Sharkbait Takes Overnight Lead at SB20 Easterns

27th April 2013

#sb20 – 24 entries made the start line this morning for day 1 of the SB20 Eastern Championships at Howth Yacht Club. With a cold North Easterly promising to die off by mid-afternoon, PRO Harry Gallagher and his team got the show on the road right on time and sent the fleet away cleanly. Defending his title Ben Duncan on Sharkbait set to it right away with a race 1 win but not before a bit of upwind duelling with Cork sailor Mel Collins each trying to throw the other to the wrong side of the race course. Duncan was able to break tacks and came out on top leaving the Collins family with a 2nd in race 1.

With an ever decreasing wind and a strong south going tide, Race 2 got underway with a 50/50 split in the fleet upwind on each side of the course. With the wind planning to clock right, strangely it was the left handers who made it to the top first. Scott MacKeown with Nicholas O'Leary on board showing a clean pair of heels but chased closely by Royal Irish YC man John O'Driscoll on Boomchickawahwah. It was a bottom end split at the final rounding that decided race 2 with McKeown opting for right and O'Driscoll opting for left. It was O'Driscoll who got the bullet but only by a nose.

Race 3 went to a black flag after two general recalls in ever decreasing wind which had now gone to full easterly and further dying. A large bunch-up at the first weather mark allowed Ger Dempsey and Chris Nolan on Venuesworld.com slip in before the gaggle and pull some distance on the fleet. Venuesworld.com were never really threatened after that and went on to score their first Championship race win.

Variety was the order of the day with Sharkbait, BoomChickawahwah and Venuesworld.com each getting home first. However it was a lesson in pure consistency that has Darren martin onboard "The Sloth" with a 5.0 5.0 and 2.0 to score 12 points overall behind Duncan's 8 point first place overnight.

Mel Collins, Kieran Dorgan and Gareth Flannigan (filling in for Peter Kennedy) each have some work to do tomorrow.

In the Bronze fleet, local class captain Gillian Guinness who scored a 4th in race 1 is 4 points ahead of HYC sailor Paul McMahon with James Gorman in 3rd.

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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