Topper Winter Regatta at Island Barn Reservoir Sailing Club

Topper Winter Regatta at Island Barn - Race 1 Start 1st Sam Dence 49177, 2nd Ralph Hadley 47725, Note 4.2 30202 Martha Shorter mixing it with 5.3s © Nick Marley

After a week of light wind forecasts, the isobars closed up on Friday evening and we had 15 knots gusting 20 for Race 1, with 36 Toppers on the start line. There were twenty five Topper 5.3s, nine 4.2s, and two 6.4s.

The course was a rectangle: beat, reach, dead run, reach.

Race 1 (2 laps)

Ralph Hadley from Tankerton Bay made good use of his sea sailing upbringing by mastering the tough conditions and led at the windward mark, holding this place 'til the run on lap 2, when Sam Dence, (Island Barn) never more than two boat lengths behind, passed him with excellent downwind technique. Isaac Chapman, (Island Barn), probably the tallest in the fleet, hiked well to keep in contact with the two leaders, but went right on the second beat, when the wind obeyed the forecast and went slowly left. Charlie Wetheritt (Tonbridge Town) who, trusting the forecast, went left, and overtook Chapman. They finished Dence, Hadley, Wetheritt, Chapman.

In the 4.2s Martha Shorter (Papercourt), finishing before most of the 5.3s, won her class by a long way and so began a great day for her.

The conditions were just too tough for some and we had six Race 1 retirements.

Race 2 (2 laps)

Chapman, known for his expertise with transits, had a cracking mid line start, led up the beat, and held his lead to the end of Lap 1, closely followed by Jack Taylor (Tankerton Bay) and Sam Dence. Weatheritt looked good in 4th. Chapman read the shifts well on Beat 2, and rounded on to the reach in first, with Dence second. Dence again showed his off-wind expertise by surging past Chapman into the lead which he held to the end, with Chapman second and Taylor third. Weatheritt who had shown much early promise had a shocking second lap, with a twenty second.

Topper Winter Regatta at Island Barn - Mid-fleet action at the leeward mark with Isabelle Simpson (47156) rounding with Jackie Leslie (47833) and Rex Wraight (48349) - photo © Nick Marley

Lunch

At lunch, in the 5.3s, Dence looked unbeatable on 2 points, Chapman on 6, Taylor on 8 and Hadley on 10.

In the 4.2s Shorter looked as good as Dence with 2 bullets.

Race 3 (2 laps)

The wind had dropped over lunch to 8 knots, gusting 11, and the sun had come out, making the day altogether more pleasant.

A very close start for all, with Hadley, who had clearly given himself a talking to over his excellent lasagna, greens and salad lunch, popping out in front, with Dence just 2 boat lengths back, and Taylor a length behind. Lena Tokauk was enjoying the lighter winds and was a close 4th. These 4 stayed in these positions to the end, finishing, Hadley, Dence, Taylor, Tokajuk.

In the 4.2s, Shorter scored her third 1st. Would she get a clean sweep?

Topper Winter Regatta at Island Barn - Martha Shorter (4.2 30202) overtaking Dan Yamamoto (4.2 47647) and about to take Toby Swinson-Howard (5.3 48930) - photo © Nick Marley

Pre Last Race point check:
Dence: 1,1,2 = 4, Taylor: 5,3,3 = 11, Hadley: 2,8,1 = 11, Durrant: 7,4,5 = 16, Chapman: 4,2,13 = 19, Dence to win overall, surely?

Race 4 (3 laps)

The wind was still just 8 knots. Another cracking start, with Lena Tokachuk, Island Barn's light wind maestro, leading, and defending this to the end of lap 1, with Hadley, needing a 1st to have.a chance of winning overall, in 2nd. And surely not: Dence back in 8th in what might be the deciding race!

In lap 2 the weather struck a bad blow on Tokajuk. It went abruptly left by thirty degrees and increased to 12 knots. Tokajuk had the skills but not the hiking weight to hold off Hadley who ground his way through Tokajuk's wind to lead at the windward mark on lap 2. At the start of the all important final lap, it was Hadley, Tokachuk, Chapman, with Dence back in 7th.

The first three stayed in this order to the finish, with Dence improving to 5th.

Overall

It is strange; but few, if any, of the top competitors knew the scoring rules for breaking a tie. With the single discard, Dence and Hadley each with two firsts and a second were equal on points and in count back on most firsts and most seconds, etc. So the winner was not on the best discard (Dence), as many thought, but on the final race, which Hadley won and, with it, first place overall and winner of the Barnstormer Trophy.

Ralph Hadley won the major event of the day brilliantly. But, arguably, performance of the day was that of Martha Shorter, who scored 4 firsts out of four starts in a fleet of 9 Topper 4.2s. A great future awaits you, Martha.

Overall Results: