South West Toppers Pre-season Training and Coached Racing Weekend at ASC Portland
by Sam Norton 5 Apr 2022 09:32 BST
26-27 March 2022
South West Toppers Pre-season Training at Portland © Sam Norton
On Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th March, ASC Portland hosted a pre-season training and coached racing event. The coaching was led by Dan Belben and Hannah Bristow.
Spring had sprung and brought sun and mild temperatures. A small pod of dolphins even made an appearance. They played close to the toppers on Sunday which was a particular highlight for the sailors as they swum around and under the boats
13 sailors attended the training on Saturday. Brisk winds made the sailors work hard to stay upright as they practised their racing skills, especially starts.
On Sunday morning 15 sailors learnt more about how to adjust the controls on their boats and played follow my leader, adjusting controls on the whistle.
They came in for a quick lunch before going back out for an afternoon of racing.
Four races were run back to back. Kyle Muelener and Kat Gunn (visiting from the Midlands) fought for first place with Kyle just coming out on top with Alex Jones in 3rd place.
There was a good balance of girls and boys and 4.2 and 5.3 rigs. The weekends format of training and coached racing gave the sailors the opportunity to practise skills and try different techniques without the pressure of being in a series.
The SW Traveller series starts over the weekend of the 7th/8th May at Saltash Sailing Club. These events are well suited for sailors familiar with racing who wish to enhance their skills, meet new friends and experience different sailing locations.