SB20 Worlds Leader Michael Cooper Cops a 'UFD' on Derwent River

8th January 2018

Two more days of racing remain with seven races scheduled at the SB20 Worlds in Hobart Credit: Jane Austin

Day 2 – Races 4 and 5 British yachtsman Richard Powell snatched victory on the final spinnaker run of race five of the SB20 Worlds today, ending a boat-for-boat duel between Tasmanians Brett Cooper and Michael Cooper.

As they crossed the finish line it was Powell at the helm of Marvel first by four seconds from Brett Cooper with Aeolus and a further 10 seconds to Michael Cooper’s Export Roo.

However, Michael Cooper’s race had ended at the start of race five where race officials had handed him a UFD disqualification for a breaking the start.
Nevertheless, Cooper’s Export Roo maintains the overall lead, discarding the UFD penalty of 60 points for a net score of 16 points. In race four, the first of the day Export Roo placed ninth.

Results of today’s racing are provisional with several protests lodged between competitors and against the race committee’s decisions.

The UFD penalty has cut Export Roo’s overall lead from 13 at the end of day one to just five at the end of day two, with Marvel moving from tenth in standings to second with a fine day of sailing for a 2-1 result.

Third overall is another British boat, John Pollard’s Xcellent which today placed 14th and third, the 14th its drop race.

Australian SB20 champion Aeolus, skippered by Brett Cooper, had a great day on the water, winning race four and finishing a close second in race five. This, and the discard, has lifted Aeolus from 15th after day one to fourth overall.

Next best Australian boat is Greg Prescott’s 2Unlimited in sixth place, today notching up a 5-7 score.

Robin Follin, the French Youth Team skipper of Take Me 5 and winner of the Pre-Worlds, had two thirds today to be seventh overall but the top French team is Le Grand Reservoir/Mazet & A (Achille Nebout) in fifth place.

Provisionally, the top ten placings after two days and five of scheduled 12 races are:

1. Export Roo (Michael Cooper, AUS) 16 points (3-3-1-9-(60UFD)
2. Marvel (Richard Powell, GBR) 21 points (10-(32)-8-2-1)
3. Xcelllent (John Pollard, GBR) 27 points (6-12-6-(14)-3)
4. Aeolus (Brett Cooper, AUS) 30 points ((26)-16-11-1-2)
5. Le Grand Reservoir/Mazet & A (Achille Nebout, FRA) 31 points2-11-7-(25)-11)
6. 2Unlimited (Greg Prescott, AUS) 34 points ((25)-7-15-5-7)
7. Give Me 5 – French Youth Team (Robin Follin, FRA) 37 points ((60BFD)-8-3-3-23)
8. EOLIFT Racings (Hugo Feydit, FRA) 62 points (13-17-5-(23)-4)
9. Binn Edair (Cillian Dickson, IRE) 64 points (8-23-4-(24)-5
10. Honey Badger (Paul Burnell, AUS) 72 points (19-1-14-8-(3).

Xcellent heads the Masters scoring, Give Me 5 the Youth division and Essence of Athena (Clare Dabner) the six Women’s crews.

Two more days of racing remain with seven races scheduled.

Published in SB20

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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