Topper South East Series Finale at Island Barn Reservoir Sailing Club

by Mike Jones 12 Sep 2017 08:41 BST 9 September 2017

Island Barn Topper Open © Mike Jones

We all talk up our Open reports but this one is an exception - it needed no talking up. The result of an entire Traveller Series hung in the balance until the last leg of the fifth and final race.

It was the Final Topper open of the South East Traveller Series and was the decider of the Series. Unusually, three sailors could still win at the start of the day.

Curtis McKay from Hillingdon was in the driving seat. With 10 points, he held a 2 point lead over Coco Barrett from the home club, Island Barn and Finlay Swanton from Felpham, each of whom were on 12 points, with Barrett leading Swanton on count back. A straightforward task for McKay, then. Just finish one point behind Barrett or Swanton and take home the Travellers Trophy.

The number of Toppers was swelled by the Southern Area Travellers, who came in force, as their series was also still to be won and lost. A Regatta Fleet also took part on the same course, with less laps than their seniors. The total number of Toppers was 72, making it the largest Traveller of the season by far.

The wind, from due west, filled in nicely for the first race.

Aaron Evans from Silver Wing decided that the day was not just about the three contending stars. He flew off the start at the pin end, increased his lead on every leg and after 3 laps was almost a whole leg ahead, no mean feat in such a strong fleet. Evans won easily. Swanton had a strong second place, Mckay was poor on 9 and Barrett had a shocker with13. Swanton was liking this.

Evans started well again in Race 2 and he, Sam Jones from Hill-Head, Barrett and McKay had a close, place-swapping race, with Barrett, Jones, Evans and McKay finishing in that order.

So at the best lunch served all season, Evans led the event on 4 points, Jones was second on 5 and our three contenders, McCay, Barrett and Swanton (who had a shocking second race), were on 13, 14 and 22.

Lunchtime during the Island Barn Topper Open - photo © Mike Jones

McKay, now looking very good for the Series, enjoyed his pasta bolognaise,

Three races were scheduled for the afternoon, but those clouds in the west looked rather threatening.

A feature of the day was the close tussle between The South East's Coco Barrett and the Southerner, Sam Jones. Downwind on races 2 to 5, they were never separated by more than a boat's length. Gripping stuff.

In race 3, it was Jones, Barrett, Newhaven's Hudson, Poole's Kemp, Hill Head's Vennis-Ozanne, Swanton, with McKay back in 9th. With discards now clicking in, Mckay's pasta lunch was starting to feel a little less digestible. If the Open and the Traveller Series ended now, Barrett (13 points) would be just ahead of McKay (13 points) on count-back, with Swanton (16) in third and looking out of it.

Two races to go and the thunder clouds were now massing to a considerable size.

In Race 4, Barrett and Jones again locked masts (metaphorically), finishing 1st and 2nd. McKay could do no better than 6th, and Swanton looked spent on a 9th.

So, Barrett new what she had to do to win the Traveller Series. She had to win this event and to do this she had to beat the Jones Boy from Hill-Head in Race 5. They had beaten each other twice today, so this was going to be close.

We now had large thunder clouds to the south and north with, thankfully a clear strip of sunshine between them. Who on earth could mess things up for Barrett now. None less than her sister Lily Barrett, languishing in 20th overall, who popped up at the windward mark in 2nd, ahead of her sister Coco, who was just ahead of Jones. Surely Lily would slow down a touch, let her sister through and cover Jones. Not a bit of it. She covered sister Coco ferociously.

With lightning booms to north and south, the last race was shortened. Swanton, not spent at all, took 1st, Lily Barrett, all smiles, took 2nd and Coco Barrett, all spent, squeezed in 3rd to Jones's 4th, thus winning the Open by 1 point from Jones.

Phew!

Coco Barrett wins the Island Barn Topper Open - photo © Mike Jones

The closest Traveller Series in memory was over. Barrett and McKay were equal on 13 points. But Coco Barrett's 1st place in this Final Open, gave her more firsts than McKay and she took home both the Open Trophy and the Traveller Trophy.

Coco should be congratulated for getting over the nightmare of a first race 13th, and then scoring no worse than a 3rd for the rest of the day – the mark of a champion.

In the important supporting events, the 4.2 prize was won by Dan Perkins from Warsash and the closely fought Regatta Fleet was won by Rory Clow from Island Barn, who is not long out of Oppies.

A great event to end the Topper 2017 South East Series. Full series results can be found here.

Overall Results:

Pos	Rig	Sail No	Helm	Club	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	Pts
1st	5.3	47808	Coco Barrett	Island Barn Reservoir SC	‑13	1	2	1	3	7
2nd	5.3	47641	Sam Jones	Hill Head SC/Stokes Bay SC	3	2	1	2	‑4	8
3rd	5.3	47780	Aaron Evans	Silver Wing SC	1	3	8	5	‑17	17
4th	5.3	47649	Finlay Swanton	Felpham SC	2	‑20	6	9	1	18
5th	5.3	48177	William Hudson	Newhaven & Seaford	‑12	6	3	10	8	27
6th	5.3	47531	Curtis Mckay	HOAC / Queensmead	9	4	9	6	‑19	28
7th	5.3	47078	Monique Vennis‑Ozanne	Hill Head SC	8	9	5	‑30	6	28
8th	5.3	48249	Leo Wilkinson	Maidenhead SC/DWSC	‑14	7	11	4	7	29
9th	5.3	47860	Angus Kemp	Poole YC	11	12	4	3	‑13	30
10th	5.3	48140	Zoe Belben	Stokes Bay SC	7	5	‑19	8	14	34
11th	5.3	47773	Ollie Vennis‑Ozanne	Hill Head SC	10	18	7	‑29	5	40
12th	5.3	46720	Frederick Barry	Warsash SC	‑31	24	10	7	9	50
13th	5.3	45477	Jacob Atkins	Stokes Bay SC	15	10	‑20	16	11	52
14th	5.3	47956	Anabelle Esqulant	Docklands Sailing and Watersports Centre	6	15	24	‑26	12	57
15th	5.3	48050	Heloise Shadbolt	Warsash SC	20	16	13	14	‑26	63
16th	5.3	47654	James Smaggasgale	HOAC / Queensmead	5	13	‑40	17	30	65
17th	5.3	47750	Maxi Tustain	IBRSC	21	8	18	18	‑42	65
18th	5.3	47658	Dan Batty	Dorchester SC / Oxford SC	29	11	‑34	11	16	67
19th	5.3	47902	Henry Koe	South Bank SC	18	‑30	14	27	10	69
20th	5.3	46046	Lily Barrett	Island Barn Reservoir SC	19	‑33	22	31	2	74
21st	5.3	47637	Amy Smith	Warsash SC	17	22	15	22	‑24	76
22nd	5.3	48246	Lawrence Donnelly	Surrey Docks	24	‑32	25	15	21	85
23rd	5.3	47797	Phoebe Hutchings	Warsash SC	‑32	21	21	21	27	90
24th	5.3	45700	Andy Peng	Warsash SC	36	31	12	13	(OCS)	92
25th	5.3	47954	Josie Meredith	Papercourt SC	26	‑29	29	24	15	94
26th	5.3	48259	Richard Thurlby	Hill Head SC / Jets	30	‑40	16	25	23	94
27th	5.3	47676	Scott Whitehead	Warsash SC	16	‑44	37	20	28	101
28th	5.3	46919	Antonio Pascali	IBRSC	‑41	14	17	36	41	108
29th	5.3	47779	Robin Stein	Crawley Mariners YC/Queen Mary SC	33	17	26	32	‑35	108
30th	5.3	47796	Cameron Sword	Papercourt SC	22	19	35	35	‑38	111
31st	5.3	47354	Cat Albone	MKSC	23	23	33	‑40	33	112
32nd	5.3	44301	Thomas Clayton	Poole YC	‑38	26	27	28	31	112
33rd	5.3	47855	Harriet Kirk	Stokes Bay SC	25	34	32	‑38	25	116
34th	5.3	47725	Maisie Bristow	IBRSC	28	‑48	48	12	32	120
35th	5.3	47806	Yana Skvortsova		27	(RET)	23	53	20	123
36th	5.3	47752	Cormac O'Brien	IBRSC	(RET)	36	28	23	40	127
37th	5.3	47077	Tom Williamson	Island Barn Reservoir SC	(DNC)	DNC	31	19	18	134
38th	5.3	47950	Oliver Hickling	Queen Mary SC/Wembley SC	37	28	(RET)	43	29	137
39th	5.3	44529	Ollie Freemantle	Poole YC	‑46	27	36	41	34	138
40th	5.3	47890	Emilia Walker	Warsash SC / JETS	34	41	30	33	(DNC)	138
41st	5.3	45975	Johnny Woolgar	Papercourt SC	43	25	39	‑44	36	143
42nd	5.3	45417	Luka Franklin	Bough Beech SC	35	35	‑41	37	37	144
43rd	5.3	48153	Harry Somerville	Poole YC	44	‑49	46	34	22	146
44th	5.3	44806	Harris Goodman	Hill Head SC / Jets	40	43	‑44	39	39	161
45th	5.3	45507	Stuart Aitken	Warsash SC	‑50	47	38	42	43	170
46th	5.3	47647	Charlie Merryweather	Goring Thames SC	45	37	45	‑54	45	172
47th	5.3	46274	Harriet Sacker	Burnham Overy Staithe SC	39	38	‑53	52	48	177
48th	5.3	45770	Bjorn Handley	Queen Mary SC	42	39	(OCS)	46	52	179
49th	4.2	47853	Daniel Perkins	Warsash SC	47	42	47	‑49	46	182
50th	5.3	47099	Harry Newton	Hampton Pier YC	52	45	(OCS)	45	44	186
51st	4.2	48193	Immi Rees	Hill Head SC	‑55	54	42	47	47	190
52nd	5.3	40449	Oliver Wattam	Felpham SC	48	46	43	57	‑60	194
53rd	5.3	45699	Finn Heath	Highcliffe SC	4	63	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	199
54th	4.2	47079	Jude Smith	Stokes Bay SC and Jets	‑56	50	55	48	54	207
55th	4.2	46448	Ryan Davies	Warsash SC	54	52	51	‑56	50	207
56th	4.2	32258	Xavier Dunn	Hillhead SC	(DNC)	58	54	50	49	211
57th	4.2	48083	Arran Goodman	Hill Head SC / Jets	53	‑59	49	58	51	211
58th	5.3	33837	Islay Goodman	Hill Head SC / Jets	49	57	‑58	51	57	214
59th	5.3	20425	Kenneth Freeman	HOAC / Queensmead	51	55	52	‑62	58	216
60th	5.3	16492	Frances Daubeny	Bough Beech SC	58	53	56	‑60	53	220
61st	4.2	45757	River Green	Poole YC	57	56	(OCS)	55	55	223
62nd	5.3	31590	Jude Wilson	IBRSC	(RET)	51	50	DNC	DNC	233
63rd	4.2	45310	Patrick Smith	Stokes Bay SC	‑61	60	59	59	56	234
64th	5.3	45413	Eloise Hutchings	Warsash SC	60	‑61	57	61	59	237
65th	4.2	3036	William Groom	Stokes Bay SC	59	62	60	63	(DNC)	244

Regatta Fleet Results:

Pos	Rig	Sail No	Helm	Club	R1	R2	R3	R4	Pts
1st	5.3	9066	Rory Clow	Island Barn Reservoir SC	2	1	‑5	2	5
2nd	5.3	33515	Orla McLelland	IBRSC/Dalgety Bay SC	1	4	1	‑5	6
3rd	4.2	40795	Megan Thomson	Island Barn Reservoir SC	4	‑6	3	1	8
4th	4.2	34031	Freya Evans	IBRSC	‑5	2	2	4	8
5th	5.3	29981	Ethan Marley	IBRSC	‑6	3	4	3	10
6th	5.3	44375	Thomas Townsin	IBRSC	3	5	‑6	6	14
7th	5.3	47902	Wilbur Koe	South Bank SC	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	DNC	24