News and Updates
Last Updated - 17/11/08 South East Topper Photo Album
Next Events -
This site will no longer be updated in the future, but will be here for now for historical reference. So please use the new site at GBR Topper and go to the area page for the South East.
Many Thanks, Alex
RYA SE Zone Championships
National Championships - Paignton SC
South East Sailor Results -
GOLD FLEET - 23rd Jonathan Hewat, 27th Joe Wellerd, 40th Julia Beck, 46th George Spedding, 47th Dan Bigsby, 50th Charlotte Bonella, 54th Hannah Thomas, 58th Richard Thomas, 61st Steph Wicken, 62nd Josh Tolley, 75th Jonty Freeman, 84th Peter Grassick and 93rd Finn Caiger-Smith.
SILVER FLEET - 18th Sammy Bonella, 21st Charlotte Fenn, 22nd, Ollie Machell, 49th Matt Thomas, 57th Dan Fenn, 61st Oliver Greber, 63rd Will Barnes, 67th Jack Spence, 71st Tom Richardson and 73rd Charlie Runcorn.
BRONZE FLEET - 2nd Will Street, 4th Tom Howard, 9th Helen Baldwin, 14th Clive Jackson, 33rd Louis Knevett, 43rd Harry Bradley, 76th Benedict Cooper, 85th Angus Couper,
REGATTA FLEET - 2nd Mark Thomas.
Overall Results - Gold Fleet, Silver Fleet and Regatta Fleet.
Nationwide 3 - Oxford SC
South East Sailor Results - 11th Joe Wellerd, 15th Dan Bigsby, 17th George Spedding, 37th Julia Beck, 48th Jonty Freeman, 58th Hannah Thomas, 66th Josh Tolley, 67th Finn Caiger-Smith, 69th Clive Jackson, 71st Peter Grassick, 99th Tom Richardson, 104th Ollie Machell, 112th Will Barnes, 117th Tom Howard, 118th Helen Baldwin, 143rd Charlie Runcorn, 150th Sammy Bonella, 155th Jack Spence, 165th Angus Franz, 166th Caroline Baldwin, 174th Matt Morton, 190th Teresa Franz, 191st Angus Couper, 193rd Stuart Franz and 196th Harry Bradley.
Traveller 9 - Newhaven and Seaford SC
Top 5 Results - 1st George Spedding, 2nd Jon Hewat, 3rd Tom Weekes, 4th Alex Mills-Barton and 5th Jonty Freeman.
Traveller 8 - Bexhill SC
Top 5 Results - 1st Jon Hewat, 2nd Jonty Freeman, 3rd Ollie Machell, 4th Charlotte Fenn and 5th Thomas Howard.
Traveller 7 - Pevensey Bay SC
Top 5 Results - 1st Dan Bigsby, 2nd Will Street, 3rd Jonathan Hewat, 4th Richard Thomas and 5th Clive Jackson.
Nationwide 2 - Largs
South East Sailor Results - 64th Finn Caiger-Smith,
Traveller 6 - Lancing SC
Top Five - 1st Clive Jackson, 2nd Will Street, 3rd Jonty Freeman, 4th Angela Davey and 5th Ollie Machell.
Overall South East Traveller Series Results
Report - A very light NE wind was replaced by a gentle SW f2 sea breeze, just in time for the first race at the Lancing S.C. Topper Open & SE Traveller on Sat 31st May. 25 helms, including 17 visitors, started race 1 after one general recall. Jonty Freeman was first to the windward mark gaining an impressive early lead; however Will Street and Clive Jackson proved faster downwind creating a leading trio. Jackson then led up the second beat and went on to win ahead of Street and Freeman. Race 2 was sailed back to back and Jackson led from the start, finishing ahead of Street and Oliver Machell.
In the afternoon two more races were sailed in similar conditions. Jackson risked a port end flier, and again took an early lead. However by lap 2 Charlotte Fenn had worked through the fleet to take the lead, going on to win ahead of Jackson and Street. In the final race several helms tried to repeat the port end start tactic, but failed to make it. Street led the first lap, but again Jackson overhauled him downwind on lap 2, going on to win ahead of Freeman and Street. Age proved no barrier in this event, with adults taking 1st and 4th places, both helming dinghies that were themselves nearly 25 years old!
Traveller 5 - Bough Beech SC
Top Five - 1st Jonathan Hewat, 2nd George Spedding, 3rd Jonty Freeman, 4th Will Street and 5th Charlotte Fenn.
Overall South East Traveller Series Results
Report - 31 Toppers were on the start line at Bough Beech Sailing Club on 17th May for the fifth event in the SE Traveller series. The forecast was for eight to ten knots of breeze, but on the day this proved a tricky north easterly with constant shifts, north to north east. In the morning the Race Officer set a trapezoid course with a kink along the run to avoid a headland and any potentially angry fishermen. In the first race Jonathan Hewat (Medway YC) led from the start, chased by George Spedding, (Queen Mary SC) but at the first mark it was Papercourt’s Ollie Machell challenging Hewat’s dominance of the beat. Two laps however saw Hewat finish first, followed by
The second race saw Hewat start from the middle of the line, but a general recall prompted the Race Officer to commence the next start under a black flag. Spedding squeezed out across the line right on the gun and immediately tacked onto port followed, slightly higher, by Jonty Freeman (Newhaven & Seaford SC) and ominously Hewat, who was first up the beat.
Perhaps at lunch, one or two of the sailors enjoyed a little too much cake from the mouth watering selection on offer from the galley. In any event, the beat was shortened, making conditions less tricky against the easterly shore. Spedding took an early lead followed by Freeman, with Hewat in the chasing pack, covering on port. As mist and low cloud obscured the Sevenoaks Weald, the wind moved to the northeast, the reach turned into broad reach and Spedding began his dominance of the race. He could not be caught, either by Freeman or the chasing pack made up of squad and club sailors. Over three laps his dominance of the race was total.
The final race saw Imogen Smith (Bough Beech SC) away to a strong start at the pin end. However as the wind moved back around to the northeast the pack remained bunched and she was soon swallowed by it. Ollie Machell led at the mark, looking nervously over his shoulder at Spedding and Hewat. Machell held on along both the reach and the run, but on the first beat back to the line, the wind moved back to a northerly direction. This was spotted by Spedding and Hewat and a tactical battle ensued between the three. Experience prevailed and the final laps saw sailing similar to match racing between Hewat and Freeman. Indeed there were battles such as this throughout the fleet, enjoyed by the parents and spectators in the galley and out on the clubhouse balcony. The racing was close and exiting at all levels, with personal victories and triumphs throughout the fleet. In the end however, it was Hewat who won the day.
Traveller 4 - Downs SC
Top Five - 1st Richard Thomas, 2nd Tom Weekes, 3rd Jonty Freeman, 4th Finn Caiger-Smith and 5th Helen Baldwin.
Overall South East Traveller Series Results
Photos by Mike Bovington - South East Topper Photo Album
Inland Championships - Grafham Water SC
South East Sailor Results - 13th Richard Thomas, 19th Dan BIGSBY, 24th Jordan Taylor, 40th Charlotte Benella, 42nd Julia Beck, 44th Jonathan Hewat, 46th Joe Wellerd, 55th Hannah Thomas, 62nd George Spedding, 63rd Jonty Freeman, 82nd Peter Grassick, 83rd Stephanie Wicken, 89th Will Barnes, 94th Matt Thomas, 104th Josh McLynn, 105th Oliver Machell, 106th Finn Caiger-Smith, 11th Charlotte Fenn, 135th Sammy Bonella, 139th Will Bovington, 144th Dan Fenn, 147th Dan Adeline, 150th Charlie Runcorn, 154th Tom Richardson, 166th Tom Howard, 174th Felix Crowther, 198th Louis Knevett, 202nd Jack Spence, 204th Matt Morton and 214th Harry Bradley.
Traveller 3 - Bewl SC
Top Five - 1st Jonathan Hewat, 2nd Joshua Tolley, 3rd Julia Beck, 4th Joshua McLynn and 5th George Spedding.
Overall South East Traveller Series Results
Photos by Mike Bovington - South East Topper Photo Album
Nationwide 1 - Datchet SC
South East Sailor Results - 15th Jon Hewat, 17th Dan Bigsby, 25th Joe Wellerd, 34th Steph Wicken, 37th George Spedding, 43rd Jonty Freeman, 56th Hannah Thomas, 65th Charlotte Bonella, 74th Josh Tolley, 75th Charlie Runcorn, 89th Matt Thomas, 91st Oliver Machell, 95th Peter Grassick, 98th Finn Caiger-Smith, 107th Joe Simmons, 111th Helen Baldwin, 119th Sammy Bonella, 120th Martin Lown, 128th Daniel Fenn, 130th Felix Crowther, 132nd Thomas Howard, 142nd Josh McLynn, 144th Harry Bradley, 148th Charlotte Fenn, 149th Tom Richardson, 153rd Caroline Baldwin, 155th Adam Bermingham, 160th Matt Morton, 166th Benedict Cooper, 167th Jack Spence, 186th Daniel Adeline and 190th Will Barnes.
To view or purchase more photos from this event - Please Click Here
Traveller 2 - Papercourt SC
Top Five - 1st Joshua McLynn, 2nd George Spedding, 3rd Julia Beck, 4th Hannah Thomas and 5th Ollie Machell.
Overall South East Traveller Series Results
Report - On Sunday 6th April sailors looking to attend the Topper Open at
Traveller 1 - Wilsonian SC
Top Five - 1st Joseph Wellerd, 2nd Joshua McLynn, 3rd Clive Jackson, 4th Richard Thomas and 5th Martin Lown.
Overall South East Traveller Series Results
Report - Nine Toppers representing eight sailing clubs from across the southeast attended the open meeting at Wilsonian Sailing Club on Saturday 5th April. A lapping course, one race in the morning and two back-to-back after lunch with two to count was the format. The moderate breeze was manageable, the only problem being the short chop from wind against the flood tide. In race 1 Joshua Mclynn, Joseph Wellerd and Richard Thomas soon broke free from the pack and on the final round Mclynn eased ahead with Wellerd second and Thomas third. During the lunch break Clive Jackson sorted out his bending tiller extension and this proved essential for his success. The breeze gradually died away during the afternoon and sailing against the strong ebb tide proved a difficulty for some. However, in race 2 Wellerd and Mclynn once again established a commanding lead with Jackson chasing close behind. Wellerd kept ahead of Mclynn on the final lap for first and second places respectively, with Jackson third. Jackson mastered the light airs well in the final race to get clear ahead for line honours to be promoted to third overall, while a second for Wellerd was sufficient to lift the top prize. Mclynn could discard a 4th place and count a 1st and 2nd to claim second prize, while Thomas added another third to take fourth prize on aggregate.
Island Barn Open Training
Papercourt Open Training
Report - 27 Topper sailors took part in open training at Papercourt on Saturday 19th January. Conditions were tricky with gusty winds leading to plenty of capsizes, though few needed the help of the safety cover. Thanks go to the coaches and volunteers in the power boats, and to Papercourt members for ensuring the day ran smoothly.
Squads 2008
RYA National Junior Squad
Congratulations to Jonathan Hewat, George Spedding, Julia Beck, Stephanie Wicken and Dan Bigsby for being selected for the RYA National Junior Squad.
RYA National Intermediate Squad
Congratulations to Josh McLynn, Charlotte Bonella, Hannah Thomas and Matt Thomas for being selected for the RYA National Intermediate Squad.
RYA South East Zone Squad
Congratulations to Daniel Adeline, Adam Bermingham, Harry Bradley, Benedict Cooper, Felix Crowther, Charlotte Fenn, Daniel Fenn, Olivier Greber, Thomas Howard, Louis Knevett, Oliver Machell, Joseph Simmons and Jack Spence for being selected for the RYA South East Zone Squad.
ITCA Junior Development Program
Congratulations to Helen Baldwin, Jonty Freeman, Tom Richardson, Charlie Runcorn and Thomas Weekes for being selected for the ITCA Junior Development Program.
ITCA National Youth Squad
Congratulations to Charles Anderson, Olivia Bell, Suzi Bell, Peter Grassick and Jordan Taylor for being selected for the ITCA National Youth Squad.
ITCA Intermediate Youth Squad
Congratulations to Finn Caiger-Smith for being selected for the ITCA Intermediate Youth Squad.
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