ITCA Midlands Topper Traveller Round 5 at Northampton Sailing Club

Leaders Rounding mark 2 in race 1 of the ITCA Midlands Topper Traveller Round 5 at Northampton © Gavin Fleming

For round 5 of the Midlands Topper Traveller 2021-2022 Series we headed to Northampton Sailing Club on Saturday 11th December as part of a planned eight-event series starting September and running through to March. Northampton SC is a venue that the Midlands Topper Travellers Series has not visited since 2019, so for many of our new sailors, this would be there first time here.

It was great to welcome visiting Topper Sailors from other regions with Harry and George Sims travelling from Wales and East Sailor; Graydon McLeod Fleming joining the Midlands Traveller racing for a second time this series.

Northampton SC has a superb stretch of inland water enabling great courses to be set. The wind for the event was forecast to be light south westerly in the morning and building throughout the day and moving more southerly.

Winds were in fact surprisingly light for Race 1, a number of the lead boats (Joe Rowe, Jessica Powell and Katherine Gunn) were over the line so had duck back below meaning that Caitlin Thomas was able to capitalise on this error and take the lead towards the windward mark. Winds were still very light and Caitlin was just able to round the windward mark in the time permitted, with Graydon McLeod Fleming (Hunts SC) closely behind.

ITCA Midlands Topper Traveller Round 5 at Northampton - photo © Gavin Fleming

Wind started to fill in which would help the following pack of Tara Ewbank (Chase/Staunton Harold SC), Katherine Burgess (Royal Harwich SC) and the recovering Joe Rowe (Draycote) to try and chase down Caitlin and Graydon. However; this distance between them was too large and with this being only a one lap race, Caitlin was able to hold on from Graydon to take first race honours.

With the wind improving for Race 2, the race director changed the course from Trapezoidal to a Windward Leeward arrangement. It would be Katherine Gunn (Notts County SC) taking the lead on the first beat with Joe Rowe and Jessica Powell following behind. However Jessica was not quite on the lay-line and started to pinch for the windward mark. This enabled Caitlin to sail over top of Jessica to grab third.

With this race now planned for two laps, the field started to spread out and Katherine took a commanding lead, with the following three boats fighting it out for second place. Jessica was able to regain third place back on the upwind beat of the second lap and started to chase down Joe. Katherine was in clear air and used this to her advantage; keeping hold of the lead to win race 2.

The duel for second was set for a match race to the finish; Joe initially had lead at the final Leeward mark with Jessica just behind, however a quick double tack from Jessica enabled her to get some clear air and be windward of Joe, snatching second place by half a boat length.

ITCA Midlands Topper Traveller Round 5 at Northampton - photo © Gavin Fleming

So at the halfway point of the event, Caitlin was leading with four sailors (Graydon, Joe, Jessica and Katherine Gunn) all tied for second; we were all set for a great afternoon of Topper Racing to see who could take the Round 5 win.

After a short lunch break Race 3 was under way and with the winds continuing to pick up and shift more Southerly, it was Jasper Focardi Doling (Shropshire) who spotted this and started at the pin end. Unfortunately for Jasper, he was not able to make this pay and tacked off, with Katherine Gunn building on her Race 2 win, who again took the early lead followed by Caitlin Thomas and then Graydon close behind. The positions would remain unchanged and Katherine was able to stretch her lead and win Race 3 with Caitlin finishing second.

Going into the final race Caitlin had put herself in a very strong position to take the event win and with discards now coming into play; only Katherine Gunn or Graydon had any mathematical chance of catching her.

Trophy winners at ITCA Midlands Topper Traveller Round 5 at Northampton - photo © Gavin Fleming

With Race 4 under way, Jasper again started at the pin end, with the remaining sailors biased towards the committee boat. This time Jasper was able to make it pay and took the lead up to the windward mark, followed by Jessica and then Caitlin 3rd. Katherine Burgess was having a very strong final race of the day and was chasing hard in 4th just ahead of Felicity Angell (Draycote in fifth).

Jessica set about trying to catch Jasper on the second lap and started to close in on the second upwind beat, however Jasper held his nerve brilliantly and controlled his position downwind to win his first Midlands traveller race with Jessica finishing second and Caitlin third.

With great consistency throughout the day and winning race 1, it would be Caitlin Thomas (Notts County SC) taking top honours with her first Midlands Traveller Event win of the series, followed by Katherine Gunn second, and Jessica Powell taking third place.

It was great to see so many sailors in the 4.2 fleet with the racing being so close. Ben Angell (Draycote) would take top 4.2 honours with a very consistent sail, taking three races wins from four races. Ben was followed William Mawby-Groom (Banbury) in second place and Harry Sims (Llandegfedd SC) third.

Ben Angell wins the 4.2 fleet in ITCA Midlands Topper Traveller Round 5 at Northampton - photo © Gavin Fleming

Congratulations to Caitlin Thomas (Event Winner) and Ben Angell (4.2 Winner).

A massive thank you to our hosts, Northampton Sailing Club, who worked brilliantly to ensure we had an excellently organised event and making the Topper Sailors and families so welcome; we look forward to returning very soon.

Thanks also to our event sponsors - Topper Sailboats, Rooster and Harken - for their continued support of the Midlands Topper Traveller Series.

If any Junior Midland Topper sailors are interested in participating at the ITCA Midlands Traveller events, it is a great opportunity to enter a friendly and local race series. Please contact us via arearep.midlands@itca-gbr.co.uk if you would like any more information.

Caitlin Thomas wins the ITCA Midlands Topper Traveller Round 5 at Northampton - photo © Gavin Fleming

Overall Results:

Ben Angell wins the 4.2 fleet in ITCA Midlands Topper Traveller Round 5 at Northampton - photo © Gavin Fleming