GJW Direct Topper 5.3 and 4.2 Nationals at the WPNSA - Day 1
by Chris Woodard 29 Jul 2018 21:47 BST
28 July - 3 August 2018
A bumper entry for the GJW Direct Topper Nationals at the WPNSA © Chris Woodard
286 Toppers have descended upon Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy for the 2018 GJW Direct International Topper 5.3 and 4.2 National Championships.
The 5.3 fleet has attracted a monster entry of 225 boats, a healthy uplift of almost 50 boats over last year, and although the competitors will, as usual, race in two flights, there will be c.112 boats on each start line, setting a challenge for competitors and race management alike! The 4.2 fleet is also showing a healthy increase with 42 entries, and there are 19 of the youngest and/or least experienced sailors signed up for a week of fun and race initiation in the Regatta fleet.
The Notice of Race scheduled three days of racing in the Qualification Series, followed by three days of racing in Gold, Silver and Bronze fleets, but the weather has already played a part in disrupting this programme! The forecast for the first day's racing on Sunday has looked ominous for some time, and at the pre-event competitor briefing on Saturday evening it was an easy decision to cancel all sailing and allow families to "enjoy" a day off in the persistent rain and wild winds!
For those wishing to follow progress through the event, results will be posted daily online at www.itca-gbr.co.uk - just search under the "results" tab and set the filter for "national events".