#Topper – A lack of wind made the fleet of 117 Toppers – including eleven Irish helms – wait all morning to finally reach the starting line at 13h30 yesterday at Cercle Nautique de Loctudy, France.
Ireland's best result came in the blue fleet when Emily Hill of County Antrim Yacht Club finished second.
Also competing for Ireland is Mark O'Conor and Conor and Eve Byrne of the National Yacht Club, Issy Delamer of Howth, Niamh Doran and Conor Sheriff of Courtown, Alison Dolan of Blessington, Liam Glynn of Ballyholme, Emma McKnight and Tom Purdon of Strangford Lough,
Because wind speed was not b enough to overcome tide, the racing committee could only launch the first legs of the race in the early afternoon.
The first legs of the day took place in a six to eight knots wind and lower at the end.In addition to that a powerful current , sometime overcoming the wind, worsened the already tricky conditions. Eventually,the committee members had to reduce the length between marks so that all the contestants could finish the race in time.
An hour later, time used to rearrange the marks for the new course, the Toppers went up on a second leg with more stable weather conditions but still very light wind. Within four to six knots, the fleet of 117 single-handed dinghies crossed the starting line but went no further.
The weather forecast for today is quite similar... competitors will have to wait until Wednesday to get a deserved constant twelve knots wind speed.
Results
Topper 4.2 (15 boats)
1. Millie Aldridge, GBR
2. Matthew Sanders, GBR
3. Lowri Boorman, GBR
Topper 5.3 (51 boats)
Yellow fleet:
1. Oliver Aldridge, GBR
2. Crispin Beaumont, GBR
3. Harriet Ward, GBR
Blue Fleet:
1. Elliot Kuzyk, GBR
2. Emily Hill, IRL
3. Peter Gillmore
