New ITCA World website launched

New ITCA World website © itcaworld.org

The International Topper Class Association (ITCA World) is excited to announce the launch of a new and enhanced website, itcaworld.org

As the parent body of all the national Topper Class associations around the world, ITCA World is the global home of Topper sailing with a mission to promote International Topper sailing with fun, fair and competitive racing in what is the perfect dinghy for junior, youth and light adult sailors.

The new website is designed to be the global hub for both potential and current Topper sailors to find all the information they need on how and where to get into Topper sailing, contact existing fleets, guidance on buying used boats, how to set up new national Topper Associations as well as news on the major international and world championships.

Whilst the 2020 Topper 4.2 and 5.3 World Championships at Riva del Garda, Italy, had to be sadly cancelled due to the Covid 19 pandemic, the new website looks forward to the 2021 Worlds in Cork, Ireland and a return to Lake Garda in 2022.

There are also sections on the exciting Learn to Dream project, where redundant Topper hulls can be reactivated and brought back to a new life as training boats for charitable foundations and underprivileged sailors in World Sailing designated Emerging Nations. As one of the world's most recyclable dinghies due to its unique Polypropylene (PP) injection moulded construction, Toppers can be recycled up to four times and can be brought back up to specification even after several decades of use. Given its inherent flexibility, PP can be recycled back into many different products.

ITCA World is working on a full academic study of the recyclability of Topper polypropylene hulls, allowing those beyond the scope of reactivation to be ground down to pellets and reused in the injection moulding process.

As a global leader in young people's sailing and reflecting the inherent recyclability of the plastic Topper, it is only natural that ITCA World should take a lead in helping Topper sailors across the planet learn about the increasing dangers of ocean plastic pollution that threatens their generation and beyond.

The new website includes a dedicated sustainability section, with access to educational resources from the Ocean Race 'Champions of the Sea' programme as well as links to the ITCA World partner Captain Planet Foundation.

From here Topper sailors have the opportunity to join the Ocean Heroes project to create their own local project to reduce the amount of plastic waste entering our oceans and even win a free trip to the annual Ocean Heroes Bootcamp in Vancouver to work with young leaders from around the globe to develop campaigns to reduce ocean plastic pollution.

ITCA World President, Andy Millington said, "The new website is a major step forward in helping to introduce the Topper to countries yet to adopt the class. With single handed boats the ideal solution for sailors keen to get out on the water again safely after the pandemic, it is the ideal time to get into Topper sailing. With big fleets now in China and Asia, we have recently received serious interest in running regional championships in Western Australia, which could be a great opportunity to grow the class there."