Topper Book E-Book

Dave Cockerill

• Herausgeber: Fernhurst Books Limited
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Serie: Start to Finish
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 179

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

The Topper is a brilliant boat – over 50,000 have been sold and thousands of people learn the basic sailing skills in Toppers every year. This is the only book which shows you how to rig, sail and race the Topper – right up to World Champion standard. It is packed full of advice, go-fast tips, photo sequences and diagrams. This new third edition covers all three Topper rigs (4.2, 5.3 and 6.4) and is fully up to date with details of the new rota-moulded (grey) boats as well as the traditional injection-moulded (red) boats. It starts by describing how to rig and sail the boat before moving on to racing and providing masterclasses for success in competitions. Written by GBR's longest-serving National Topper Coach and a former Topper National and European Champion, the book features recent Topper World and National Champions and is the bible for Topper sailing. UK Topper National Champion Jess Powell demonstrates the techniques required, as well as what not to do, in over 300 photos and has contributed to the text, making sure it is completely relevant to today's Topper sailors.

Leseprobe

With special thanks to:

Our Sailors:

Jess Powell, an athlete sponsored by Fernhurst Books, who in 2023 won:

• UK Topper National Championships

• UK Topper Inland Championships

• UK Topper National Series

She was also the first girl and junior at the Topper World Championships

As well as doing four photoshoots, Jess has kindly reviewed this book and provided input to ensure it is completely relevant to today’s

Topper sailors

Joe Rowe, Topper World Champion 2022, who sailed the 6.4

Oscar Rowe, who sailed the 4.2

Nick Marshall, Rachael Scarfe and Robert Spencer who appeared in previous editions and also crop up occasionally in this edition

And also:

Mike and Donna Powell, Jess’s parents, whose support & RIB driving was much appreciated during the photoshoots. As well as contributing to the contents

Rick Reading and Russ Dent of Topper International whose help has been invaluable in preparing this book

Draycote Water Sailing Club and its staff for their help and cooperation during the photoshoots

AUTHORS

DAVE COCKERILL & JOHN CAIG

Dave Cockerill held the role of RYA Topper UK Squad Head Coach for 14 years. He was also the Topper 4.2 National Coach and was instrumental in introducing the centre mainsheet and 4.2 sail to the class.

In this book he gives a series of not-to-be-missed masterclasses!

Dave Cockerill

John Caig is a former four-time National and past European Champion. He twice won the Fireball World Championships and has been a member of the British Olympic Sailing team.

His advice will get you out on the water – and winning – fast!

John Caig

The Fernhurst Books’ Knowledge Centre has lots of other information (including videos, book extracts & other resources) on Topper sailing and dinghy racing – scan the QR code or visit www.fernhurstbooks.com & click on ‘Knowledge Centre’ to find out more

CONTENTS

 

Foreword

Introduction

PART ONE: GETTING STARTED

Rigging The Boat

The Different Rigs

Sailing Theory

Reefing

Launching

A First Sail

Reaching

Beating

Tacking

Running

Gybing

Capsizing

Landing

Having Fun In Your Topper

PART TWO: RACING: THE BASICS

Introduction & Rules

The Start

Around The Racecourse

PART THREE: MASTERCLASSES

Preparing Yourself For Success

Preparing Your Boat For Success

Boatspeed & Boat Handling For Success

Tactics & Strategy For Success

Preparing For An Event

Dave Cockerill’s Guide For Parents

PART FOUR: TECHNICAL MATTERS

Rigging The Toestraps

Fitting Out A Racing Boom

Rope Kits

Sail Numbers & Telltales

Topper Care & Maintenance

International Topper Class Association

FOREWORD

BY HELENA LUCAS MBE

Having had the pleasure to coach with Dave, I can’t think of anyone more experienced, knowledgeable and passionate about Topper sailing. Dave has inspired generations of Topper sailors over the years and with this book will continue to do so.

Helena Lucas MBE

Paralympic Gold Medallist (London 2012) and Bronze Medallist (Rio 2016)

INTRODUCTION

 

The Topper has a special place in sailing. Thousands of people learn the basic skills in Toppers every year.

But it’s not just a beginner’s boat as you will see by reading this book. Topper fleets are established at many sailing clubs, and the class association organises a programme of open meetings and championships for Topper enthusiasts.

The Topper Book is for beginners and racers. It is also for boys and girls. We refer to ‘helmsman’ and ‘he’ but ‘helmswoman’ and ‘she’ is implied throughout – and illustrated in many of the photos!

THE STORY OF THE TOPPER

The Topper was designed by Ian Proctor as a simple ‘beach boat’ and as an introduction to sailing. It was originally made in GRP but was chosen by ICI to form the core of an experiment to see how big injection mouldings could be made.

For the next fifty or so years the boat was built by injection moulding. It was said to be the biggest injection moulding product in the world, justifying ICI’s choice.

In 2023 the injection moulding process ceased to be viable and this allowed the boat to be moved to its third manufacturing process – this time, rotamoulded (grey – from sail number 49050). Topper International did a fantastic job ensuring that the new method of manufacture produced a boat which performed in the same way as the injection-moulded boats, while also introducing a few improvements to the sailing experience.

This manufacturing change has safeguarded the future of this iconic design, bringing it bang up to date. But it will still be possible to find an old Topper in the corner of a boat park and bring it back to race spec. With the addition of some new controls and a reasonable amount of hard work, good racing can be had at a very reasonable cost.

An injection-moulded (red) and rota-moulded (grey) boat – a lot of effort was put in to make sure they could compete equally against each other

THE GREAT STRENGTHS OF THE TOPPER

• Fundamentally they are all the same

• They are extremely durable

• Their lightweight construction makes them really lively and fun

• They can be found everywhere and can be made into an effective race machine or excellent ‘beach boat’ for little cost

• All spare parts are readily available

HOW THE TOPPER HAS CHANGED

It is amazing that a boat designed for recreation and training could adapt so well to the increased loads associated with racing. There have been a number of relatively minor changes over the years in response to this. Some are so historical that they are not worth mentioning here. The key ones are:

Control Lines

• Originally aft sheeted, the option to use a centre sheeting system was introduced in 2002 – if you still have an aft-sheeted system and want to change it, instructions on how to do that can be downloaded by scanning this QR code or visiting www.fernhurstbooks.com and search for The Topper Book and then click on ‘Additional Resources’

• At one time the purchase on the downhaul was a maximum of 3:1. 6:1 is now allowed and is an essential upgrade for racing at anything beyond club level

• More recently, the maximum purchase (mechanical advantage) allowed for the kicking strap (vang) has increased from 3:1 to 6:1. This is another essential upgrade for racing. It has allowed far more subtle use of this very important control and does not require so much brute force to apply and release. Do note that, in order to be class legal for racing, the primary rope for the system must be sourced from Topper International. If you find that the primary line is too long to allow for the travel required, consider using shorter links

• The kicking strap take off points on mast and boom are now via rings attached by webbing straps

• All other control line purchases have remained unaltered, but the quality of the kit has improved by the use of ball-bearing blocks and Dyneema rope

Over the years greater purchases have been allowed on the control lines – you don’t have to have them, but they give greater control and easier adjustment for racing

Rigging

• The method of holding the mainsail up has changed from a halyard to a short loop of rope (the halyard loop) and now a webbing strap fitting into a groove in the new masthead fitting

The latest mainsail strap which fits into a groove on the masthead fitting

• A new gooseneck system has replaced the original ‘rollock’ type to make it more reliable

The new gooseneck fitting on the end of the boom

Rota-Moulded (Grey) Hull

With the introduction of the new hull material, a few changes have been made to improve the sailing experience:

• The hull is now built in one piece, preventing leaks at the joins

• The mast step cup has been made deeper and the retaining ring on the lower mast has been replaced with a triangle, making it easier to step the mast and allowing it to be lowered straight into the mast cup rather than being tilted back and pushed forward

• The self-bailer has been moved to the centre of the boat to make it more effective

• 3 hatches have been added to the cockpit: two at the front with storage compartments

• The toestraps are now adjustable

• The lip on the transom has been removed, decreasing the likelihood of catching the mainsheet

Above: The mast can now be lowered straight into the mast cup with the new mast foot fitting

Above: The new storage hatches

Above: Central self-bailer and adjustable toestraps

Above: The lip on the transom has been removed

For a video about these changes, scan this QR code or visit the ‘Topper-sailboats’ Youtube channel.

So a great little boat has been made even better. It just needs to be enjoyed!

CAR TOPPERING

The Topper got its name in the first place because of the ease with which it could be transported on the roof of a car and this great mobility has certainly played a considerable part in the boat’s worldwide success. The inverted boat presents a smooth, aerodynamic shape to the wind and neither speed nor fuel consumption is greatly affected during ‘car toppering’.

In spite of the simplicity of the operation there are some important guidelines to follow if – like us – you drive many thousands of miles each year beneath a Topper. Position the two roof bars as far apart as possible on the car roof up to about a 1.2-metre (4ft) maximum. It is quite acceptable for them to be much closer together than this as may be necessary if you drive a coupé or rigid-topped sports car.

Load the Topper upside down, bow forward and ensure that the front bar supports the side decks immediately behind the aft end of the foredeck. Ideally, the rear bar should support the side deck immediately ahead of the stern deck. Quickrelease straps are by far the simplest means of securing the Topper and the least likely to come undone. If the bars are wide enough, you can lay the spars alongside the hull and take the straps right around the whole lot, which will greatly reduce loading time.

Always tie the boat down to the bumpers (fenders) fore and aft. The bow painter can be used forward – this will stop the wind from lifting the boat – and the traveller can be used aft, where it will check any tendency for the boat to run forward in an emergency stop. A trolley can also be carried on top of the upside-down hull.

It is quite feasible to carry two Toppers on the roof of most cars but remember that the all-up weight will be 85kg (190lb). The lower hull should be loaded right way up, bows forward.

You will find that two Toppers fit together very snugly in this way – but do make sure that they are very well strapped down.

A Topper on the roof of a car

RIGGING THE BOAT

 

The Topper is exceptionally simple and is supplied complete and ready to sail. The photo opposite shows all the standard parts in place.

RIGGING THE PAINTER

1Pass the painter through the hole in the bow, leaving a short end of about 60cm above the hole. Tie an overhand knot either side of the deck / hole to keep the painter secured in this position

2Tie a bowline in the short end to form a loop – the shockcord attached to the daggerboard will be attached to this

3Long end is the painter – feed it back to the mast

4Secure it with a shockcord loop around the mast

THE RIGGING

ASSEMBLING THE MAST

1Line up the two mast sections, ensuring that the two red arrows are aligned. The slots in the upper section engage with the rivets on the bottom section

2 & 3 Slot the two sections together so the arrows line up

SLEEVING THE SAIL

For the mast and sail as currently supplied (with a webbing strap at the top of the sail):

1Unfold or unroll the sail

2Lay the sail on the ground with the bottom edge of the luff sleeve near the top of the mast and insert the mast into the sleeve

3Push the mast into the sail sleeve

4And further

5Continue until the whole sail is sleeved and the masthead has appeared through the top of the sail

6The webbing strap should be held between the two tabs on the top of the mast. Roll the sail around the mast

Using A Halyard Loop

Please note that the upper mast has been turned so the crane faces forward.

1. Feed the halyard loop up through the front hole in the mast crane

2. Down the back hole and through the eyelets of the sail

3. Back up the back hole (which might need enlarging slightly with a drill)

4. Loop the end over the bobble at the front

5. So that it tucks under the bobble

6. Pull the rope both sides of the crane and up into the groove on top of the mast-crane

7. This will tension the rope and so lift the sail

Sleeving The Sail With A Halyard

1Before sleeving the sail, pass one end of the main halyard through the masthead crane and tie a knot. Pull the halyard tight and cleat off on the halyard cleat at the bottom of the mast

2Sleeve the sail as already described; when the mast appears through the top of the sail, undo both ends of the halyard and tie the halyard to the top of the sail. Go back to the foot of the mast and pull the halyard very tight and refasten it to the cleat at the front of the mast. Coil the rope and tuck it under itself, above the cleat

3Attach the downhaul to the tack cringle

4Secure around the cleat and roll the sail as in the main section on sleeving the sail

STEPPING THE MAST

1Point the boat into the wind and open the mast gate (by pulling the cord on the port side)

2Lift the mast upright with the sail rolled around it

3Insert the mast at a 45-degree angle, engaging the base of the mast into the fitting under the mast gate

4Walk the mast forward

5Into an upright position

6Ensuring the collar / fitting is underneath the mast gate

7Pull the cord on the starboard side to close the gate

8Push the starboard toggle in firmly to lock the gate

9Tie a loop in the starboard rope as a backup in case the toggle comes out (to prevent the mast gate opening)

With new rota-moulded (grey) boat and accompanying mast, it is not vital to insert the mast at a 45-degree angle – the mast can be lowered into the mast step vertically.

FITTING THE BOOM

1Place the clip on the mast above the plastic lip

2Push the boom down until the clip is around the plastic fitting

SAIL CONTROLS

CONTROL LINES

A new boat will be supplied with a rope pack of control lines, or they can be purchased separately if you want to update the controls on an older boat. There are two control line sets: standard or race.

Above: Standard control lines

Race control lines

On p139 we show the type and length of all these control lines in case you need to replace them or are fitting them without buying a complete rope pack from Topper.

RIGGING THE OUTHAUL

Much thought has been applied to the outhaul system to achieve ease of use whilst sailing but also when coming ashore. There are times when the sail needs detaching from the boom quickly, especially in strong winds, to avoid a difficult ‘situation’. The hook shown in photo 1 of the race outhaul sequence (p24) is one clever solution, and now supplied as standard.

Standard Outhaul

1A basic outhaul consists of a line of rope (here red and yellow): tie an overhand stopper knot and then thread the rope forward through the top outer hole on the rear boom end fitting

2Lead the rope around a karabiner attached to the clew of the sail (or straight through the clew cringle) and then back ...

3… to the inner hole on the top of the boom end fitting. Next, lead it through the inner hole on the bottom of the boom end fitting and forward …

4... through the pre-attached cleat on the underside of the boom, just beyond the metal kicking strap ring. You can tie a loop in the end of the line to make applying tension easier

Race Outhaul

A 4:1 system is allowed on the outhaul and the one shown here works well. Note there is a bobble attaching one end of the outhaul to the kicking strap (vang) ring that needs to be released when reefing (see p42-44).

To avoid the boom hook bending, some attach the karabiner to the clew cringle rather than the hook. Some also replace the boom hook with a clew strap.

1Attach the clew of the sail to the boom using the hook provided (rope or a clew strap can also be used – see basic outhaul photos), then attach the karabiner to the hook at one end (or through the cringle at the clew) and a pulley (A) at the other. Run the outhaul shockcord (black) from the latter attachment forward

2Thread the outhaul line (grey), with a bobble on the end, through the upper part of the boom end fitting, then through the pulley (A) attached to the karabiner ...

3... around another pulley (B) on the port side of the boom (attached to the boom end fitting) and forward along the boom

4When they reach the mylar strop, lead the outhaul line (grey) through it below the boom; the outhaul shockcord (black) does not pass through the mylar strop

5Terminate the outhaul shockcord (black) on the boom mainsheet block strap

6Terminate the outhaul line (grey) at another pulley (C) and thread the outhaul control line (red) through the pulley

7Fix the standing end of the outhaul control line (red) on the kicking strap ring by threading a loop through the ring and placing the bobble at the end of the line through that loop

8Pull tight

9Thread the working end of the outhaul control line (red) through the outhaul cleat on the bottom of the boom

10Then thread the working end of the outhaul control line (red) through a pulley (D) attached to the front of the boom

11Hang the outhaul control line (red) loose from the boom pulley (D) with a loop in the end, ideally inside a plastic tube

RIGGING THE TRAVELLER

Standard Traveller

1A basic traveller consists of a single line of rope (here orange) threaded through the stern eyelets

2Tie a bowline in one end and then thread the line through the two eyelets, through the bowline and onto the cleat

3You can tie a loop in the end of the line to make applying tension easier

Race Traveller

1Start with the provided line – grey dyneema with a metal eye spliced part way along

2Thread the longer end through one of the deck eyes on the stern in a backwards direction

3Through the bottom of the lower mainsheet pulley

4Followed by the second deck eye in a forwards direction

5Tie an overhand knot at the end of the line

6Now tie another overhand knot around the original line (before the metal eye) to form a triangle

7Push this overhand knot towards the stern to make the traingle smaller, with a gap of around 5cm between the tip of the triangle and the stern

8Using a fid, pull the loose end through the cleat on the stern bulkhead and around the wheel of the cleat

9Pull the traveller through the cleat and take it back to thread through the metal eye spliced into the traveller

10Using a fid, pull it through the cleat on the stern of the bulkhead again

11And pull tight

12Feed the end through a pulley attached to the rear toestrap attachment

13And tie a rope loop in the end to make applying tension easier

RIGGING THE DOWNHAUL

Standard Downhaul

1A basic downhaul consists of two karabiners with pulleys attached to two lengths of rope (here grey) with a cam cleat

2One rope is tied to the top of the cleat and goes up and around the top pulley attached to the karabiner which is clipped to the fabric loop on the sail

3This rope is then tied off to the top of the bottom pulley attached to the karabiner which is clipped to the metal loop at the bottom of the mast. The other rope is tied to the bottom of the cleat, round the bottom pulley and back up through the cleat so tension can be applied

Race Downhaul

1The race downhaul as supplied

2Clip the top karabiner of the downhaul (the karabiner attached to the single length of grey dyneema) onto the fabric loop on the tack of the sail

3Clip the bottom karabiner (attached to the cleat) onto the metal ring near the base of the mast

4After the downhaul has passed through the cleat there is a rope handle (in a plastic tube) which can rest on the deck

RIGGING THE KICKING STRAP (VANG)

Standard Kicking Strap (Vang)

1A basic kicking strap consists of two pulleys (one a double pulley with a clam cleat) attached to karabiners and a line of rope (here red)

2