The ITCA (GBR) office will be closed during the Topper National Championships. As such it will not be possible to respond to any e-mails or messages until after the 2nd August.

Rachel Scarfe was a Topper sailor a few years ago and has since progressed into keel boats and is now in the British Keelboat Academy National Squad.

She hit the news recenty as one of a crew of three aboard the J-109 "Jeez Louise" that was involved in a rescue of a crew member from another yacht in the Irish Sea during deteriorating conditions.

Click here to read the rest of the story and see how sailing a Topper today can build the life skills needed for the rest of your sailing future...

All sailors will receive a Competitors Handbook at registration, but this year we have also made it available to download so that you can plan your arrival and know the unloading, trailer, boat park and other arrangements before setting off. Visit the new National Championships website and select the Noticeboard tab to download this and any of the event documents.

Also remember to visit the National Championships website regularly before you depart and if possible whilst at the event to read the blog, download new documents and notices, view protest information and results (key information will also be projected in the bar area). And don't forget to sign up for your SMS package on the website that will send information directly to your mobile phone (see earlier news article).

The ITCA (GBR) AGM will take place at Pwllheli Sailing Club on Monday 2nd August at 19:00 - we hope that as many members as possible will attend - the AGM will include a sailors discussion on key topics so you have an opportunity to shape the class going forward. Click here to download the AGM.

As many of you who were at the National Championships last year will know the blog proved a very popular way of keeping up to speed as events unfolded. This year it will be bigger and better (see below), but needs your help. Each Area is nominating a person to help with the blog, but we need more. The plan is to have one or two people each day updating the blog with information received from the race office and bridge and other snippets of information from various people on the water or around the sailing club (it’s very simple – just like typing an e-mail). We also have the possibility of placing a person on the Press Rib each day who could phone in information and maybe take a few photos or video we can upload later. If you could help us build the blog in one way or another please e-mail webmaster@gbrtopper.co.uk with your details, what you would be prepared to do, whether you have a laptop you can use if you are able to update the blog and which days you can help. We will then put together a rota of people. We plan to give some instructions on how to blog, probably on the Friday or Saturday before the event, but if you are not there at these times we can cover this on your nominated day.

ITCA (GBR) is pleased to announce that this year, building on the blog that was run last year, we have created a dedicated website for the National Championships.

The new website hosts all of the information that sailors and supporters will need over the course of the Championships, including a regularly updated blog, fleet status, all sailing instructions and changes to instructions and all protests including times and locations. There will also be a rolling screen in the bar area at Pwllheli Sailing Club (like last year) with most of the same information. Click here to access the new National Championships website.

In addition to the website, we have introduced SMS technology so you can get results straight to a mobile phone in one of two packages:

Race results:

- Summary of race results straight to your mobile in real time as they are published by the Race Office
- Podium series overalls
- Race position for nominated sailor (you decide who to follow when signing-up)
- Overall position for nominated sailor

Race results and protest/notices:

- All the above, plus
- Any protests involving the nominated sailor and the time and place of the protest hearing
- Official race notices

The cost of the SMS package (for the whole week) is just £5.00 for the results or £7.50 for the results and additional protest information and official race notices. To subscribe to the SMS package of your choice, go to the new National Championships website and click the big button on the right "Register for Race Alerts" and follow the instructions – payment is similar to on-line entry and is made by debit/credit card.

There are still some spaces on the Committee and Finish boats for the Topper National Championships. This is a very valuable, rewarding and often fun job. You need to have good concentration and be a team player. Anyone who is interested in helping all of the sailors, including of course their own, please contact Susan Wellerd as soon as possible.

LaserPerformance will be at the Topper National Championships in Pwllheli running introductory sessions to the Laser Radial. These two hour sessions will be after racing has finished each day. Click here for more information and to book a session.

Have you ever wondered how the Topper came to have its virtually indestructible polypropylene hull? The Topper hull is injection moulded with incredible precision, reaching a level of uniformity quite outside the scope of any other production system, either hand built or mass produced in GRP or roto-moulded plastic.

The polypropylene material has proved to combine strength and flexibility with lightness and virtually everlasting life. In 1977 the Topper was awarded the Design Council Award and the Horner Award for achievements in plastics.

Click here to download a paper that recounts the fascinating story of how two injection moulding machines were linked together for the first time to produce the Topper in polypropylene.

We are pleased to announce that the final design for ITCA (GBR) approved tow ropes has been approved. The Class will be equipping the Events Trailer with 10 tow ropes that will be allocated to RIBs when there is a possibility for the need to tow the fleet out to, or back from, the race course.

The Tow Ropes are being supplied by Sailing Solutions at a list price of £50.00 each. However the Committee has agreed to provide them for sale at a hugely discounted price of £30.00 each to RIB owners who regularly support the racing fleet and who would like to equip their own boat with this valuable piece of safety equipment.

If you would like to purchase an ITCA (GBR) Approved Tow Rope then please contact Bill Brassington at safety@gbrtopper.co.uk

The Class Association is very pleased to announce Topper International Ltd’s continued support. Once again this year they have kindly donated a brand new Topper (one that has been personally selected by Dave Cockerill, the RYA Topper National Coach) which will be offered for Auction after the AGM on Monday night at the Magic Marine Topper National Championships at Clwb Hywlio Pwllheli Sailing Club. The Committee has set a reserve for the sale but as in past years this is well below the current list price.

Other items of sailing equipment and apparel will be offered for auction as well, so please come along to the Auction (and AGM) to get the very best of sailing equipment for you and your family.

Full details of the time and location of the Auction will be in the Event handbook that you will receive at registration.

A hoodie is being produced for the National Championships with competitors names and Championship numbers of everyone who has entered and paid (like the Inland Championship hoodies). Names will be those in both main and regatta fleets.

The deadline for having your name on the hoodie is Tuesday 20th July 21:00 hours. The list will go to the suppliers at this time and so no further names can then be added. Please make sure you have entered the event without delay if you wish to have your name on the hoody.

Please note this NOT a pre-order item but to have your name included you need to enter the event as stated.

The Korea Topper Class Association (KTCA) has been established for the advancement of youth sailing in Korea. They're looking forward to participating in 2010 Topper World Championships at Lake Garda. KTCA president Mr. Oh Jong Yeol will introduce more about KTCA during the event. See www.itcaworld.org.

Please note that if you are planning on entering the Topper National Championships at Pwllheli Sailing Club then the last date to do so before the late entry fee applies is the 17th July. If you entered and paid for National Series 1 at Datchet and want to use the refund that was offered against the National Championships as outlined in the News on this website on the 17th May 2010 then you must:

a) Only enter the National Championships using the link in the e-mail that was sent to you - refunds will not be applied to the event if you enter The National Championship in the normal way, and

b) You must enter using the link e-mailed to you by the 17th July otherwise the refund will expire and cannot be claimed back. If you have lost the e-mail with the refund information and link then contact secretary@gbrtopper.co.uk.

If you have no plans to enter the National Championships and wish to claim your Datchet refund then contact secretary@gbrtopper.co.uk by the 17th July and a cheque will be sent to you following the conclusion of the National Championships. After the 17th July however no further refunds will be processed.

Finally, if you are thinking of entering the Regatta fleet at Pwlheli, then there are now only 8 places remaining so do complete and pay for your entry as soon as possible.

No further names can now be added to the Hoodies for the Topper 4.2 National Championships as they are now in the process of being made. Any queries please contact Susan Wellerd.