Topper South and South-West Regional Junior Championships at the WPNSA
by Alex Murray 1 Jul 14:03 BST
20-21 June 2026
On Saturday and Sunday 20th and 21st of June, I was one of many Topper sailors who competed in the South and South-West Regional Junior Championships in Weymouth.
I was really excited for this event because not only were we able to sail in such an iconic venue as WPNSA, but we were also racing sailors from the Southern region as well as the South-West region. This meant we got to meet new people, and it also made for some even more competitive racing.
On the Saturday we had light winds and some thick fog. After a short delay on land due to the fog, we got on the water. In the first (and, it turned out, the only) race of the day, Sacha Gerra took an early lead after a great start, but with Harry MacLeod close behind at the windward mark after a great first beat. Edie Phillips rounded third, with me in fourth and Brooke Browning in fifth.
There was lots of tide on the course, so the best downwind strategy was generally to stay up-tide to cover less distance. Sacha did this well and slightly extended his lead, until he was pushed onto the leeward mark by the tide, allowing Harry to overtake him. The wind was quite shifty which made for some great tactical racing up the beat. Harry played the shifts well and had great boat speed, and extended his lead on the rest of the fleet.
In the end, because of lack of wind, the course was shortened and we finished at the windward mark. Harry won by a significant margin, with Sacha in second and me in third. Brooke finished in fourth after a close battle with Edie, who finished just behind in fifth. After the race we were sent into shore because of the weather (lack of wind and the return of the fog).
On the second day, the wind was even lighter, and unfortunately we couldn't get out on the water. However, it was a great time to spend time with friends and other sailors in the sunshine.
Overall Results: (top five)
5.3s
1 Harry MacLeod
2 Sacha Gerra
3 Alex Murray
4 Brooke Browning
5 Edie Philips
4.2s
1 Emily Doughty
2 George Klaschka
3 Amelie Motherwell
4 Alixe-Constance Rouselle
5 Thea Long