Topper Travellers at Arun Youth Aqua Centre

The fleet sail downwind at the Arun Topper Travellers event © AYAC

Arun Youth Aqua Centre hosted the 11th venue in the SE region Topper Travellers on Sunday 7th September. With an excellent response from the travellers of 11 boats and 8 from the host club all eagerly looking forward to a blast on the sea judging from forecasts of the Friday and Saturday before the event. Reality was a very different affair and the first race was delayed by one hour due to lack of a breeze.

During the course of the five races the windward mark and course was moved through 120 degrees as the breeze slowly processed from easterly to south westerly. With an Easterly tide running at 1.5 knots the sailors were line shy at the start of the first race in the light conditions but Andy Fielder (Broadwater) was soon the man to beat finally posting 5 straight wins. The fleet rapidly split into two with the Travellers demonstrating to the youngsters from the host club, AYAC, how to roll tack a Topper effectively up the beat. In the variable conditions the “P” course laid by Race Officer Nick Elliman ended up almost a sausage with a spacing mark at the windward end of the course. With deliberately small courses to ensure five races were completed it was all on the starts and Sean Hilton put his challenge down in the second race posting a third for the two laps.

Following a BBQ lunch ashore and agreement from the travellers (actually their parents who in some cases had a long trip home!) three races back to back were planned in the hope the youngsters would experience some real sea sailing as the wind increased. With course changes every race the safety boat crews were at least kept busy and finally in race five the wind reached a respectable F3 SW, conditions in which Ella Gibbs revelled in with her highest place for the series at second.

Final prizegiving was held at 1700 hrs and with Andy Fielder having to discard a 1st the top result was never in doubt, however 3 youngsters posted equal points for second following a discard but Sean Hilton was awarded 2nd on ISAF Appendix A 8.1 excluding discards. Alex Cooper Portchester was third with the highest place host club boat being James Millett at 12th.

Overall Results:

1 Andrew Fielder 43229 Broadwater
2 Sean Hilton 44089 Calshot
3 Alex Cooper 44375 Portchester
4 Preston Taylor 44869 Newhaven & Seaford
5 Peter Harrison 43313 Bexhill
6 Jamie Small 44528 Stokes Bay
7 Ella Gibbs 43077 Newhaven & Seaford
8 Bradley Field 44453 Benfleet
9 Adam Hilton 44108 Calshot
10 Jordan Taylor 34688 Newhaven
11 Alex Mills-Barton 7024 Newhaven
12 James Millett 43851 Arun Aqua Centre
13 Rachel Folley 43837 Arun Aqua Centre
14 Robert Sired 43848 Arun Aqua Centre
15 Heidi Clevett 43849 Arun Aqua Centre
16 Laura Simmons 43838 Arun Aqua Centre
17 Rachel Lane 13858 Arun Aqua Centre
18 Jenni Rich 42851 Arun Aqua Centre
19 Jonathan Rich 43832 Arun Aqua Centre