Topper Southern Area Championships and Rooster Southern Tour at Warsash Sailing Club

5.3 start during the Topper Southern Area Championships at Warsash © Topper class

Seb Davies 5.3 Series Winner in the 2021 Rooster Southern Area Traveller Series © Topper class

Greg Czura 4.2 Series Winner in the 2021 Rooster Southern Area Traveller Series © Topper class

Over the weekend of 16th & 17th October Warsash SC hosted the 9th and last Rooster Southern Tour Traveller of the 2021 Topper season which also doubled up as the ITCA Southern Area Championships.

This two day event consisted of 4 races each day and was contested by 26 5.3 sailors and 12 4.2 sailors, we'd unfortunately lost a few sailors in the days leading up to the event, but had gained a few extras from the South East region, who must have been tempted by prospect of sun and wind for what is for most the last event of the calendar year.

As the Saturday dawned, we had just shy of 40 sailors waiting eagerly on the beach and in the pounds to be released onto the water, unfortunately though, the forecasted 8kts of breeze in the morning was completely absent and we had to wait for lunchtime for the wind to swing around to the South and fill in, once this had happened, they launched into the Hamble and headed out to the Solent to go racing. RO Nigel and his team set a standard inner and outer loop course and made the most of the late afternoon sun and light breeze to get 3 races in. "Sea Shanty" Russ & Rog posted all the starts live to Toppers in the UK, so the parents could see what was happening from ashore.

In the 5.3 fleet Leo Yates, visiting from the SE region showed his speed early to take the first race, his first of the weekend. Jake Rawes took the next 2 bullets, to be the overnight leader, with Emily, Finn, Rhys & Seb battling it out just behind.

In the 4.2 fleet a similar pattern was emerging, Greg Czura from around the corner at Lee-on-Solent took the first race win, but Warsash's Jake Davies was more consistent to be the overnight leader from Marcus King.

Sunday arrived and so did the wind, a little stronger and more stable than the Saturday, the sailors headed off around the corner to the race area with the smaller sailors now having to hike out, we'd lost a few sailors overnight to the demands of school work and some who were experiencing 2 days of back-to-back racing for the first time.

On the race course, the 5.3 sailors tended to favour the left side of the course, with the 4.2 sailors preferring the right side, either way, it was Leo & Greg who both came to the front of the fleet and secured 3 more race wins each and the event victories. Emily Brushett managed to secure herself a race win, having been pipped to the finishing line on the previous day by the smallest of margins and Jake Davies finished the event with his second race win.

The sailors were lucky to have 49fx British Team sailor Steph Orton to present the prizes, she presented to the first three in each fleet, plus first boy & girl outside the top 3 (Emily & Finn and Tate & Aurelia Stubbs), endeavour (Jacob Howells & Matthew Terry). A special mention to Aurelia Stubbs as she was sailing in her first event in the club Topper and to Toby Quartly for not giving up even when his boat was sinking.

A massive thank you goes to Rooster, Baltic & Lewmar for the generous donation of the prizes and the superb trophies and a huge thank you to all of the parents that helped out over the weekend either on the water, or on the shore to give the sailors an excellent event.

As this event was the last 2021 traveller and the end of the Autumn Traveller Series, Southern Area Rep Andrew Goodman also had some trophies to hand out.

There were supposed to be 4 events in the Autumn Series, but with Oxford having no wind and Bosham being blown off, it was just the results from the shared Island Barn open and Warsash that made up the series.

Leo Yates (IBSC/Burghfield) took the 5.3 fleet prize having won both events, from Seb Davies (Warsash) and Rhys Griffiths (Shoreham).

The 4.2 fleet was won by Greg Czura (Lee-On-Solent) from Jake Davies (Warsash) & Ethan Rhodes (Warsash).

Overall Results:

The results from the Summer Series & Autumn Series were then merged together, to give the overall 2021 Rooster Southern Area Traveller Series winners.

Seb Davies (Warsash) won the 5.3 fleet, from Aaron Goodman (Hill Head) and Jake Rawes (Oxford).

Greg Czura (Lee-On-Solent) complete the set to take the 4.2 fleet from Tate Kump (West Wittering) and Ethan Rhodes (Warsash).

All the results can be found on the ITCA results page Southern Area Event Results (itca-gbr.co.uk)

Prize winners in the Topper Southern Area Championships at Warsash - photo © Topper class