Thirty-one Junior Topper sailors descended on East Antrim Boat Club on Larne Lough last weekend for the Northern Championships.
Callum Pollard from the nearby County Antrim BC at Whitehead was in top form again after his Gold at the Worlds on Lake Garda and here he finished first overall in the ten-strong 4.2 fleet. Runner-up was George Doig, more often seen racing an Optimist and third was the far travelled Royal Cork sailor, Rian O’Neill.
Another CAYC sailor, Luke Simpson took top place in the 5.3 fleet. Luke finished fourth overall in the UK National Championships at Weymouth earlier in August. Second place went to Ella Fitzgerald from National YC and in third it was Strangford Sailing Club’s Cormac Byrne who had a good result of 9th at the UK Nationals.
Weather conditions were kind to the fleet with around ten knots on the Saturday with occasional lulls. Race Officer Richard Doig ran four races on that day in case Sunday was too light and in fact it was light and shifty but he got two races completed.
Luke Simpson with EABC Vice Commodore Kathryn Boyle
Commodore Lucy Whitford was delighted with the success of the event. “It was a great experience for our current junior and youth Topper sailors to compete in a home event. With so many other events on in which club members where competing we had initially been worried about resources to run the Northerns but we shouldn’t have been, as members new and old, came forward to support it by volunteering their time over the weekend. And we had two Júnior Optimist sailors trying their hand at Topper racing - one of them, George Doig managed runner-up slot in the 4.2s”.
The free Friday training before the event was very successful. It was run by Lucy Kane and the 14 youngsters who turned up really benefitted with positive feedback which was a real Kane family affair as Lucy’s father Gordon was the Event Manager and Mum Heather provided the Committee boat.
The next big event for many of these sailors will be the RYANI Youth Championships at Ballyholme Yacht Club on 10th and 11th September
Results below
Topper Northern Championships Results at EABC
