As I sit here writing this report for the newsletter I am left wondering where all the time has gone. The autumn series is underway and those Topper sailors that have been away competing on the race circuit will hopefully be returning to the club to race through the Autumn, Winter & Frostbite series of races – training commitments allowing. For those Topper sailors who have not yet ventured beyond our excellent club racing there is a strong contingent of fellow club sailors who have been competing on the SW Traveller series, and further afield in National events as well as the Nationals. And even a couple of sailors travelled over to Ireland to compete in the Worlds.

I am writing this after we have just come back from competing in the Topper RYA South West Championships at Restronguet Sailing Club on the south coast of Cornwall – Ben Ainslie’s home sailing club (not that he was there), but we did have a visit from Olympian Kate Macgregor who is part of the women’s team in the Elliott 6m match-racing event who wished all competitors well for the weekend. It was a successful weekend for Chew sailors with James Cummins finishing 6^th overall, Ella Cudmore 8^th, Jess Harding 10^th and Freya Cumpsty 22^nd out of 31 competitors, Freya being the youngest competitor there.

Congratulations to Henry Martindale, Ella and Jess who following the conclusion of the National Series and the Nationals have respectively qualified for the RYA National and the RYA Intermediate National squads. For James and Freya squad selection is not yet known, but again by the time you read this they should both know!

The Nationals have previously been reported on and are available to read under the Reports section of the clubs web site, but overall the weather has caused problems for both the National Series and Nationals where either there was too much wind; Pwhelli was blown out altogether and at Weymouth only one race was completed with lots of competitors suffering from equipment breakages once they launched into gale force winds. To Derwent where there was too little wind in which to race – below the minimum required and the Nationals where over six days of scheduled racing only three days delivered favourable winds.

As I have said above, Chew were represented at the Topper Worlds by Ellie Cumpsty and Henry Martindale who achieved 23^rd and 26^th in the Gold Fleet and Ellie Hitchings who came 33^rd in the Silver Fleet and finally Oliver Martindale who came 3^rd in the Bronze Fleet.

 Finally we’re left with the SW Traveller series where it’s been an exciting season with some quality racing; Henry Martindale is lying 3^rd, James Cummins is currently 12^th, Jess Harding is at 14^th, Ella Cudmore is 16^th, Ollie Martindale is 21^st, Freya Cumpsty is 30^th, Ellie Hitchings is 44^th, Rory Dinwoodie is 54^th and Ellie Cumpsty is 65^th. If you can recall – again there is a report in the Reports section there are other Chew sailors who are recorded as being on the SW Traveller series from entering the Chew Topper Open where we had an excellent turnout from Chew Toppers. There is one more race to complete the series and you will probably be reading this report after this final race and series has been completed, so if you are interested to see where we have all finished please go the ITCA GBR website and look under the Area pages for the South West, results will be published there.

Lest we forget, as not yet mentioned a number of Chew Topper sailors compete in our own domestic series throughout the year; a mention must go to Miriam Woodbridge, Murry Scott, Hugh Comrie, Olivia Jones, Tim Synge, Harry Alvey, P Wightwick, Kirsty Scott, Richard Parry & Charlie Hallwell. Well done and thank you for keeping the Topper class flag flying at our home club.

Simon Cummins

Topper Fleet Captain.