Next Event: Topper Traveller 2
Saturday 15 June 2013 at County Antrim Yacht Club
Topper Traveller 3
has been rescheduled to
Sunday 14 July 2013 at Courtown Sailing Club
Topper Traveller 1
Sunday 19 May 2013
National Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire
The first Topper Traveller of 2013 took place in on 19 May in the National Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire. It had been postponed form March because of storm force winds, and so we had the added flavour of a Vintage Triumph Car Rally, which had been planned long before the change of date.
The forecast on this occasion was nearly the opposite, and we were afraid we might have been becalmed. But there was a nice breeze, and a lovely sunny day in Dublin Bay for a nearly record 49 boats at a first traveller of the season. We were delighted to welcome a fleet of 6 sailors from Wexford Boat and Tennis Club, the first time those sailors had participated in any event. We were also pleased to welcome 4 seasoned Oppy sailors from Royal Cork Yacht Club as they are considering launching a Topper fleet there.
Three races were sailed, back-to-back with little or no delay, ably managed by the International Race Officer, Con Murphy. Positions shifted at the front of the fleet, with Daniel Raymond of NYC, on home territory, taking the overall first place. Second place went to Tom Purdon of Strangford Lough YC, and third to Liam Glynn of Ballyholme YC. It was great to see all those participating in their first event able to complete the full course on all three races, surely a great indicator of their future potential.
The Under 17 prize went to Nicole Hemryck (NYC), who also won 1st Lady, with issy Delamer (HowthYC) winning the Under 14, and the Under 12 prize to Geoff Power (Waterford Harbour SC). The two 4.2 sailors battled it out, to be decided on the last race, with Jenna McCarlie (CAYC) taking the trophy home. All prizewinners were captured in a post-presentation photo.
The second Traveller of the 5-Traveller series takes place in County Antrim Yacht Club in Whitehead on Saturday June 15th.
ISA National Conference
The ISA National Conference is back for its seventh year with even more interesting seminars and workshop than ever before. Taking place on the the 2nd of March 2013 in the Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, the conference is open to all with an interest in sailing, windsurfing and powerboating and is FREE to all ISA members.
A total of 20 interactive seminars and workshops will run across a range of diverse topics to suit all interests.
ISA Team Physio Mark McCabe will deliver a no-nonsense workshop on Strength & Conditioning. ISA Team Psychologist Kate Kirby will discuss how mental factors can influence performance. FinallyOlympic 49er sailor Matt McGovern will talk about the highs and lows of London 2012 and how it prepared him for his Rio 2016 campaign.
Registration is free but should be done in advance.
www.sailing.ie/Conference
Discounts on Ferry bookings for The International Topper Class World Championships 2014
AFerryGroups are offering a 5% discount for competitors traveling to this years Worlds in Loctudy. Decided when you want to travel and where from and also check what you expect to pay (as there might be some other deals out there). Then is you are interested contact them on 0844 576 8845 and quote reference 'ITCA 2013'.
The discount have been primarily set-up for Brittany Ferries but they can also offer the same discount on other operators.
Terms and conditions
Bookings are subject to the terms and conditions of the operators regarding the dimensions and type of vehicle/trailer travelling. AFerryGroups will obviously advise the association member accordingly at the time of booking and assist with the appropriate advise if any issues arise.
When the association member calls and quotes the agreed reference, we will process payment for the booking via debit or credit card (2% fee for credit card payments) and send the booking and payment confirmation to them via email, they will then be able to quote their booking reference at the port where their tickets are issued for them. All the relevant contact details for amendments will be on the confirmation.
Craftinsure Donation
As in previous years, Craftinsure donate €3 to ITCA Irl for every Topper insured with them. They are delighted to advise us that the number for 2012 has grown to 48 Toppers and they have made a contribution of €144.00 (up from €123.00 last year) toward ITCA IRL expenses.
A big thank you to Craftinsure!
International Topper Class World Championships
Cercle Nautique de Loctudy, Brittany, France
July 21st to 26th 2013
The International Committee has announced that the 2013 International Topper World Championships will be held from 21st to 26th July 2013 in Cercle Nautique de Loctudy (Loctudy Sailing Club).
The following documents have been provided by the ITCA.
ITCWC 2013 Notice
Loctudy - How to Get There
Loctudy Tourist Information
Free Toppers!!
A superb opportunity has arisen for two Irish sailors to avail of a charter Topper, free, at The Topper World Championships in Workum, Netherlands 19-25 August.
The charter boats are brand new and would normally cost £250 to charter for the week, but Topper International, the manufacturers, are offering 2 boats free of charge to each country. Obviously the sailors will still be liable for entry fee and accommodation, but as they don't have to transport their boats, there is a significant cost saving on travel. And also raises the option of flying rather than ferry!
This offer is open to all 2012 IRL Topper members; both to those who had not yet considered entering ( late entry fee has been waived) and also to those who have already entered.
In the (likely) event of more than 2 people interested, we propose to hold a draw. As the event is only 3 weeks away, we need to identify who is interested asap.
To avoid a situation where sailors might enter the draw and decide last minute not to travel, thus depriving someone else of the chance, we ask for a "good will" bond. When the winners are notified they will be given 24 hours to deposit €200 with the ITCA Irl which they will get back after the event provided they have sailed in the worlds. If a cheque is not sent, another winner will be picked out.
Would anyone interested email me (mgtodnl@gmail.com) and copy to Michael O'Farrell Secretary at (mof@mail.com). Because of time constraints, the draw will be held at the end of this week, on Saturday 4 August.
Best of luck everyone!
Margaret Kneafsey
Topper World Championship 2012
Newletter from the International Topper class Association
The Topper World Championship 2012 will be held at Workum, in the Netherlands from August 19th to the 24th. This is a family friendly open event. You do not need to qualify to enter as the sailors are divided into Gold,Silver & Bronze fleets there is a standard suitable for everyone.
Entry is now open on the following web address:
http://www.sailracer.us/eventsites/default_s.asp?eventid=124295
Click here for an Event Brochure
Click Here for an information sheet
Club Regattas
Club regattas that we are aware of are listed in order below please email me webmaster@irltopper.com if you wish to add your club regatta.
Clontarf Regatta Friday 20th July www.cybc.ie
Howth Yacht Club Regatta Sunday 28th July www.hyc.ie
Courtown Sailing Club Regatta12th Aug www.courtownsc.com
Irish National Topper Championships 2012
Congratulations to Laura Gilmore Irish National Topper champion 2012.
In a tightly fought contest between Douggie Power and Laura she eventually succeeded in winning the Championship with two bullets on the last day.
Douggie was in the lead heading into the last day and it would have been fantastic for Waterford Harbour if the local lad had managed to secure the title. Laura looked less likely as she needed two firsts to win. Amazingly she managed to win both races and three points seperated the leaders on the final results board.
The last two races were sailed in 12 to 14 knots of wind and made a big difference to the top 10 sailors as places swopped around.
A big thank you to Waterford Harbour for running a superb event.
Click here for the Final Results.
Day 2
With the outlook for tomorrow looking poor. The PRO decided to complete four races today. The conditions varied from light in the first race with the wind rising steadily throughout the four races.
Click here for the Results.
All photos courtesy of Fotosail and can be purchased on www.fotosail.com/2012toppernationals
Day 1
The Topper National championships have started in Dunmore east.
Three races were completed today in light shifty conditions with persistant drizzle. The wind rose for the third race which also had a 180 degree wind shift.
Sodden sailors were delighted to reach the shore and the hot showers !
Results will be posted as soon as they are available.
Click here for the Notice of race
Ulster Topper Championships 2012
There was an enthusiastic turn-out at Carlingford Lough Yacht Club for the Ulster Championships 2012. The weather in Carlingford lived up to the forecast of stronger winds. On Saturday, the fleet of almost 60 boats launched very promptly and had only a short distance to reach the course.
The first race started in a good strong breeze, which really picked up during the second race. Gusts of more than 20 knots were recorded and caused numerous capsizes. Rescue boats were busy, and although there were some retirements and some casualties, the injuries were minor, and the sailors bravely returned the next day for more.
The third race was deferred on Saturday because of the deterioration in conditions, but the sun came out in time for the evening barbeque. Again wonderful hospitality was extended to all the visitors.
Four races were scheduled, and held, on Sunday. The winds were slightly less than Saturday, but more than had been forecast. The overall winner was Dougie Power from Waterford Harbour Sailing Club, and 2nd place, and first lady, went to Laura Gilmore of Strangford Lough Yacht Club. It was a credit to the efficient race management team that four good races were completed, and boats were ashore and packing up by 4pm.
For Full Results Click Here
Donaghadee Traveller
In Donaghadee, as the first race started, the wind dropped and the mist came in. A strong tide with no wind meant the fleet struggled to get to the first mark, and extremely poor visibility meant the race was abandoned. While we enjoyed great hospitality in the lovely Donaghadee Clubhouse, the weather did not change to permit a re-launch and the whole event was canned.
It may be possible to re-run it at a later date.
Topper Sailor carries the Olympic Torch
Tom Purdon who is 14 years old was one of the Olympic torch bearers in Saintfield, County Down on 7th June.
Tom was nominated by the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and was delighted to be chosen for such a special occasion.
Tom is a keen Topper sailor from SLYC and his determination not to let his Cystic Fibrosis deter him in his favourite sport is a credit to him.