2021-22 Rooster North Topper Traveller Series at Pennine Sailing Club

An uncharacteristically sunny Pennine Sailing Club hosted the final event of the 2021-22 Rooster North Topper Traveller series on Saturday 11th June. After a welcome to the club and a briefing by the Race Officer, Andy Young, 17 Toppers took to the water in a breezy 18-20kn south westerly.

The first race got away cleanly under a Blue Peter flag, but with the sailors seeming unable to count to 4, most of the fleet sailed an extra windward leg to complete the Inner Loop 4 lap course. There were few place changes at the front of the fleet with Lewis (Leigh & Lowton) leading all the way round, Chris (Ripon) in 2nd and Leon (Budworth/West Kirby) in 3rd, with the top girl Charlotte (West Lancs) in 5th.

North Topper Traveller at Pennine - photo © Sam Young

With the wind still around 20kn, three sailors decided to call it a day and race 2 got under way cleanly again. This time Erin (Scaling Dam) led the fleet home, taking full advantage of the fact that the original leaders still had trouble counting. Lewis held on to 2nd with Fin (Budworth) in 3rd.

Due to swift turnarounds between races and disciplined starts, the Race Officer then went straight into sequence for the third race. The wind had eased significantly and Chris overhauled Lewis on the penultimate lap to take the win, Lewis finishing 2nd, Fin (Budworth) 3rd and Kyla (Covenham) with a 4th.

North Topper Traveller at Pennine - photo © Sam Young

With the wind holding up as forecast, the Race Officer still didn't seem inclined to send the fleet in and the sequence for race 4, back to back, started in a freshening breeze. With gusts of over 25kn, the boat handling from the young sailors was impressive. Charlotte led the first lap with Chris and Lewis fighting a close battle with both unfortunately capsizing at the leeward mark. Chris recovered quickly to finish 1st, Charlotte 2nd and Erin 3rd, the Northern girls starting to come true to form. Lewis struggled in the flukey gusts at the windward mark, taking it too close and getting stuck in irons, and finished 4th, his discard for the day.

The sailors finally came in for lunch feeling suitably stretched but admitting that the format had worked well. Counting two firsts and a second, Chris narrowly took the win at North Toppers 6, with one point in it from Lewis (1,2,2) and Erin 3rd overall and 1st girl (1,3,5). This gave Ali, our fab North West rep, time to organise the Rooster prizes not only for that day's racing but for the North East, North West and overall North Traveller series. And, with a raffle for all qualifying sailors to have a chance to win a 5.3 sail, it was a bumper prize-giving. Thanks to all the clubs who have hosted us over the series, to all the parents who've helped out and to Greg, North East rep and mark-layer extraordinaire.

North Topper Traveller at Pennine - photo © Sam Young

Overall Series Prizes:

North Topper Travellers
1st Chris Hampshire (Ripon)
2nd Lewis Bacon (Leigh & Lowton)
3rd Ava Harris-Scott (Elton

North West Travellers
1st Erin Young (Scaling Dam)
2nd Chris Hampshire (Ripon)
3rd Lewis Bacon (Leigh & Lowton)

North East Travellers
1st Fin Waterhouse (Budworth)
2nd Harriet Wood (Elton)
3rd Ava Harris-Scott (Elton)

Overall Results:

2021-22 Rooster North Topper Traveller Series Results:

2021-22 Rooster North Topper Traveller Series prize winners - photo © Sam Young