The Travellers Trophy is awarded annually to the helm who has the best set of results over the Championship events and those Open events which meet the new ‘at least 5 entrants’ criterion for counting towards this trophy. In 2007 there were 6 such events: the Single-handed National Championship at Cransley SC; the Crewed National Championship at Priory SC; the Southerns Championship at Chipstead SC; the Northerns Championship at Chase SC; the Open event at Kinvara, Ireland; and the Open event at Up River YC. A helm must have participated in at least 3 of these events to qualify for award of the Travellers Trophy and the award is based on the best set of three results for these events.

This year there were a total of 48 sailings by 35 different boats in the six qualifying events, with these figures rising to 55 and 39 respectively if the two other non-qualifying Open events (at Huddersfield and Yeadon) are included. However only 3 helms participated in enough relevant events to qualify for the Trophy, with each of these participating in four such events. Calum Polwart also sailed in three potentially relevant events but two were the Opens at Huddersfield and Yeadon.

The results of the qualifying helms for the award in 2007 are detailed below.

Peter Moulton has been steadily tuning his boat this year, and has been sailing periodically with a 79% genoa and a loose foot mainsail. Matthew Pickett has had to contend with his boat being damaged at Chase and having a new gaff. He was seen sponging furiously at Priory as a result of a leak in the hull of his GRP Bossoms boat (apparently the first one out of the mould – in 1973?).

The Travellers Trophy will duly be awarded to Peter Moulton at the 2007 AGM, of which details are provided elsewhere in this issue.

An analysis of the numbers of boats sailing, and the number of helms qualifying for the trophy, over the years 2000-2005 was provided in the Autumn 2005 issue.