The 2026 Topper World Championships are currently taking place at La Société des Régates de Saint-Pierre Quiberon, France.

BYC has seven sailors competing as part of the 32-boat Irish contingent. A total of 176 boats are racing across the 5.3 and 4.2 sail classes. The event has attracted strong representation from Great Britain, Ireland and China, while also welcoming new competitors from Spain, Latvia and Ukraine.

Quiberon is a peninsula on the north-west coast of France, offering a large bay sheltered from the Atlantic swell, providing excellent racing conditions for the fleet.

The World Championships consist of five days of racing. In the 5.3 fleet, the opening three days are qualification races, with sailors carrying their points forward into the final series.

Monday – A Challenging Start

Monday provided a demanding opening day, with a gradually building and shifting breeze requiring several APs (Postponement Signals) while the race committee reset the course. Over six hours on the water, only two races were completed, making it a long day for competitors. The strengthening breeze also left little opportunity for sailors to relax between races.

One of the defining characteristics of the Topper Class is its friendly atmosphere. During downtime on the water, groups of boats rafted together, giving sailors the chance to socialise and make new friends while waiting for racing to resume.

Tuesday – Patience Rewarded

Tuesday presented organisers with a different challenge. Forecasts indicated that the morning breeze would disappear by midday, leading to an early 8:00am briefing and a launch shortly after 9:00am for a single race before lunch.

Sailors then returned ashore for a four-hour break. Plenty of fun was had during the interval, with swimmers and paddleboarders making the most of the warm conditions while carefully conserving energy for the afternoon session.

Racing resumed at 4:30pm, once the sea breeze had filled in sufficiently to support a second race. Race 4 was sailed exclusively by the 5.3 fleet, with both races getting away cleanly.

In a steady 8-knot breeze, conditions favoured the lighter sailors. Leo West-Hurst delivered an outstanding performance to win the race by an impressive 50-second margin, building his advantage through both upwind legs.

The day’s results also secured Gold Fleet qualification for Leo West-Hurst, Emma West-Hurst and Caroline Byrne, while Max Boyd comfortably qualified for the Silver Fleet.

Local Support on the Water

It was wonderful to welcome BYC members Elaine and David Taylor, who arrived in Quiberon aboard their yacht, Whiskey Mac, to support the team. Positioned close to Mark 2 during Race 4, they enjoyed a perfect vantage point from which to watch the sailors competing at the front of the fleet.

A sincere thank you to Elaine and David for taking the time to travel to Quiberon and support the BYC sailors throughout the event.

Looking Ahead

With three days of racing still to come, we wish all of our sailors the very best of luck for the remainder of the championship.

BYC Sailors – 5.3 Fleet

 *   Max Boyd
 *   Caroline Byrne
 *   Leo West-Hurst
 *   Emma West-Hurst

BYC Sailors – 4.2 Fleet

 *   John-Myles Crossan
 *   Freddie Robinson