Here are photos of a Topper dinghy recently seen sailing at
Hullbridge. A quick search at Ebay revealed that more than half a dozen are for
sale, ranging in price between £350 and £600. A new one can be had for £2,695!
Fifty thousand of them have been sold worldwide.* Ian Proctor, who designed the
boat back in 1977, certainly got it right. They were originally made from GRP,
but they were soon being produced in large numbers by the speedy process of
injection moulding with Polypropylene. Perhaps one of the reasons for their popularity is that they can be car-topped! Maybe that is why they are called Toppers.
*Topper Sailboats: https://www.toppersailboats.com/the-boats/#topper
Links
Topper Dinghy.co.uk
Topper Dinghy
The Topper Dinghy (Tuning and Features)
International Topper Class Association – about Topper
Topper Dinghy for Sale at Ebay £350
Topper Dinghy for
Sale at Ebay £395
Topper Dinghy for Sale at Ebay £420
Topper Dinghy for Sale at Ebay £450
Topper Dinghy for Sale at Ebay £500
Topper Dinghy for Sale at Ebay £600
3 comments:
Whoops! I think you will find it dates from 1977 Bill
Yes, you are right Paul. Thank you. I have corrected the error.
Cheers,
Bill.
I have a huge respect for Ian Proctor but the Topper is not one of my favourite designs. I am not a fan for shallow type hulls such as the Topper or the Laser. But having said that, my philosophy is that anything that gets people out enjoying the sea and sailing is great. Injection moulding has certainly meant a lot people have been able to get into sailing cheaply! That's great.
Post a Comment