Rooster Topper North Travellers event at Scaling Dam Sailing Club
by George Spence 16 Sep 2022 02:04 NZST
10 September 2022
Rooster Topper North Travellers event at Scaling Dam © Aaron Tullock
The first round of the 2022/23 Topper North Traveller Series was held on Saturday 10th September at Scaling Dam SC. 30 Topper sailors and their supporters held a minutes silence for Her Majesty before launching with black masthead ribbons for race 1 in breezy and overcast conditions.
Race officer Andy Young set a starboard biased line and after a general recall the fleet finally got away with Ava Harris-Scott from Elton rounding the windward mark first with Hollingworth Lake's Jasper Bramwell in close pursuit only to sail into a wind hole allowing the chasing bunch to catch up. By the first leeward mark Bramwell had got ahead followed by Fin Waterhouse (Budworth), Charlotte Cooper (West Lancs YC) and Kyla Baxter (Covenham) joined by George Spence (Ripon) and Harris-Scott.
Spence hit the leeward after a Rule 18 discussion allowing multiple boats through including Tristan Shaw (Budworth) & Rosanna Joyce (Budworth). The rest of the race saw these eight boats steadily work their way to the front with Bramwell putting a healthy gap between himself and the rest of the chasing pack. Cooper and Harris-Scott finished second and third.
Race 2 was abandoned after heavy fog rolled in which meant the fleet couldn't see any of the marks and they were sent ashore for safety reasons (not that they could see the shore!).
After a break for lunch the fleet went out for a re-started race 2 in light winds and rain which saw Bramwell and Fred Buckley (Yorkshire Dales) get UFD to allow Spence to take the win closely followed by Joyce and Harris-Scott.
The wind picked up for Race 3 and the rain continued to fall, Bramwell and Spence lined up early at the port end with Waterhouse in hot pursuit. This three boat dog-fight continued up the first beat and at the windward mark Frankland and Ruby Tildesley (Covenham SC) arrived at the same time as the leading pack having stayed out of trouble on the other side of the beat.
The first downwind leg saw upset when local Patrick Tulloch (SDSC) death-rolled causing several boats to take avoiding action. Waterhouse pipped Bramwell after pulling away on the final upwind leg with newcomer Tildesley finishing third.
The wind settled in race 4 to a steady breeze, Bramwell and Waterhouse spent the race playing nip and tuck with Bramwell crossing the windward mark finish line first to take the overall win with Waterhouse second and Harriet Wood (Elton) putting in her best result of the day to finish third. Spence & Cooper battled it out on the last upwind leg with Spence claiming fourth after tacking early to beat Cooper with Buckley close behind.
There were several notable performances by sailors further down the fleet during the day, including Lucy Lewis' (Elton) 19th place in race 2 having only learned to sail this summer.
Emre Frankland (YDSC) also continued to show promise in his first competitive season with solid results in all the races finishing ninth overall. Another newcomer to Topper North, Tristan Shaw showed the old guard they need to watch out with a tenth overall, with another new name to the fleet, Reuben Lawrence (Errwood) in thirteenth overall.
The three 4.2 rigs also had good racing all day between themselves with Charlie Cowell (SDSC) taking first overall from Hugo Calvey-Sutcliffe (Burwain) and Poppy Moss (SDSC/Ripon).
Thanks to everyone at SDSC who helped make the day so successful, the next round of the Topper North Traveller is at Hollingworth Lake SC on 24th September.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Rig | Helm | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | Topper 5.3 | Jasper Bramwell | Hollingworth Lake SC | 1 | (UFD) | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 2nd | Topper 5.3 | Fin Waterhouse | Budworth SC | 5 | ‑8 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| 3rd | Topper 5.3 | George Spence | Ripon SC | ‑8 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 11 |
| 4th | Topper 5.3 | Charlotte Cooper | West Lancashire YC | 2 | ‑7 | 6 | 5 | 12 |
| 5th | Topper 5.3 | Ava Harris‑Scott | Elton SC | 3 | 5 | ‑9 | 8 | 14 |
| 6th | Topper 5.3 | Kyla Baxter | Covenham SC | 4 | 6 | (UFD) | 7 | 15 |
| 7th | Topper 5.3 | Rosanna Joyce | Budworth SC | 6 | 4 | 12 | ‑11 | 18 |
| 8th | Topper 5.3 | Harriet Wood | Elton SC | ‑10 | 11 | 11 | 3 | 21 |
| 9th | Topper 5.3 | Emre Frankland | Yorkshire Dales SC | 11 | 10 | 5 | ‑17 | 23 |
| 10th | Topper 5.3 | Tristan Shaw | Budworth SC | 7 | 9 | ‑14 | 9 | 23 |
| 11th | Topper 5.3 | Fred Buckley | Yorkshire Dales SC | 13 | (UFD) | 13 | 6 | 30 |
| 12th | Topper 5.3 | Luke Robinson | Scaling Dam SC | ‑16 | 15 | 8 | 10 | 30 |
| 13th | Topper 5.3 | Reuben Lawrance | Errwood SC | 12 | 12 | ‑18 | 12 | 34 |
| 14th | Topper 5.3 | Ruby Tildesley | N/A | 18 | ‑25 | 3 | 15 | 36 |
| 15th | Topper 5.3 | Eva Murphy | Budworth SC | 9 | ‑19 | 16 | 13 | 36 |
| 16th | Topper 5.3 | Sasha Leach | Budworth SC | 14 | 14 | ‑17 | 14 | 40 |
| 17th | Topper 5.3 | Lara Eagleton | SDSC | 15 | 13 | (UFD) | 19 | 45 |
| 18th | Topper 5.3 | Xavier Bramwell | Hollingworth Lake SC | ‑21 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 45 |
| 19th | Topper 5.3 | Grace Gordon | Scaling Dam SC | 17 | 17 | 20 | ‑20 | 50 |
| 20th | Topper 5.3 | Connie Murphy | Budworth SC | 19 | 18 | 19 | ‑21 | 52 |
| 21st | Topper 5.3 | Patrick Tulloch | Scaling Dam SC | ‑20 | 20 | 22 | 16 | 54 |
| 22nd | Topper 5.3 | Annabelle Howard | Scaling Dam SC | ‑22 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 62 |
| 23rd | Topper 5.3 | Lucy Lewis | Elton SC | 23 | 21 | ‑26 | 23 | 65 |
| 24th | Topper 5.3 | Hayden Gridley | Scaling Dam SC | 26 | 22 | 23 | ‑27 | 67 |
| 25th | 4.2 | Charlie Cowell | Scaling Dam SC | ‑27 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 70 |
| 26th | Topper 5.3 | Leah Cowell | Scaling Dam SC | ‑30 | 28 | 24 | 26 | 74 |
| 27th | Topper 5.3 | Dan Botzen | Scaling Dam SC | ‑25 | 27 | 27 | 24 | 74 |
| 28th | 4.2 | Hugo Calvey‑Sutcliffe | Burwain SC | 24 | 29 | 29 | ‑28 | 78 |
| 29th | Topper 5.3 | Cody Braithwaite | Scaling Dam SC | ‑29 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 79 |
| 30th | 4.2 | Poppy Moss | Ripon SC/Scaling Dam SC | 28 | 30 | 30 | ‑30 | 84 |