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Elliott on Topper the world

30/ 7/2008

BRITISH sailor Elliot Hanson, aged 14, will wake up this morning to start his first week as the reigning Topper World Champion.

Hanson came out on top of the 176-boat fleet in Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland last Friday, putting together an enviable string of results.

Hanson’s domination of the event, on paper, looked complete. By the end of the 12-race series, he was discarding third, fourth and fifth-place finishes, and counted nothing lower than a second-place finish.

However, with these discards taken into account, Hanson was just three points clear by the end. Before the fleets were split into gold and silver, Hanson counted four wins out of six races, but then dropped off the top spot for three races early in the final series, allowing his closest rival, Richard Cumpsty, to close in with two wins of his own. On the final day he produced two wins before sailing Cumpsty out in the final race to secure the championship.

Jonathan Hewat took the third spot on the podium, pushing top Irish sailor Philip Doran out of the medals.

Hanson, who attends The Kings School and lives in Prestbury, has been a member of Redesmere Sailing Club near Capesthorne Hall since the age of eight.

When not competing he can be found passing on his skills to other junior sailors. In his thank you speech he paid special thanks to his RYA coaches, Tralee Sailing Club, Staples Disposables, his sponsor, and his parents.

Hanson is now preparing for The Topper Nationals to be held in Paignton.

For information about the club, visit www.redesmere.org.uk.