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Displaying items by tag: Highend operators

The first cruise ship of the season in West Cork was welcomed by Cork County Council to its harbours, Schull and Kinsale, located in Ireland’s largest county.

The ultra-luxury expedition cruise ship Seabourn Venture, as Afloat previously reported visiting Killybegs, made another inaugural call to Schull on Tuesday, which represents the vessel’s first of two visits to Cork County Council’s harbours this week.

The 172-metre Seabourn Venture, which was launched in 2022 for US-based operator Seabourn Cruise Line, carries 264 passengers, offering their guests an intimate, private yacht-like atmosphere. All of the accommodations feature ocean-front suites with veranda, and among the expedition equipment is a 6-person submarine.

Seabourn Venture was built to polar class standards and has 120 crew members to operate in the Arctic and Antarctica. The visits of the 26,315 gross tonnage cruise ship to Schull and Kinsale come at the end of a 28-day cruise itinerary for passengers.

To mark the inaugural calls to West Cork, as of tradition, a delegation from Cork County Council was on board the Seabourn Venture, where Cllr. Caroline Cronin made a presentation to Captain Sasha Skladnoi on behalf of the council.

More from the Irish Independent on the rising number of small cruise ship calls to the region and to where cruise-goers went to various tourist attractions.

Published in Cruise Liners

SB20 (formerly Laser SB3) information

Designed by Tony Castro, the SB20 is a British-built strict one-design 6.15m keelboat conceived as a wide appeal, affordable, competitive sportsboat for teams of three or four sailors. It is also, arguably, the most successful sportsboat in the world with 800 owners competing regularly in a programme of exciting local, national and international events.

Originally known as the Laser SB3, the SB20 continues to deliver on its pioneering promise: a boat that is fun, fast and easy to sail by anyone of any age; the best value-for-money sportsboat in the market.

The Laser SB3 was designed by Castro and launched in 2002. In 2007 the Laser SB3 was awarded ISAF Recognised Status and the first World Championships were held in Ireland in 2008. In 2012, Tony Castro appointed a new builder, Sportsboat World. At this time, the Laser SB3 was renamed the SB20 and building was returned to the UK from Malaysia. The ethos of the class continues.

The boat is a strict one-design class, economic to buy and campaign, easy to sail with a simple deck layout and electric downwind performance delivered by the generous sail plan. The boat has a lifting keel, can easily be launched from a slipway and towed behind a family car.

Previous SB20 World Champions

2008 GBR: Geoff Carveth, Roger Gilbert, Roz Allen & Sarah Allan

Host National Yacht Club, Dun laoghaire, Ireland

2009 GBR: Craig Burlton, Stephen White, Adam Heeley

Host Clube Naval de Cascais, Cascais, Portugal

2010 GBR: Jerry Hill, Grant Rollerson, Joe Llewellyn

Host Circolo Vela Torbole, Lake Garda, Italy

2011 GBR: Geoff Carveth, Andy Ramus, Ian Mills & Emma Clarke

Host Royal Torbay Yacht Club, Torquay, UK

2012 GBR: Geoff Carveth, Lesley Dhonau, Roger Hudson & Asenathi Jim

Host Hamilton Island Yacht Club, Queensland, Australia

2013 GRB: Craig Burlton, Stephen White, Adam Heley Host COYCH Club, Hyeres, France