Topper London and SE open meeting at Whitstable Yacht Club
by Steve Gray 22 Apr 16:02 UTC
18-19 April 2026
Topper London and SE event at Whitstable © Andrew Hastings
WYC hosted the London and SE Topper class last weekend with training on Saturday 18th and an SE Traveller open meeting on Sunday 19th.
Unusually for a Topper weekend at Whitstable the winds were light and the weather sunny throughout with many visitors appreciating the strength of Whitstable's tide for the first time.
The training day was divided into groups of similar ability with coaching both on and off the water. Sadly, by mid-afternoon the wind had died completely so the fleet was towed in to debrief and enjoy the fabulous weather.
Racing on Sunday started promptly with a briefing from PRO Andy Jackson at 10.00 with the D flag being hoisted shortly after to take advantage of the light but potentially fragile breeze.
The first race started in a steady 5 knot breeze which allowed the 27 boat fleet to complete a single lap course. Joe Barton from WYC finished 1st in the 5.3 fleet followed by Harry Durrant (Chipstead) and Ralph Hadley from WYC and Tankerton. The 4.2 fleet was won by Jacob Grilli from Downs with Szymon Giersz (Island Barn) 2nd and Riley Lane-Spollen (Queen Mary) 3rd.
The wind dropped for race 2 so the course was reduced in size to compensate but sadly a number of boats, including the majority of the 4.2 fleet failed to cross the start within the required 5 minute starting window. The 5.3 fleet had another one lap race in very challenging conditions which ended with Joe Barton overtaking Lena Tokajuk (Island Barn) just before the finish with Jonathan Shields (Tonbridge) in 3rd.
There was a much welcomed increase in the breeze for race 3 which ran to a full 2 lap course for both fleets. The 4.2s saw a win for Arthur Peregrene-Jones (Tamesis) with Dylan Irons (Downs) 2nd and Jacob Grilli 3rd. The 5.3 fleet saw a commanding win for Ralph Hadley from Joe Barton and Lena Tokajuk.
With no fourth race possible due to the dying wind the fleet returned to the beach. Overall, the 4.2 fleet was won by Jacob Grilli with Dylan Irons 2nd and Arthur Peregrene-Jones 3rd. Joe Barton had a clear win in the 5.3 fleet with Ralph and Lena both finishing on 9 points, the tie broken in favour of Ralph due to his win in the last race.
Topper events rely on organisation by the parents and all contributed to the success of the event. Special thanks must go to WYC cadet fleet captain and ring master extraordinaire Niall Martin, chef and WYC club manager Anthony Middleton, the race and safety boat team led by Andy Jackson and the coaches who led the training day.
Full results: www.wyc.org.uk/latest-results