(Thanks to the ISA for this report)
Ready to Launch!
TOPPER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2008 : LAST DAY
The GUL Topper World Championship organised by Tralee Bay Sailing Club in Fenit County Kerry is concluding this afternoon in glorious sunshine. As the 180 boats launched this morning they were greeted at the harbour entrance by the arriving Jeanie Johnston on a return trip to her home port. Three races today were sailed in mixed conditions with winds between 7 and 20 knots from varying directions. The race committee, under the command of Alan Crosbie IRO, handled the tricky conditions with panache deftly moving the course as required. Final results are not yet to hand but GBR sailor Elliot Hanson looks to be secure in the top spot having won two of today’s Gold fleet races. Ireland’s Philip Doran finished well up but may have missed the podium.
Tralee Bay Sailing Club website http://www.traleebaysailingclub.com/
Photo Caption: Waiting for the breeze to settle before the second race on the last day on Tralee Bay at the GUL Topper Worlds.
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On a bright note for Irish Junior sailing, all the Irish Toppers are performing superbly. After 2 days of qualifying races, there is a total of 23 Irish sailors to be in the gold fleet starting wednesday through to friday. The ISA squad particularly are performing very well, all will sail in the Gold fleet and are putting all that hard work over the winter and recent months into good use sailing really well thus far.
Story so far:
On Sunday there was one practice race in about 13 knots and the fleet were really just "sussing" one another out before predictably retiring and heading home to rest up for the week ahead.
The event began for real on monday. 2 races were sailed in very varying breeze. The wind did complete 360's and back again and there were 2 long periods without a breath on the water. Tough conditions for the competitors and race committee alike. The first race began with a nice 10-12 knots. All the Irish boats were well up there with stephen duke 2nd at one point before bad luck struck and the wind faded to zero on the run and when it filled in the fleet caught up. Chris Eames managed to take advantage and took 3rd in the opening race with philip doran 7th and stephen in 11th. On the other course finn lynch was unlucky not to get a top 10 with the fading breeze not being kind to him. He finished 19th. Much waiting around before the next race but true enough around 3.30 the next race began in a 16 knot wind that filled in providing exciting racingfor all. Philip upped the gears this race pulling in a 2nd.
The next day began with 4 races scheduled and a starting gun at 10.30am. The Race commitee meant business raising the D flag before 8.30am. With the race area nearby we waited until about 9.00 before launching so as not to be drained beofre the race out there. The breeze was about 14-16 knots with gusts visible across the water and the tide playing a major role in giving a few OCS's to many competitors pushing them over the line. Tuesday 21st was a day in Irish topper history as the top Irish boats and the ISA squad particularly sailed superbly banging in consistent top 15 results among the majority of the group really pushing the GBR boats hard. Philip Doran had a great day with a 2, 3, 4, 1, pushing him up to 3rd overall and 6pts off the lead. He was maybe unfortunate not to score two firsts today but we have one on the board and hopefully he and the other guys can produce a couple more "bullets" in the Gold fleet. Chris Eames was another stand out sailor scoring supremely well with a 12, 8, 2 ,7 for the day pushing him to 10th overall. Michael Molloy really stood up today and moved way up the board to 28th scoring 8, 15, 7, 12. Robbie Gilmore was a constant fighter coming back to the early teens in 3/4 races showing good will never to give in around the race course and Ryan Wilson, Finn lynch and stephen Duke all scored at least a 6th in a race today and were never far out of the top 20 in the other races. Sophie did well today with some good speed around the course but overall she knows she can do much better and if she sails to her capacity, she will start shooting up the leader board.
Points for the next few days would be never to be happy with your position in a race even if you are hitting your goal at the windward mark. Keep pushing hard to hold your position and even harder to move up in each race. Every place counts! And lastly lets bulid on today's success and prove it wasn't just a lucky day. Let this form continue the rest of the week and better it!
Results as they stand after 6 races/5 races counting with one discard:
Top 3 and remaining ISA squad
1. Elliot Hanson 6pts
2. Richard Cumpsty 8 pts
3. Philip Doran 12pts
10. Chris Eames 32pts
27. Michael Molloy 74pts
30. Stephen Duke 81pts
32. Ryan Wilson 85pts
34. Robbie Gulmore 86pts
49. Finn Lynch
67. Sophie Murphy
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Variable wind conditions from very light up to 20 knots provided a challenge for both the Race Management Team and the Competitors.
180 competitors from around the world have descended on Tralee Bay for the Gul Topper World Championship 2008 where they will race over the next five days.
With International Race Office Alan Crosbie in charge on the water and a hugely committed army of volunteers from Tralee Bay Sailing Club, Fenit is the place to be this week.
Competitors have just completed their first two races and results should be available shortly.
Overnight Courtown's Philip Doran lies in 4th place overall counting a 8th and 2nd place in Race 1 and 2.
Position - Sailor - Club - R1 - R1 - Total Points
1st Elliot Hanson - REDESMERE SC 5.0 1.0 6.0
2nd Lorenzo Brando Chiavarini - RNCYC and HSC 15.0 1.0 16.0
3rd Jonathan Hewat - Medway Y. C. 3.0 2.0 5.0
4th Philip Doran - Courtown SC 8.0 2.0 10.0
Full results are available here
ISA Topper Squad Update Pre Worlds:
Article by Barry McCartain
The majority of the squad arrived in Tralee on the mon/tues of this week. We did some training, short and sharp sessions to get in gear for the championship. Mainly speed-testing upwind and downwind as a group as well as many split tacks on the course for the worlds. All the group, philip. finn, chris, robbie, michael, stephen, sophie (Ryan having arrived just in the last few days) are showing good speed at this stage before the regatta.
Large swell and chop on top of that are a significant factor at the venue and training in the last week I feel has been of large benefit. Towards the end of each day we joined up with Thomas and Theo's group in order to do some short races giving more boats at the start line and at the windward and leeward marks where similar multiple boat pressures will apply.
As a collective squad of sailors this one is among the strongest for the years with many sailors that could potentially pull out a top-level result. This is due largely to all the hard trainings over the last winter which have been well organised by all involved. So a well-done must go to them for their important contributions. So from the squad's point of view lets not let all that hard work go to waste and with a little luck on our side I believe we can do damage!
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The Topper worlds are held in Tralee Bay sailing club from the 19th to the 25th of July. It is an open event and it is a great occasion to race a large fleet in the west of Ireland. With a gold, silver and bronze category following a short qualifying series, everyone will have a good time within a fleet of his own ability. Entries are starting to fly in with 4 nations now being represented (Ireland, Great Britain, France and Germany). There is a maximum of 300 entries so you better start to think about your entry sooner rather than later! You can enter Online on TBSC website.
For laser 4.7 or Optimist sailors thinking of having a go, charter boats are available through the ITCAI (local charter of used boats) and through Topper international (new boats). The number of charters are limited.
The ISA junior squad will be racing with hopes of topping Philip Doran's 9th and best Irish score from last year. Their coach is Barry Mc Cartin, who has been working with the group all winter. The Northern Ireland junior squad will be coached by Mary Farell.
If the the ISA and the RYA northern Ireland have their own squad organised and support for this squads, Thomas Chaix and Theo Murphy are organising pre-worlds coaching and support at the worlds for any member of the ITCAI not member of such squads. Unfortunately, to keep high quality in the coaching/support there is only a limited number of places available. If you wish to be part of the group, register your interest on www.tcsailingcoach.com (topper page). Early entries are of prime importance if we were to get another coach and extend the size of the group.
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Entries are starting to fly in on Tralee Bay sailing clubs website for the next topper worlds (17-25 July), some Irish sailors are putting great efforts to be ready for the event.
Philip Doran is one of these hopefuls and he is training hard to top his 9th position from last year in Garda and is conducting a new topper campaign alongside his laser sailing. Philip was the only Irish racing at the first Topper UK nationwide competition. 5 races were sailed and philip scored a 1st, two 2nd, a 3rd and a 8th to finish the event in 3rd position within the 195 boats fleet just a point off the overall winner. As the UK sailors are so dominant in the class, these results will surely boost his confidence and his motivation towards Tralee...Well done Philip
Thomas Chaix
ISA Junior Coach
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January 14th 2008
PRESS RELEASE
Tralee Bay Sailing Club hosts the World Topper Championships in 2008
Tralee Bay Sailing Club has been selected to host the World Topper Championship in Fenit in 2008.
The World Topper Championships, which is expected to attract at least three hundred boats, will run from 19th – 25th July 2008. The Topper is a single-handed dinghy usually sailed by teenagers and young adults. This hugely prestigious event was keenly contested by a number of sailing clubs throughout the world, but Tralee Bay Sailing Club’s tender won favour with the International Topper Association. This regatta was held last year in Lake Garda, Italy. It will be a huge boost for Irish sailors to have this world event held in Ireland in 2008. This is only the second time in the history of the Club that a world championship has been held in Fenit. The world Fireball championship was hosted by Tralee Bay Sailing Club in 1970 and was a huge success.
The organising committee of this years World Topper event in Fenit is planning for six days of exciting racing by some of the top dinghy sailors in Ireland and throughout the world. They have secured the services of a panel of international judges and Alan Crosbie, a qualified international race officer.