Topper (dinghy)

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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.

Contents

[edit] Background

The Topper is a one-design boat with a large international following, it is also an International class by the ISAF and is an approved youth class of the RYA.

[edit] Design

Toppers at the 2006 National Championships, WPNSA
Toppers at the 2006 National Championships, WPNSA
Prizewinners at the 2006 Topper World Championships, Fraglia Vela Malcesine, Lake Garda, Italy
Prizewinners at the 2006 Topper World Championships, Fraglia Vela Malcesine, Lake Garda, Italy
Toppers at Stewartby Open 2005
Toppers at Stewartby Open 2005

The Topper was designed by Ian Proctor. 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 Topper rigged construction and low maintenance costs made the boat popular with sailing schools. At one point in the boats lifetime the Topper was the largest injection moulded mass production plastic component in the world.

At 11' the Topper is designed to be car toppable and the mast splits into two sections, allowing the spars to be stored and transported.

In 2005 a 4.2 m² sail was approved, which allows lighter helmsmen to sail in higher winds without having to reef their sails, 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 in racing, 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.

[edit] Specifications

Length overall 3.40 m
Beam 1.20 m
Sail area 5.30 m², or 4.20 m²
Hull weight 43 kg
Construction Polypropylene
Mast Coated aluminium
Racing crew 1

[edit] External links


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