From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Specifications Under Current Rules
Number of crew 1 LOA 3400 mm (11 ft 1 in) Beam 1200 mm (3 ft 11 in) Hull weight (with fittings) 43 kg (94 lb) Sail area of total of Main 5.3 m² (57 ft²)

The Topper is an 11 foot sailing dinghy designed by Ian Proctor.

The Topper is a very popular one-design boat with a large international following. Popular with young and novice sailors all over the world, it is recognized as a full International class by the ISAF and is an approved youth class of the RYA. It is a very popular Junior class in Britain, and is often a perfect transitional class for the Laser Radial. It normally has its own race class at the start, due to the speed of the boat. The boat has a maximum capacity of two people, although in racing it is helmed single-handedly. It is a popular choice for those starting out racing as it is cheap, strong and easily transportable. It is also is a great boat for just sailing around and having fun. If it capsizes there is no worry because it can be righted by children from the age of 6 or 7.

Toppers at the 2006 National Championships, WPNSA

Prizewinners at the 2006 Topper World Championships, Fraglia Vela Malcesine, Lake Garda, Italy

Toppers at Stewartby Open 2005

The Topper was designed by Ian Proctor and was by far his most successful design. The Topper was originally designed to be built out of glass reinforced plastic in a traditional female mould. Sales of this early version of the Topper were not numerous. In the early 1980s the boat was re-engineered to be made of injection moulded polypropylene and sales soared. The polypropelene hull was much more damage resistant than the original glass fibre hulls and proved immensely popular in sailing schools in the UK. The boats' tendency to simply bounce off another in a collision made them an ideal tutor for novice singlehanders sailing in close quarters. At the time the Topper was the largest injection moulded mass production plastic component in the world.

At a compact 11', is easily carried on the roof of a car. The mast splits into two sections, allowing the spars to be stored and transported with ease. The rig itself is very simple, making it an ideal boat for novice sailors.

In 2005 a 4.2 m² sail was approved, which allows lighter helmsmen to sail in higher winds without having to reef their sails, which damages them. The smaller sail is also more efficient than a larger sail that is reefed.

Although the Topper was originally rigged with an aft mainsheet, since 2004 the option to use a centre main has been allowed. The change has proved to be popular, and it is now uncommon to see an aft-main rigged boat at regattas. The motivation for the change was that most other dinghies, including the ones Topper sailors are likely to advance to, are rigged with centre mainsheets.

As a beginner or someone just starting out, a topper is a great boat to purchase. They can be easily acquired secondhand and are relatively affordable. The hull is very buoyant, which makes them easy to right after a capsize. In addition to this, thanks to the Topper's shallow design and buoyancy, they take on practically no water when capsized and righted, which allows one to keep sailing even after numerous capsizes.

• International Topper Class Association
• Topper Class Sailing Race Results Website
• Irish Topper Class Association
• Great Britain Topper Class Association
• topper Class Sailing Race Results Website