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Dowling's Bad/Kilcullen is SB20 Super Series Winner at Dun Laoghaire

11th July 2024
The SB20 Venuesworld won the ‘Best One Design Salver’ at the RIYC regatta. Pictured (left to right) are crew Rory Groves, Tom Flannery, Tim Carpenter (Commodore RIYC), Chris Nolan, Colin Galavan (Rear Commodore Sailing RIYC) and skipper Ger Dempsey
The SB20 Venuesworld won the ‘Best One Design Salver’ at the RIYC regatta. Pictured (left to right) are crew Rory Groves, Tom Flannery, Tim Carpenter (Commodore RIYC), Chris Nolan, Colin Galavan (Rear Commodore Sailing RIYC) and skipper Ger Dempsey

As the Dun Laoghaire Harbour waterfront regatta season comes to an end, the winner of the 2024 SB20 Super Series has been crowned.

Despite home club wins for James Gorman at NYC, Ger Dempsey at RIYC and Michael O’Connor at RStGYC, the overall winner of the Super Series, with second place in each of the three qualifying regattas, is Jerry Dowling’s Bad/Kilcullen (RIYC).

The SB20 class fielded double-digit fleets across all the regattas, resulting in Ger Dempsey's Venuesworld winning the ‘Best One Design Salver’ at the RIYC regatta.

The SB20 National Championships will be held at the Royal St George Yacht Club from September 20 to 22, 2024.

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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