The Topper is a small, tough single-hander and a common first racing boat for younger sailors at Castle Semple. Designed by Ian Proctor in the mid-1970s, its hull is injection-moulded polypropylene rather than fibreglass, which makes it very hard to damage — a real virtue in a boat that spends its life being dragged up and down a slipway.
It is a strict one-design with a simple cat rig and no spinnaker to worry about. The standard sail is 5.3 square metres, with a smaller 4.2 rig for lighter sailors and a larger 6.4 available, so the same hull takes someone from their first race through to youth championships without changing boat.
The International Topper Class Association runs everything from local traveller events up to world championships.