s Loch
13th Sarah Jeffrey, Helensburgh SC
14th Iain McLaughlan, Largs SC
15th Jordan Black, Loch Earn SC
16th Andrew Crocket, Loch Lomand
17th Kyle Maxwell-Cox, Largs SC
18th Cameron Kitson-Jones, Lochcarron
19th Rosalind Dunlop, Largs Sc
20th Rory Kilgore, Cove SC/Heensburgh SC
21st Andrew Mitchell, Helensburgh SC
22nd Calum Wilson, Helensburgh SC
23rd Jessica Milford, Loch Tummel SC
24th Joanne Foster, Loch Tummel SC
25th Lewis Marr, Largs SC
26th Jack Aitken, RNCYC
27th Nyle Ferguson, Chanonry
28th Rosemary Jennings-Maun, Helensburgh SC
29th Sophie Joseph, Annandale SC