Topper World at Ebensee, Austria - Overall

Thursday July 23

CS race 4: Sailors again watch the rising sun as they launch in the first decent breeze of the week, kite surfers are out strutting their stuff. A 15-20 knots westerly wind blows across a windward-leeward course down the lake and largely out of sight of the clubhouse, the rescue and coach boats are kept busy getting sailors to the line for a 7am first start. Fleet leaders and tail-enders are all having difficulty staying upright. All coach and jury boats have to supplement the two rescue boats. Two minor injuries and about six retire in the challenging conditions. Close and competitive racing follows from a good start. A split beat, and again a right hand favour. The run results in further capsizes, leaders finish by 0745hrs and tail-enders are given a position from the back of the fleet. Gold Fleet: Alex Alcock (1st, GBr), Chris Eames (2nd, GBr), Andrew Bridgman (3rd, GBr). Silver fleet: Laura Barnes (1st, GBr), Nathan Ackroyd (2nd, GBr), James O’Hara (3rd, Irl).

CS race 5: Centre and starboard end boats get away without incident and find helpful lifts out right. Fleet is stretched by the windward mark and a largely uneventful run. Leeward rounding on the first lap is competitive and further capsizes result on the gybe. The wind drops to a friendlier 12-15knots during the second lap which finishes largely incident free. Gold Fleet: Finn Lynch (1st, Irl), Andrew Bridgman (2nd, GBr), Alex Alcock (3rd, GBr). Silver fleet: Jung Andreas (1st, Ger), Callum McCullough (2nd, GBr), Benjamin Knight (3rd, GBr).

CS race 6: 20+ knots at the start results in drifting down the line, a boat tacks in from beyond the pin and causes a major pile up and capsizes at the pin end. Gold and silver fleet leaders both involved and are seriously compromised at the start. A capsized tail ender lies stricken against a rescue boat in the middle of the course as race 6 is started. Wind is steady 12-15 knots for the first lap which appears largely incident free. Sailors are now awake and enjoying having a wind to pull against. Neither side of the beat appears to be favoured. By the second lap the fleet is spread down the course. A few tail-enders capsize on the final run to the finish. Gold fleet: Robbie Gilmore (1st, GBr), Andrew Bridgman (2nd, GBr), Chris Eames (3rd, GBr). Silver Fleet: James O’Hara (1st, GBr), Callum McCullough (2nd, GBr), Jung Andreas (3rd, Ger).

CS race 7: The wind is now dropping from the windward mark down the course to the finish line. An efficient start results in the race being completed. By the time the leaders reach the windward mark wind has dropped to steady 5 knots. The shifty conditions of previous days are not repeated. A largely uneventful race follows as leading twenty pull away by the second beat. All are pleased if a little worn out as the completion of four races means the championship is secure. Two more races tomorrow and a third discard will come into play. Gold Fleet: Michael Beckett (1st, GBr), Robbie Gilmore (2nd, GBr), Finn Lynch (3rd, Irl). Silver Fleet: James O’Hara (1st, GBr), Jamie Purcell (2nd, GBr), Charles Parry (3rd, GBR).

Lewis Neale gets a special mention today for helping two sailors having problems within the final minute in two separate races.

Even better news follows as a 10 am launch is announced, with racing from 11am. Lets all hope for another good wind. Overall positions after 10 races: Gold Fleet: Felicity Foulds 1st, GBr, 31 pts), Andrew Bridgman (2nd, GBr, 34 pts), Finn Lynch (3rd, Irl, 35 pts). Silver Fleet (1st, James O’Hara (1st, GBr, 73 pts), Jamie Purcell (2nd, GBr, 85 pts), Jung Andreas (3rd, Ger, 99 pts). The best positions for the other national teams are Haruka Komiga (30th, Jpn), Florian Wieser (74th, Austria) and Dominique Agarri (88th, Itl).

Friday, July 24

CS race 8: The championship ends as it began in light shifty winds. Racing is postponed at 11am and launching finally at noon. The starting nightmares of the qualifying series return, half of the fleet over the line, black flag limp in the light wind. The majority of the fleet choose to head right expecting lifts. A few brave souls head far left tacking on shifts close to shore. A favourable lift from the left brings unexpected gains with the leaders are able to lay the windward mark in 24 minutes. After the first mark the remainder of the lap is a slow procession, with Sammy Bonella extending her lead throughout. On the second lap all head left, bar Sammy who sticks centre right, the fleet out left cannot catch her and the gains obtained by the leaders at the windward mark are maintained to the finish. Gold Fleet: Sammy Bonella (1st, GBr), Finn Lynch (2nd, GBr), Bridgman (3rd, GBr). Silver Fleet: Callum McCullough (1st, GBr), Jamie O’Hara (2nd, Irl), Sarah Small (3rd, GBr).

CS race 9: The final race and Bridgman, Lynch and Foulds all have a chance of winning the championship. Mysteriously the start flag remains 15 seconds after the gun and technically all the fleet bar a few stragglers are over the line, no recall. Bridgman, Lynch and Meredith pull ahead on the first, left favoured beat. Foulds lies about 7th and appears to fall back up the first beat. Lynch leads at the first windward mark from Bridgman. The die is now cast for the rest of the race. The two leaders fight to lead down the run and Bridgman pulls slightly ahead. Close covering on the second beat two leaders are neck and neck all the way down the run. Bridgman steals first place on the line. Gold Fleet: Andrew Bridgman (1st, GBr), Finn Lynch (2nd, Irl), George Meredith (3rd, GBr). Silver Fleet: Laura Gilmore (1st, GBr), Chris Parry (2nd, GBr), Jamie Purcell (3rd, GBr). A flurry of protests against the race committee for the starts of both races, jury called as witness and video evidence, plus pumping and infringements on the start line against the winner are rejected, the results are announced at 7pm.

Andrew Bridgman is the Topper World Champion this year. First adult and lady Felicity Foulds, first junior female Abigail Hewitt, first junior male Andrew Bridgman, first senior female Giulana Zampieri (ITA), first senior male Udo Wendler (Ger). Silver Fleet was won by James O’Hara (Irl).

Full championship results can be found at www.scebensee.at/html/topper/results/24_07_2009.htm

Photographs have been posted at FlickR.com [search for JackPayne2004, click on the set for the Topper Worlds).

Closing ceremony

A well and enthusiastically attended ceremony was enlivened by the Irish. The spirit of the Topper Class was renewed at the end when Andy Millington and the German coach exchanged shirts, a measure of new found friendship. Rumour has it the next Topper Worlds will be in Germany or Holland.

So all leave Austria, old wiser and poorer, onshore people have made many new friends and our Austrian hosts were as hospitable and kind as could possibly be. If a good wind had provided exciting sailing the problematic starts might have been a minor issue. The winds were light and shifty for most of the week, back in the fleet positions became a lottery and three 6 am launches began to take their toll on competitors and parents alike. Congratulations to all sailors for completing a particularly difficult week.