Youth race series set to sail off North Kent coastline

The Topper National Sailing Race Series is visiting the North Kent coast for the first time this May. Stage four of the national race series for Topper youth sailors will be the Coastal Championship, with courses set midway between Whitstable Yacht Club and Tankerton Bay Sailing Club.

The event, sponsored by Icom UK, takes place over the weekend of 20-21 May 2023, with three back-to-back races starting at 11.30am each day (subject to weather conditions).

A total of 150 sailors are expected to take part, from ages 8 to 17, and courses will be set midway between the two clubs. The International Topper Class Association of Great Britain (ITCA-GBR) is the biggest GB youth sailing class association, and the Topper is the most popular youth dinghy for racing.

As well as providing headline sponsorship, marine radio specialist Icom is providing a mixture of land and marine-based comms to assist in the organisation of this big event.

“We are very excited to be sponsoring the Topper National Race Series this year,” says Ian Lockyer, marketing manager for Icom UK. “The Topper National Race Series is always a great spectacle, and we can’t wait to see the best years sailors in the country competing between Whitstable and Tankerton.”