2018 Midlands Topper Traveller Series - Overall
by Midlands Topper Fleet 21 Jul 2018 08:38 BST
21 July 2018
Qualifiers and prize winners at the overall prizegiving for the Midlands Topper Traveller Series © Victoria Turnbull
In a season shortened by our decision to follow the main Topper Class Association and run the series alongside the academic calendar to allow transitioning sailors to leave the fleet and get on with their new ventures after the summer. But not to worry it all starts again in our 2018/19 series starting at Draycote Water on the 15th September.
To summarise this season we can't avoid the lack of wind that plagued us this year but we applaud the race officers and club members of the host clubs who organised the racing and got in events every weekend without delay in a professional and efficient manner. The clubs themselves all without exception gave us all a warm and friendly reception and encouraged their less experienced sailors to join in with the event. Chase Sailing club had a magnificent sixteen home club sailors take part which was a fantastic turnout and by far the best by a distance it really added to the event being a success. We had sailors join in from as far afield as Poole and West Kirby and we had two Masters sailors join in this year and though they did sail well they may have been surprised by the ability of all the youngsters who regularly sail in this series.
The sailing itself was competitive and closely fought out even though most of this was done in slow motion but as the wind got up the competition intensified with three different race winners at Swarkestone and all four races won by different sailors at Hollowell. When therewas a bit of breeze the competition definitely stepped up a notch and often large numbers of boats were in a position to win but only one could do so. Greg didn't have it all his way as Dan gave him a good run for his money at Swarkestone and had he ventured into the series on the lighter wind events who knows what the result could have been.
That said Greg Cornes was the complete master of the lighter winds sealing off the series after the first three events. The girls lead by Kate Robertson who was on Topper duty in Ireland wasn't there to receive her well earned second place overall and First Girl was so close to winning her first traveller race to be dashed by the dying wind and abandonment flag, sailed a great series and was followed home by Annabel Turnbull and Scarlet Desorgher. The boys fought fairly with the each other and the girls and had some magnificently entertaining races especially when the wind was up at a sailable level. Many lead changes and close boat on boat action right through the fleet. The youngsters made a good show. Flashes of brilliance from some of the less experienced sailors show the potential of what is to come in the future with a bit more practice.
All in all we had 8 sailors win a race, Greg Cornes Ben Paling, Joseph Green, and Dan keenan all winning a traveller race for the first time and Greg and Dan winning their first ever traveller event. Many others had been out front only to be on the wrong shift and losing out on what could have been their first race win.
New for this year was the Under 13 trophy which was kindly donated by Phoenix Marine and whilst only 4 U13 sailors qualified for the series we had 15 U13 sailors take part in the series as a whole. Charlie Hopkinson From Notts County was given a good test by Merryn Attridge, Aimee Bray and Ross Ferguson.
Notable moments and mentions that stood out during the series were the friendliness between the sailors, good hard close but fair racing on the water. Not too many protests. Joseph Green winning a race at his first ever traveller by a country mile. The close racing in the 4.2 rigs when they came out at Swarkestone on a gusty tight twisty course. The mid-fleet sailors who have been to most of the events but don't get noticed as much with all the action taking place at the front. Your day will come. Probably sooner than you all think. Are you ready for it? And finally the immense talent that we have in our sailors by how much they have all improved and sailing at the top level in a great competitive but sporting manner.
And after all that we are back on it all over again in September see you all then.
Prizes were awarded to:
1st overall and 1st boy – Greg Cornes – Chase SC
2nd overall and 1st girl – Kate Robertson – Swarkestone SC
3rd overall and 2nd boy – Will Thomas – Notts County SC
3rd Boy and 4th overall – Dan Keenan – Tamworth SC
2nd girl and 8th overall – Annabel Turnbull – RYA
3rd girl and 9th overall – Scarlet Desorgher – Rutland SC
Phoenix Marine U13 Champion and 14th overall – Charlie Hopkinson – Notts County SC
5th overall – Jude Singleton – Hollowell SC
6th overall – Charlie Turnbull - RYA
7th overall – Ben Paling – Notts County SC
10th overall – Daisy Desorgher – Rutland SC
11th overall – Oli Keenan – Tamworth SC
12th overall – Taylor Berry – Chase SC
13th overall – Felix Mcmullan – Hollowell SC
15th overall – Merryn Attridge – Swarkestone SC
16th overall – Keiran Bray – Banbury SC
17th overall – Aimee Bray – Banbury SC
18th overall – Ross Ferguson – Blithfield SC
Full results [PDF]