The Topper National Sailing Race Series will be visiting the North Kent Coast (UK) for the first ever time this year. Stage four of the national race series for Topper youth sailors will be the Coastal Championship to be held between the stunning locations of Tankerton and Whitstable, from the 20th to the 21st of May 2023. This year's event will be sponsored by Icom UK.

Whitstable Yacht Club and Tankerton Bay Sailing Club will together, in conjunction with the International Topper Class Association, be hosting this national coastal sailing event for youth sailors. The event will take place over the weekend of Saturday, May 20th, and Sunday May 21st, with three back-to-back races starting at 11.30 am each day (subject to weather conditions). 

The International Topper Class Association of Great Britain (ITCA-GBR) is the biggest GB youth sailing class association and the Topper is the most popular youth dinghy for racing. The event is expecting up to 150 sailors to take part, aged 8 to 17, coming from across the country. Courses will be set midway between the two clubs with the picturesque Tankerton slopes providing a fantastic natural grandstand for the public to watch all the action. 

Icom, provider of marine VHF equipment, has a long-standing relationship with sailing and is delighted to be involved with this prestigious event, the first national youth championship to be sailed off the North Kent coastline. As well as providing headline sponsorship the company will be providing a mixture of land and marine based comms to assist in the organisation of this big event. 

‘We are very excited to be sponsoring the Topper National Race Series this year,’ said Ian Lockyer, Marketing Manager for Icom UK. ‘The Topper National Race Series is always a great spectacle, and we can't wait to see the best years sailors in the country competing between Whitstable and Tankerton.’ 

Richard Maltby, representative for both clubs said, 'We are particularly pleased to have Icom on board as our sponsor. Icom are known worldwide for its VHF marine radio and two way radio communications systems. We value Icom products because good, clear and effective communications are essential for sailing events' smooth running and safety. We also very much value Icom as a local business, based at Herne Bay.’ 

Ian Lockyer added, ‘Sailors and sailing enthusiasts alike are encouraged to come along and watch the action, with a range of activities and events taking place over the weekend. So, make sure to mark the dates in your diary and come along to Whitstable and Tankerton from 20th to 21st May 2023 for a weekend of sailing excitement sponsored by Icom UK.’