O'Connor and Dowling Share Six Points Each After Three Races Sailed at the SB20 Nationals

20th September 2024

Aidan O’Connell's Ruby Blue (3054) of the Royal Irish Yacht Club rounds ahead of James Gorman's Black (3737) at the Royal St. George Yacht Club hosted SB20 National Championships 2024 on Dublin Bay Credit: Tomasz Szpadrowski

Defending champion Michael O'Connor leads on countback after three races sailed at the Royal St. George Yacht Club hosted SB20 National Championships 2024.

O'Connor did not have everything his own way in the 10-knot northeasterly conditions. He won only one race and finished the day with six points, like Royal Irish's Jerry Dowling on Bád/Kilcullen, who won race two in the 20-boat fleet.

Lying third on 17 points is Patrick McGrath's The Big Smoke from the host club.

There were some tight starts, with one general recall followed by a U flag - and one UFD - under Race Officer Barry O'Neill.

Racing continues on Saturday when the fleet shares the Dublin Bay race track with the penultimate DBSC Saturday racing of 2024 and the Flying Fifteen East Coast Championships, as WM Nixon describes here.

O'Neill will try to get four races in on Saturday and three on Sunday to make the ten-race championships.

Race Results

You may need to scroll vertically and horizontally within the box to view the full results

Published in SB20, RStGYC

Published in SB20

Tagged under

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