Topper club

TOPPER 4.2/5.3

Topper – World Sailing Recognized Full International Racing Class

Nearly 50,000 boats sold worldwide now available in the US

“Britain’s best selling and favourite sailing dinghy”

Perfect boat for youth learn to sail programs

• Single hander for youth, junior and lighter adults.
• Lightweight, safe and simple.
• Quick handling and racy performance.
• Durable, maintenance free construction
• RYA Approved Junior Pathway Class.

Worldwide Racing
The Topper offers a phenomenal race and training scene. Friendly but competitive, the circuit is a fantastic place to be and a breeding ground for some of the UKs very best young sailors! Classes are developing her int he US- West Coast US, Hawaii and Great lakes. There is a strong class in Canada as well.  For more info on the Topper Racing Class:
www.rya.org.uk/racing/youth
www.itca(gbr).co.uk
www.itcaworld.org

The Topper Class is a fun and friendly class that is responsible for developing some of the best young sailors in the world. The Class not only produce exceptional sailing talent, they also help sailors acquire key life skills to help them fulfil their true potential including independence, confidence, team work and physical fitness. Watch this great little video which captures the spirit of the Topper Class.

True One Design – because the Topper is injection moulded, every boat is identical. The ‘one-design’ nature of the boat makes for a uniquely fair competition.

Fun – with a 5.3sqm sail it has good upwind and downwind performance, making it a thrilling, accessible and exciting sail.

Fast – the lightweight hull and the large sail area make the Topper a fast boat for its size, and being so close to the water just makes it feel so much more exciting.

Simple – with a single hull and sail provider, measurement is simple and conducted with minimum of fuss.

Value – a race rigged Topper is the cheapest single handed racing dinghy in its category.

Durability – its unique polypropylene construction makes the boat virtually indestructible.

Low Maintenance – It requires little maintenance, is easily rigged in a matter of minutes, is rugged and safe for beginners and an exciting race boat too as your skills develop AND it is car-toppable. It truly is the most versatile of sailboats.

Build Quality – After almost 40 years of continuous production (approaching 50,000 boats!) it is the outstanding build quality, durability and innovative design features that have made the Topper one of the most popular boats in Britain.

Lightweight – at just 43kg/95 lbs (compared to similar boats that weigh more) the cartoppable Topper is the lightest boat of its size and configuration in the world. It is easily righted after a capsize and ideal for sailors from 80 lbs to 150 lbs.

Award winning – it has won many awards for innovative design and construction, including the world renowned Design Council Award.

International – nearly 50,000 boats worldwide, a well-established international class structure across Europe, the Middle East, Far East, America and Australasia, Topper sailing is truly international. The Topper is an ISAF Full International Class.

Competitive – with over 300 boats competing at this year’s National Championships and 173 boats competing for this year’s World Championship – the Topper is one of the most competitive classes for young sailors.

Pathway – the success of the Topper as a high-performance race-training pathway class has been proven in the UK. An incredibly high proportion of sailors selected for the RYA Transitional Youth Squads were Topper sailors.

Development – The Topper has always been a great boat. A number of changes that will ensure that it continues to be a great boat into the foreseeable future. These include:

Center main sheet – moving the mainsheet lead to the center of the boat and fitting a longer tiller extension permits the sailor to position themselves correctly in the boat without unnecessary twisting whilst hiking means the sailor can get more from the boat and hike harder for longer.

6:1 Downhaul – without doubt the second most important update is the change from a maximum purchase of a 3:1 to one of 6:1. It will allow much lighter and less experienced sailors to sail in strong winds. The extra force available means we can bend the mast to flatten the sail whilst keeping the fullness in the sail well forward. The effect will be to stop the boat heading into the wind on a beat and getting stuck in irons when tacking.

4.2m2 sail
The introduction of the 4.2m2 sail allows eight and nine year old Topper sailors and the smaller older ones to compete alongside the bigger sailors. The small sail is really inexpensive and it’s pretty quick in the hands of a 30-40kg sailor. It also doesn’t require a new mast or a change of controls.

Whether just messing about in boats, having fun off a beach, learning to sail, flat out blasting or competitive racing, there are so many reasons for choosing the fantastic Topper.