Hurricane Hari's Nationals win secures unprecedented Topper grand slam
by Richard Clark 20 Aug 07:02 UTC
Hari Clark racing in the Topper UK Nationals at Weymouth © ITCA GBR
15-year-old sailor from Dunchurch, Warwickshire, Hari Clark, blew-away the competition to secure decisive victory at the Topper National Championships last week at Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA).
Hari Clark's recent victory at the National Championships concludes a dominant season on the water, following his international triumph against the world's best fleets in St Pierre, Quiberon. He has secured an unprecedented grand slam in the Topper class by claiming both the World and National 5.3 Championship titles, building upon his 2024 clean sweep of the 4.2 worlds and national championships. Hari's consecutive victories this season mark a historic benchmark in junior competitive sailing.
Hari dominated the Topper nationals at WPNSA, with nine first places out of fifteen races in total. The event consisted of three days qualification and two days final series, and a wide range of conditions.
Asked about the qualifiers, Hari said: "Every condition you could ask was thrown at us - from light tricky breezes to full-on heavy winds, making for an unbelievably fair and competitive championship, with each day bringing a new challenge."
Qualifying started with a day of light winds with Hari scoring 1, 1, 2, followed by 2 heavy-wind days. Despite Hari being one of the smallest sailors racing in the 5.3 category he was able to qualify in first place for gold fleet, carrying only 1s and 2s.
The final series started with Hari's trademark 'hail of bullets', with three wins in three races, placing him in a nearly unassailable lead. Finally, on the last day a final bullet in the first race followed by a fifth meant he won with a race to spare.
Hari said: "The final series started exactly how I wanted, taking all three race wins on the first day and setting the pace from the front. I carried that momentum through the rest of the series, coming first in four of the final six races to finish 18 points clear of second place. It's great to be the first person to complete the Topper grand slam by winning the 4.2 and 5.3 worlds and national championships. A big thank you to my coaches Steve Irish and Joe Rowe, and everyone at Draycote who has helped me so much."
This historic win means he now has three World and three National Championship titles, which also include winning the Tera Sport Worlds in 2025, and the Tera Pro Nationals earlier in 2026.
Draycote youth and junior group leader Jon Hughes commented: "Hari's sailing journey has been remarkable. He joined our club as a complete beginner and has worked and trained hard to become a multiple national and world champion in just a few short years. His hours of practice on the water and time building his fitness in the gym or out on his bike really paid off this year.
Some of Hari's early sailing was at our Saturday morning club which is aimed at our newer sailors. It has been great to see that he still comes along when he can to help as a 'sailing buddy' where our more experienced young sailors team-up with those new to the sport to get out on the water and help them build confidence.
With his dedication and his positive attitude, I'm sure he has a very long and bright sailing career ahead of him."
Hari's coach, Joe Rowe, commented on the Nationals: "It was a pleasure supporting Hari at the Topper nationals and being on the water to see how all his hard work paid off. The Draycote Academy weekends during the winter formed the backbone of his training, but the amazing results this summer must be credited to the hours Hari has spent training on and off the water to ensure he was ready for the summer championships."
After a short break, Hari will be back training for the next season of racing. When talking about the reasons behind his recent triumphs, Hari said: "Variety is important - I also become the 2026 RS Tera Pro national champion this season. This helps as many sailing and racing skills are transferable between boat classes. Otherwise, there is no big secret to my success, just lots of training at my home club, Draycote. Winter miles, summer smiles, as they say!"