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The annual Topper Challenge was held on Sunday at Mooragh Park. The Topper Challenge is a junior sailing event and has been running since 1994. The idea was conceived by Nigel Hendy of the Manx Sailing & Cruising Club and was traditionally a team racing event between the Isle of Man Yacht Club and the Manx Sailing & Cruising Club. This year five teams entered representing the Manx Sailing & Cruising Club, Isle of Man Yacht Club, King Williams College, 7th Wave and a new entry from the Venture Centre.

Unlike most sailing championships where individual results are counted, the Topper Challenge is a team racing event where the points for the whole team are totalled to conclude the winner in each heat and therefore the overall winner. A total of ten races were sailed, allowing each team to sail each other team once.

Mooragh Park provided its usual light and fluky conditions with the wind eventually filling in from the south later in the day. The first race was contested between the IOMYC and 7th Wave with 7th Wave scoring their first win by just a one point. Race two ended in a dramatic photo finish (caught on camera of course by Dave Kneale) with Greg Kelly (7th Wave) just sneaking past Guy Wood (KWC) on the finish line to beat him by a inch! Race three saw Ross O’Sullivan (Venture Centre) off to a flying start but an unfortunate incident and the windward mark allowed the MS&CC to claim victory in this heat. Race four was won by Juan Hendy (MS&CC) however his team-mates only managed fifth and sixth places giving IOMYC the victory. Race five saw yet another photo finish, this time Amy Shute (Venture Centre) just pipped Nick Parkes (IOMYC) to the post.

Race six was a meeting between the lightest and heaviest teams! The Venture Centre team weighing less than fifteen stone between them should have been the favourites here against the 32 stone KWC team. However it was not to be and KWC were the only team to score 1, 2 & 3 in a race during the whole tournament.

By race seven the wind had begun to fill in allowing the race committee to set a longer course for the final few races. The course change resulted in a more challenging beat to the finish for the competitors. 7th Wave battled it out with the Venture Centre in the testing conditions with 7th Wave scoring the win.

As race eight began it was still anyone’s tournament with IOMYC, MS&CC, 7th Wave and defending champions KWC still all in with the chance of the overall win! MS&CC were beaten by KWC in race eight knocking them off the list of potential winners. The pressure didn’t appear to affect Luke Collins too much – who won the race sailing with his feet up! Going into race nine 7th Wave needed to score one final win here to secure the trophy. MS&CC put in a good fight here but Tom Howitt (7th Wave) couldn’t be caught as he finished almost one leg ahead of the trailing boats, 7th Wave won the heat by one point.

Race ten decided who came second and was a closely contested battle between IOMYC and KWC. Laura Green had another excellent start for IOMYC while Chris Hill (KWC) parked up in the light wind and gave the fleet a head start. Luke Collins (KWC) and Nick Parkes (IOMYC) fought a close race on the last leg with IOMYC winning the heat to finish in second place overall.

The final results reflect the overall high standard of sailing, close results and a tough competition, only one point separated each team at the end of the competition. It was truly amazing to watch the results unfold and for the overall title to be decided on the second to last race. Congratulations to the 7th Wave team Tom Howitt (age 15), James Kelly (age 10) and Greg Kelly (aged 9) who were the overall winners and the only team to score a win in every race they sailed!

1st: 7th Wave (Tom Howitt, James Kelly, Greg Kelly) 4 points
2nd: IOMYC (Laura Green, Alex Cave, Nick Parkes) 5 points
3rd: KWC (Chris Hill, Luke Collins, Guy Wood) 6 points
4th: MS&CC (Juan Hendy, George Rawlinson, Connor Christian) 7 points
5th: Venture Centre (Amy Shute, Ross O’Sullivan, Matthew Read) 8 points

Thanks to all the teams and supporters for a close, well sailed and exciting tournament! Thanks also to the Race Committee, the Manx Sailing & Cruising Club for their hospitality and a huge thank you to Simon Read of the Venture Centre for providing the Toppers and safety boat for the event. We look forward to seeing you all again next year.

NEW STOCK JUST IN!!!

howies Merino Wool Thermal Base Layers have just arrived and are even nicer than last years!!

Also in stock the howies winter ‘Bird Rock’ Fleeces….. don’t be cold this winter…..

Entries have been received from the Isle of Man Yacht Club, Manx Sailing & Cruising Club, King Williams College, 7th Wave and we have one new entrant, Maughold Venture Centre.

Look forward to seeing you all in Ramsey on Sunday, briefing at 12.30pm.

Best of luck to the lads representing 7th Wave: Alex Sharpe, Tom Howitt & James Kelly.

This year we are expanding! We have got ourselves a new classroom space, just across the road from the shop and are now able the offer the RYA Shorebased Courses in navigation and VHF Radio. We have the following courses available:

NEW Basic Navigation and Safety – 2 day course
The RYA introduced this new course last month, it is aimed at potential day skippers,powerboaters, sea anglers, divers and others using small boats in coastal areas. The course gives an introduction to charts, safety, engine checks, buoyage, tidal awareness, pilotage, rules of the road, anchoring, weather forecasts, GPS use and passage planning.

This course will provide you with essential knowledge to help keep you safe on short coastal journeys and we’ll be sure to add plenty of local knowledge about the Manx waters. If you have ever wondered what procedures you should follow in emergency situations, in the event of fog at sea, or if something happens to your skipper while you’re out; this course will provide you with the reassurance that you will know what to do…..

No prior knowledge or experience is required for this course, it is a two day course, price £139 per person which includes all course materials.
Dates: 27th & 28th October, 10th & 11th November, 17th & 18th November and 15th & 16th December.

Short Range Certificate (VHF Radio)
The Short Range Certificate (SRC) is the radio operator qualification which authorises the holder to operate a VHF Radiotelephone fitted with Digital Selective Calling (DSC) If you own a marine radio handheld or fixed set, you are required by law to hold an operator’s licence. This one day course will teach you the procedures for correct radio operation and etiquette and is followed by an exam to gain the qualification.

Course fee £99 per person, there is an additional charge of £22 payable for issue of the certificate.

Dayskipper Theory & Yachtmaster Theory
We are also running Dayskipper Theory and Yachtmaster Theory courses. Both of the courses require 40 hours of teaching time. We are able to run these courses in intensive, semi-intensive or night school format.

Dayskipper Theory:
Option 1: 3 x weekends: 24th & 25th November, 1st & 2nd and 8th & 9th December.
Option 2: Night school format Thursday evenings 7pm – 9pm commencing 1st November through to March.
Option 3. Five day intensive course dates arranged to suit you.

Yachtmaster Theory:
Option 1: Night school format on Monday evenings 7pm – 9pm commencing 22nd October through to March.
Option 2: Five day intensive course 22nd – 26th October or alternative dates to suit you.
Option 3: 3 x weekends arranged to suit you.

Course fees for Dayskipper or Yachtmaster Theory courses are £250 per person which includes course notes, training charts, exams and certificates.

If you require any further information regarding any of our courses please contact us; email jen@7thwave-iom.com or tel: 450801. If you wish to make a booking please download the booking form http://7thwave-iom.com/index.php?page=bookings and return the completed form to us with the appropriate course fee.

NOTICE OF RACE – TOPPER CHALLENGE 2007

The Topper Challenge will be held on Sunday 4th November at Mooragh Park, Ramsey.

Eligibilty & Entries
Entries are invited from:
IOMYC
MS&CC
King Williams College
Maughold Venture Centre
Ard Whallin Outdoor Centre
7th Wave

Centres may enter one team of three people, competitors may only sail for one team. Entrants must be aged 16 or under on the day of the competition.

Closing date for entries is Sunday 28th October, please email teams / entries to jen@7thwave-iom.com

Venue & Format
Competitors briefing will be at 12.30pm by the Mooragh Park Cafe. First race will start promptly after the briefing.

The Topper Challenge is a team racing event, all teams will race each other, the winning team shall be the team scoring the greatest number of race wins.

Courses, sailing instructions and rule amendments will be announced at the competitors briefing.

Boats
All boats will be provided.

This event is always a good fun day out, it is great for spectators as the sailing all happens on the Mooragh Lake. Over a series of short races Manx junior sailors will battle it out to decide which Club or Centre wins the Topper Challenge Trophy. For further details please contact us…

Anyone in Port Erin last Saturday may well have spotted Dennis.  Dennis is a 6.5m basking shark who was ‘basking’ in Port Erin Bay from about 11am to 5pm last Saturday.

And what a fantastic site, Juan took one of our kayaks out and was paddling around with the shark for about an hour.  At the same time a handful of people ventured out to it with only a surfboard to hang on to.  Myself and Ffinlo were out sailing in one of the RS Teras (which turned out to be about one third of the size of the shark itself!).  We decided we’d ‘go and check the shark out’ as it is not often that they venture into the Bay, so off we went headed in it’s direction.  Then we got scared!! This enormous creature also decided to check us out – we figured that to a shark the underside of our boat could easily look like another shark.  And so it swam toward us and came right past the side of our boat – nose, fin and tail – this thing was really big, yet incredibly sensitive to it’s surroundings, it could have easily capsized us or knocked the boat with it’s powerful tail, but it didn’t, it came real close and than dropped underneath us to avoid us completely.  This was an amazing encounter!

More amazing still was later in that afternoon Jon, Juan and Ruth all got wetsuited up and actually went snorkeling with it.  A larger group of us stayed within the safety of our boat – helpfully shouting “it’s behind you” to the swimmers!!  One ambition realised for Jon, who since we opened 7th Wave has been saying “one day I’m gonna swim with one of them”.
The shark turned out to be one of the two sharks tagged recently by the Manx Basking Shark Watch, hence we know it is called Dennis.  It was fantastic that Juan had been able to get  close enough to it in the kayak and he had seen the tag.  This enabled the shark to be identified – a great result for all concerned.

For further information about these amazing creatures go to www.manxbaskingsharkwatch.com and if you want to get out in a boat to see them please contact us….

Jon and I have now got our ‘Boatman’s Licenses’!  Our new 5.1m Tornado has been surveyed, swamp tested and half sunk by the IOM Marine Administration Surveyor and the Harbours Division.  It passed all the safety tests and has been approved to carry up to 5 passengers on journeys within 3 miles of the coast and within 15 miles of Port Erin.  So it’s all official 7th Wave can now offer trips around the Calf & up the coast here!!

Anyone fancying trips out to see basking sharks, porpoises, dolphins, seals, puffins, dragons etc – please contact us!!

Yes it’s that time of year again, Port Erin Regatta is this weekend.  Jack is entering ‘Scrufts’ Dog Show on Saturday morning!  Then Sunday afternoon is the Soapbox Derby!

Last year 7th Wave finished a very apt 7th place!  However, 7th place is not good enough in the eyes of the creator, who since last year seems have spent every spare moment pondering on what he can do to improve the kart for this year…….

And so this year Captain Pugwash & Roger the Cabin Boy will be driving the ‘Black Pig’ down the hill, to who knows what end?

And the competition seems to be hotting up this year – Kristian & Mark our pit crew / pushers from last year have split and signed up with the Grenaby Lime Works Lime Green Racing Machine!! And we’ve got the Post Office who just pipped us to the ‘post!’ last year. Jon is keeping his loyalties with us and not Port Erin Lifeboat Crew, so we could do with beating them too!

Look forward to seeing you all over the weekend!

We are 1 today!!

This Week….

Honda / RYA R.I.B. Challenge Training
Wednesday 4.30pm to 6.30pm  £30 per person.

The final opportunity for anyone wishing to enter the Honda / RYA Youth R.I.B. Challenge to receive training and practice time prior to the 7th Wave Heat on 23rd May.  The IOM Regional Finals for this National Competition will be held in Douglas Bay on 16th June in conjunction with the Honda Formula Four-Stroke Racing weekend.

This Weekend…..

Youth Race Training Weekend
10am to 4.30pm Saturday & Sunday  £149 per person.

There are still a couple of places left for this RYA Start Racing course.  This will be an intensive sailing weekend designed to refine existing skills and introduce students to the fun of competitive dinghy racing!  Start Sailing Stage 2 is a pre-requisite for the course, any students currently working toward Stages 3 and 4 should consider joining in this weekend as it will be of enormous benefit to them in the future.

RYA Safety Boat Course
10am to 4.30pm Saturday & Sunday  £189.00 per person.

This course provides the skills required for acting as an escort, safety or coaching boat for a fleet of dinghies, windsurfers or kayaks.  The course consists of two full days of teaching, including sessions where you will assist in safety boat duties for the Youth Race Training course.  RYA Powerboat Level 2 is a pre-requisite for this course, minimum age 16.

Later this month…..

Youth Sailing Weeks

Our summer Youth Sailing Weeks are almost fully booked already!  If you are still hoping your children will be able to get on a course please contact us as soon as possible.  We do have some availability for Practice Week and TT Week – again, please book early to avoid disappointment.  Courses run 10am to 5pm Monday to Friday during all school holidays, fees are £229 per person.  The Youth Sailing Weeks are suitable for all levels of sailing, for novices we run the Start Sailing Stage 1 Course, for those already holding RYA qualifications we will pick up from where you finished last season.

Powerboat Level 2
26th & 27th May  £189 per person

This two day course provides the skills and background needed to drive a powerboat.  It includes close quarters handling, high speed manoeuvres, man overboard recovery, collision regulations and some basic navigation.  This course is a must for anyone wanting to be self-sufficient in a powerboat in reasonable conditions.

We have a busy calendar of “on the water” courses and activities running until October and shore based courses to follow in the winter.  For brochures, bookings and further information please contact us.