ITCA Midlands Topper Travellers at Blithfield Sailing Club

ITCA Midlands Topper Traveller at Blithfield - 5.3 fleet winner Hari Clark © Chris Fenton

The first Topper Traveller of the 2024–25 Midlands series was at Blithfield Sailing Club, and conditions on the day were chilly, drizzly, and (as is traditional now at this venue for Midlands Travellers) rather foggy. But sailors were heartened by the prospect of moderate-to-light winds from the favourable south-east direction from the dam wall and hot bacon rolls from the galley.

Following the briefing, a total of 26 Toppers launched to find a trapezoidal course was displayed on the committee boat. Meanwhile, the wind picked-up to about 7 to 8 knots, and the fog cleared partially for the first start at about 10:30. The fleet was split between port and starboard at the start line, with boats jostling for clear air. At the start signal, Oscar Rowe and Daniel Riley had the best starts from the port end, with Toby Turner (visiting from the east) and Hari Clark close behind. Approaching the windward mark, boat speed and watching the shifts was key to success, with Hari rounding first followed closely by Daniel. By the end of three laps, the order was Hari, Toby and Alex Stainton. In the 4.2 fleet of nine boats (a good number for the Midlands region), Elizabeth Stainton lead from the start and finished first, ahead of Jake Day and Thomas Croxton.

When the second race started the wind had picked-up somewhat, but shifty conditions remained. The most experienced 5.3 sailors were split fairly equally between port and starboard. Port-side boats came out on top owing to the favoured tack. By the windward mark the leading group of five were closely spaced, but Fred Seddon rounded first, followed by Toby and Oscar. By the leeward mark, Hari had moved from fifth to second, and Toby overtook Fred to take the leading position. Toby worked hard to hold-off Hari during the next upwind section, but Hari squeezed past at the windward mark, with Toby in close pursuit. This race finished after two laps for an early lunch, with the final order of Hari, Toby and Oscar. Meanwhile, in the 4.2s, Jake had a good start and lead for much of the race, but was overhauled by Elizabeth, who claimed another bullet, with Jake in second place and Harry Fenton, third.

Sailors were fortified by a hearty lunch of jacket potatoes, rhubarb crumble and custard, and cake (for those that had room), all kindly provided by Blithfield’s galley. By now, the wind had dropped significantly to about five knots. The third race was starboard biased, but Edward Whittaker and Toby gambled on the port side. Hari, on starboard, got a good start and an early lead to round the windward mark first, and further extended his lead throughout the race, finishing well ahead of the other 5.3s. Toby battled his way through the fleet to secure second followed by Edward in third. The 4.2 competitors were somewhat handicapped by having to sneak through the 5.3 chaos on the start line, though Thomas emerged as the lead boat up until the second lap. However, Elizabeth finally overtook Thomas to continue her winning streak in the 4.2 fleet.

In the concluding race of the day, conditions were slightly windier but still light. The starboard side was favoured by the leading 5.3 sailors, with Hari tacking-off to starboard early on in clean air with a slight lead, which went unchallenged, and was extended considerably throughout the race. Toby finished consistently well, with his fourth second place, followed by William Clarke. In the 4.2s, Jake, Thomas, Harry and Elizabeth were all fighting over first place, with Jake leading for the first lap, before Elizabeth finally overtook him to claim a close but well-deserved final bullet.

ITCA Midlands Topper Traveller at Blithfield - 4.2 fleet winner Elizabeth Stainton - photo © Chris Fenton

The final overall order was Hari, Toby, and then Oscar (in the 5.3s) and Elizabeth, Jake, and Thomas (in the 4.2s). The new Midlands Area Rep, Greg Croxton, performed the necessary presentations, and was welcomed warmly by all the parents and sailors – who are most grateful for him stepping-up to do this role. Many thanks to all the volunteers at Blithfield for their time and hard work to make this event run so smoothly. And finally, a big thank you to the event sponsors, Topper, Rooster, Harken, Optimum Time, and Noble Insurance, for their continued support of the Midland Topper Traveller series. Hope to see everyone at the next seven events in the Traveller series!

Overall Results: