Topper open meeting at Norfolk Broads Yacht Club

Jenson Jakob wins the Topper open meeting at Norfolk Broads YC © Trish Barnes

Eyes averted from whatever might or might not be going on in neighbouring byways and lay-bys, 19 Topper sailors converged on Norfolk Broads Yacht Club for the Easter Sunday Topper Open meeting. Commodore Ruth welcomed allcomers and set the tone for a relaxed and thoroughly friendly event as the club basked in spring sunshine.

Race Officer Sally set expectations low by gleefully declaring that the fickle south-easterly was the worst possible wind direction for Wroxham Broad. She then proclaimed the first 46 digits of pi which turned out to be the course. Happily, racers could cast off from shore within the 10min start sequence with no risk of missing the race; race 1 commenced with opportunists scrapping for the committee boat end while locals exploited their familiarity with surroundings and hit the pin end for clear air up the brief beat.

Junior Race Management Team for the Topper open meeting at Norfolk Broads YC - photo © Ruth Knight

Ellie Thwaites (NBYC) and Magnus Medcalf (Brancaster Staithe Sailing Club) emerged at the top mark while a blanket could have been thrown over the following pack of eight 50 yards back. Jensen Jakob (NBYC) sat on his tiller extension during the start sequence (fortunately laterally) and was having to make the best of what little remained but somehow escaped the melee to hunt down the leading pair.

Shifts came and went, lulls arrived unannounced causing fleet compressions and lottery-like dispersal. What we didn't need right now was an outsize paddle steamer chuntering straight down the broad so that was what we got, a behemoth mobile wind shadow. Ellie, Jensen and Magnus finally made it to the finish line followed by Ed Brightwell (NBYC), Abbey Penny (Horning SC) and Ralph Leftley (NBYC). In the 4.2s, Zoe Barnes (NBYC) made it through the holes while Jacob Blackman Northwood (Hunts SC) came ashore to await more worthy wind.

Race 2 saw the incumbent regional leader (Ellie) pipped to the first mark by debutant Will Keys-Batson (NBYC); no further triumphs required for Will, who revelled in capsize drills for much of the rest of the day. A tight pack of ten contested the next two legs, from which Jensen escaped and steadily extended his lead. To complete the turmoil another large pleasure cruiser steamed into the broad ("Brad's Tours? Who's Brad? He's got a big boat - ah no, should have an "o" in the middle").

Topper open meeting at Norfolk Broads YC - photo © Trish Barnes

Unfavourable chopping and changing in the pack (Abbey, Ed, Tabbie Blackman Northwood (Hunts SC)) allowed Ellie and Magnus to evade attention and follow Jensen to the finish and first dibs at lunch.

Meanwhile, back on the clubhouse decking da beatz and toonz were banging out in deference to youth - had the breeze been one degree warmer we could all have been reclining outside Café del Mar. Now attention turned to what has become a worrying trend that has evolved in the Eastern region, that of the parents' lunch break race. Surely those rejoicing in professional status should incur severe yardstick penalties to allow lesser mortals a shot at 5 minutes of fame; however, Adam Barker waltzed his way around a course managed entirely by the junior fleet (including mark setting, flags, timings and stand-by protest jurors).

Remonstrations from the temporary race management. team were delivered via the club's loudhailer, sternly advising the leading duo of possible rule infractions, bringing to mind a darker dystopian vision of the years to come as these renegades take charge of our clubs.

Happily race 3 quickly followed in a rising breeze with a start line the width of the broad. Jacob was back! Zoe in her 4.2 smashed a brilliant angle off the line and was an early leader. Magnus rounded the first mark in prime position but became a gust victim as he observed his 40 yd lead become a 20 yd deficit to 3rd. Abbey and Ralph featured prominently which turned into an Abbey/Ellie skirmish out the front.

Ellie eventually scraped Abbey off in the latter stages to take the gun (bell). Further back but astonishingly, Seth Blackburn Cann (NBYC) who only took Stage 1 last week was holding his own in a competitive fleet.

Results thus far meant that race 4 was the decider between Ellie and Jensen with a single point separating them. The start was the most eventful of the day as Zoe capsized during the sequence and her mate Yasmin Braham (NBYC) cruised straight over the horizontal sail. Jensen and Ellie got away, duking it out round 2 laps until Jensen broke Ellie's grip on the final legs and paraded on for 1st place. An elastic band connected the next 6. It was inspiring to see Tabbie Blackman Northwood snatch the final podium position despite hot pressure from her rivals.

Therefore Jensen won the Open on countback with Ellie 2nd and Magnus 3rd. The trophy table groaned under the weight of generous sponsorship - we must thank Flips Covers, Keepit Real PT, Barracuda Bay, and of course Panks Pumps who stepped up with wonderful prizes alongside Topper Sailboats and the RYA. Not to mention Roys of Wroxham, who, knowing their target audience, had bestowed their generosity with precision towards the Parents' Race.

New faces mixed it confidently with regional stalwarts, suggesting that the East has barrels of talent developing. Thank you Ruth, Sally and team; also Adam Barker for providing on-the-water coaching and Anna Jakob in particular for masterminding the event which saw not a single protest but outstanding amounts of friendly rivalry.

Topper open meeting at Norfolk Broads YC - photo © Trish Barnes

Overall Results:

Topper open meeting at Norfolk Broads YC - photo © Trish Barnes