Sunsail Topper Nationwide Series at Queen Mary Sailing Club

by Miles Palmer 14 Sep 2004 11:28 BST 11-12 September 2004

Windy racing for the Sunsail Topper Nationwide Series at Queen Mary Sailing Club © Alan Kohler

125 competitors made the trip to Queen Mary Reservoir in SW London, to compete in the 4th Sunsail Topper Nationwide weekend. The wind was predicted to be 13 to 16 knots, evidently a gross underestimate of the sailing conditions that the fleet were to endure. The fleet was split into 4 flights, with 2 round robins making 6 scheduled races.

Race officer, Graham Webster, set a trapezoid course and started racing promptly for 3 races back to back. In a steady 20 knots the fleets got away cleanly under Blue Peter and Rob Partridge (National Champion) set the pace. Tim Davison , from Fernhurst Books, taking part in the regatta to get some insights for a new publication on the Topper was 2nd. The second flight was dominated by Eifion Mon (World Champion), with Simon Bower 2nd. During the second round of races the wind moderated slightly giving some of the lighter sailors a chance, Sam Coombs and Adam Fox were second with Eifion and Rob still able to win their respective flights. The final round of the day saw Eifion and Rob pared, Eifion managed to work a good lead only to capsize on the final reach making it a photo finish on the line with Rob just edging it. In the other flight Adam Fox put on a demonstration in heavy wind sailing, with gusts recorded at 30 knots he won by a leg from Craig Paul, who found out that Toppers go better with the bung in the boat.

Day 2 dawned to similar conditions although a cooler and slightly less gusty 20-25 knots. Rob started as he had begun with another bullet from Craig and James Hopson. Sam Coombs work extremely hard to come in first from Adam Parry and Robert Spencer. Race 5 saw the first general recall, which meant all subsequent races were started with the black flag. Adrian Davis won from Craig and Adam Parry, with Rob coming in ahead of Adam fox and Robert Spencer in the second flight. In the Final Race 12 boats managed to acquire a black flag disqualification. Leaving Craig to break his run of seconds and come home ahead of Adam Fox and David Carpenter and Adrian Davis to be the only person to beat Rob over the weekend, with David Kohler third.

The final standings were Rob Partridge first with 5 points, Eifion Mon 2nd on 14 beating Adam Fox to 3rd on count back and Sam Coombs 4th. First female Kate Gibbs 10th, first U14 was Bleddyn Mon 22nd and first U13 Martin Evans 15th. Tim Davison presented two special prizes to those sailors who had battled with the conditions all weekend; Max Richardson and Jessica Dawkes.

The Fleet thanked Queen Mary, Judges Chris Simon and Charlie Watson and the numerous helpers that made this such a great Weekend and Sunsail for sponsoring such a great series, roll on Poole on the 2nd and 3rd October for the next instalment.

Overall Results:

Pos	Sail No	Helm	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R10	R11	R12	Pts
1	44661	Robert Partridge	1			1		1	1			1		2	5
2	44921	Eifion Mon		1	1			2		5	5			64	14
3	44529	Adam Fox		64		2	1			7		2	2		14
4	45105	Sam Coombs		4	2			4		1	8			8	19
5	44573	James Hopson	3		3		7		3		4		64		20
6	44527	Robert Spencer		6		3	6			3		3	64		21
7	44682	Adrian Davis		7	6			10		17	1			1	25
8	34304	Adam Parry		5	9			6		2	3			15	25
9	44939	Craig Paul	64		19		2		2		2		1		26
10	44941	Kate Gibbs	5			4		3	16			9		7	28
11	44583	Sam Eversfield		3		10	10			4		10	15		37
12	43313	Peter Harrison	8		16		3		9		7		11		38
13	44535	Joseph Wellerd		9	12			5		11	9			5	39
14	44757	Emma Norris		10	4			11		14	6			9	40
15	44801	Martin Evans	9			6		15	5			18		6	41
16	44476	Callum Calder	21			9		13	12			5		4	43
17	40727	Tim Davidson	2			64		14	14			8		10	48
18	44627	David Carpenter	58		15		13		7		11		3		49
19	43999	Matthew Undrell	7		5		11		17		21		10		50
20	44375	Alex Cooper		17		15	17			9		6	4		51
21	44942	Jessica Cox		12		12	15			6		7	32		52
22	44418	Bleddyn Mon	4		10		8		35		17		18		57
23	44832	Stewart Brown	6		7		28		6		12		64		59
24	42856	Thomas Weatherhead	14			7		19	20			4		64	64
25	42083	Andrew Joseph	10		18		18		4		24		16		66
26	44723	Grace Tweddell	16			5		7	23			15		64	66
27	41223	John Teague		16		11	12			27		13	14		66
28	44943	Ella Gibbs		13	20			9		15	18			12	67
29	40731	Simon Bower		2		14	22			8		22	64		68
30	44193	Richard Henderson	15		8		9		33		37		5		70
31	44517	Sam Craig	30		11		25		15		13		6		70
32	44586	Thomas Durham	11		22		27		10		20		8		71
33	44903	William Hearing		27		21	4			64		12	9		73
34	44954	Alex Mills-Barton		11		23	5			18		16	31		73
35	44442	Callum McKenzie	27		13		20		18		16		7		74
36	44844	Kirsty Meeson		15	32			29		10	10			13	77
37	44584	Ben Palmer		25		8	16			12		21	34		82
38	44578	David Kohler		8	29			31		36	15			3	86
39	45072	Ed Cowell	18			20		12	11			25		64	86
40	44238	Mark Lambert		21		17	41			13		19	17		87
41	44508	Adam Larvin		19		16	14			20		20	19		88
42	44303	Phillip Reynolds	13		21		32		28		14		13		89
43	44589	Peter Irwin	17			19		34	26			14		14	90
44	44523	Richard Ash		30		18	23			23		11	20		95
45	45012	David Highcock	38			33		16	8			23		17	97
46	44494	Tom Lowe	20		37		24		24		25		12		105
47	44283	Elliot Banks	22			13		8	38			26		64	107
48	45048	Tom Salt		22	24			21		22	27			18	107
49	44433	Richard Symons	23		40		19		13		38		21		114
50	44940	Richard Crocker	25		23		30		19		22		44		119
51	45018	Jamie Small	37			22		18	64			32		11	120
52	45074	Pete Sands	19			25		17	42			17		64	120
53	26922	Tim Haslam	24			35		36	21			24		19	123
54	34672	Finlay Barnham		24	33			22		44	19			27	125
55	34393	Alex Grassick	26		26		21		64		28		24		125
56	43685	George Beck		26	30			20		19	31			37	126
57	35197	William Seviour		23	38			64		16	34			16	127
58	44781	Rachel Scarfe	28			24		27	25			27		35	131
59	44108	Adam Hilton		49	34			24		30	23			21	132
60	44349	Oscar McVeigh		41	14			23		29	26			64	133
61	44363	Alex Johns		31	28			64		21	36			25	141
62	44803	Gareth Henshall		20	17			37		33	35			64	142
63	44192	Heather Fox	12			27		42	45			33		30	144
64	44777	Anna Brooks		14		40	33			32		43	25		144
65	42627	Elizabeth Teague		36	39			26		25	29			28	144
66	41409	Stephanie Lloyd		37	36			33		26	32			23	150
67	33086	Alex Groves	46			31		30	29			37		24	151
68	45059	Jenny Dando		29		34	34			24		34	30		151
69	16013	James Spencer	42			44		64	22			29		20	157
70	44174	Ben Slater	36			46		32	32			28		32	160
71	32053	Samantha Gray	45		31		31		43		33		23		161
72	44037	Peter Lord	41			42		25	27			45		26	161
73	43328	Matthew Haslam	47		25		35		34		41		26		161
74	42029	Hannah Lytton	40			26		28	37			40		31	162
75	44890	Andrew Brown		18	46			39		28	39			39	163
76	44756	Sophie Porteous		32		43	36			34		39	27		168
77	41118	Max Robinson		39		64	29			47		36	22		173
78	44237	Hannah Carter	34		27		38		31		43		64		173
79	40943	Andrew Salt	29			38		43	46			46		22	178
80	41816	Katy Stewardson		28		49	43			42		41	29		183
81	44929	Fiona Allen	31			48		35	49			35		34	183
82	44981	Harry Cheetham		48		37	42			37		42	28		186
83	44147	Julia Bowden	48			41		40	47			30		29	187
84	37324	Becky Sands	50		48		40		40		30		36		194
85	42715	Lynn Billowes	39		44		37		48		45		35		200
86	43126	James Lovejoy	33			64		64	41			31		33	202
87	37585	Rory Caird		35		36	49			41		50	42		203
88	33427	Alastair Lucas		44	42			38		45	42			38	204
89	42676	Catherine Lloyd		42		39	39			40		51	45		205
90	44419	Henry Oliver-Smith	43		45		46		39		40		40		207
91	25384	Louise Symons	35		35		47		50		51		41		208
92	44669	Neale Jones		40	47			64		35	46			40	208
93	44982	Joe Cheetham	56			32		41	55			38		45	211
94	44690	Bethany Wellerd		50		47	45			39		49	33		213
95	44388	Charlotte Greenhalgh	55		53		48		36		47		38		222
96	45014	Carl Mitchell	32		41		64		51		56		43		223
97	44737	Alan Roberts	44		51		50		44		48		39		225
98	43844	Luke Dampier		38		64	64			43		44	37		226
99	42838	Julian Cumpsty		45		29	26			64		64	64		228
100	43580	William Symonds		33	49			64		31	52			64	229
101	44928	Yvette Allen		46	52			64		46	50			36	230
102	44916	Matthew West		55		50	64			38		48	47		238
103	44477	Alex Carter		43		51	64			49		47	48		238
104	43183	Marina Brassington	49		50		44		53		49		49		241
105	44128	Jessica Dawkes		53	56			44		51	55			41	244
106	43013	Catherine Whitehill		51		45	64			52		52	46		246
107	45000	Rebecca Patience		47	54			64		53	53			44	251
108	44978	Matthew Johnson		34		30	64			64		64	64		256
109	44970	Adam Laurence James		52	55			64		64	44			42	257
110	44722	Rebecca Dawkes	51			52		64	56			54		46	259
111	34688	Jordan Taylor		54	64			64		50	54			43	265
112	29307	Cathy Brassington	53			28		64	64			64		64	273
113	44837	Freddie Connor	52		64		64		54		57		50		277
114	30416	Anastasiya Volodia	61		64		64		30		64		64		283
115	44510	Max Richardson		64		64	64			48		55	52		283
116	43509	Kit Marsden		64		64	64			54		53	51		286
117	40003	Fiona Lucas	54		43		64		64		64		64		289
118	4081	Oliver Wright	60		64		64		52		58		64		298
119	40877	Julia Beck	59			64		64	57			56		64	300
120	5919	Charlie Haslam		56	64			64		55	64			64	303
121	44004	Richard Cumpsty	57			64		64	64			64		64	313
122	43737	Oscar Mead	64			64		64	64			64		64	320
122	26843	Stuart Dando		64	64			64		64	64			64	320
122	42040	Lauren Mead		64	64			64		64	64			64	320
122	27247	James Patience		64		64	64			64		64	64		320