SB20 Ireland Season Preview

12th February 2019

SB20 sailing on Dublin Bay Credit: Afloat.ie

SB20 Ireland Class President Colin Galavan introduces the 2019 Sportsboat season

SB20 Class Dinner

The class dinner will be held on Saturday the 6th April 2019.

The venue will be the Royal Irish Yacht Club and there will be prizes to award and an update for you on the Class news. It is a great occasion to get reacquainted with fellow crew members and make plans for the season ahead.

Please book directly with the catering office at [email protected] or by phone at 01-2809452 ext 1. Meet in the bar from 19.00 hrs onwards.

Dinner commences at 20.00 hrs

SPRING WARMER - HYC
The sailing season commences on the 6th April with the Spring Warmer in Howth Yacht Club. It will be held on the following weekends 6th, 13th & 27th April.

19th - 22nd April is Easter weekend.

EAST COAST CHAMPIONSHIPS - HYC
Our first regional event of 2019 will be our East Coast Championships and it will be on the 4th - 5th May. As you will recall HYC are fantastic at running terrific racing for the class and we look forward to returning to the 'north side'. I am delighted to confirm that Richard Kissane will be our Race Officer for the event.

Nationals Trophy Found

A magnificent trophy was purchased and presented to the class by the NYC in 2007. It subsequently went missing in action until now.

I am delighted to confirm that it has been found and will be on display at the Class dinner.

It is a very valuable trophy and we are delighted to have it back. It will be presented to the winners of the National Championships 2019, whoever that may be.

Change of Ownership

There has been some movement in the class over the winter months.

- Charlotte O'Kelly has acquired Kenneth Rumball (et al)'s boat (Sneaky B) and will be sailing from the National Yacht Club.

- Donie Hegarthy & Eoin Leahy have acquired Roger Bannon's boat (Artful Dodger) and will be sailing from Lough Ree YC

- Rumour has it, Mary O'Loughlin & Johnnie Grey (Grey Matter) will make a return to racing this year.

- Diana Kissane beat the transfer window and signed a new contract (for an undisclosed sum) to drive for John Malone (Provident CRM) for the season and will sail under the burgee of Lough Ree YC.

- Ben Adair will be sailing, part-time from Lough Ree YC. Allegedly the interview process continues for the vacant position at the bow.

- Michael O'Connor has take a breather from sailing this season (not just to give the rest of us a chance) but as his boat 'SINBIN' emigrated to Portugal. We will be watching SINBINs results carefully, to see if the new owners can emulate the success of Michael & his crew. No chance.

DBSC Class Captain

Your new class captain for the 2019 season in Dublin Bay Sailing Club is Pat O'Brien.

Pat hails from the RStGYC and sails 'Sunday Brunch' along with his partner in crime Dave Dwyer. There are a few changes to the format in Dublin Bay and Pat will enlighten you in due course.

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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