O’Connor's TED Leads SB20 Irish Nationals After Day One at Royal Irish Yacht Club

12th September 2025

Afloat.ie Team

Michael O’Connor's TED leads after day one of the SB20 National Championships in Dublin Bay Credit: Afloat

Defending champion Michael O’Connor’s TED holds a commanding lead after day one of the SB20 National Championships in Dublin Bay.

Sailing for the Royal St. George Yacht Club, O’Connor and crew, Davy Taylor and Ben O’Donoghue, who won bronze medals at the European championships in Belgium three weeks ago, are still in top form, posting three race wins and a second-place finish, leaving them on just three nett points once the discard was applied.

Fiachra McDonnell’s The Big Smoke, also representing RStGYC, shares second with nine points after a consistent showing. McDonnell was the top Irish performer at the ILCA Under 21 Worlds on Dublin Bay a fortnight ago. Also on nine is Tadgh Donnelly’s Leviathan in third.

Rubyblue, helmed by Aidan O’Connell from the Royal Irish Yacht Club, rounds out the top four with 10 points.

Strong southwest winds were gusty and shifty, but Race Officer Michael Tyrrell completed a full programme of races in a course set up in the vicinity of DBSC's Middle mark.

Racing continues across the weekend with 14 boats competing. The Royal Irish Yacht Club hosts the event.

Full results (below) remain provisional as of 18:51 on 12 September 2025.

Race Results

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

Published in SB20, Royal Irish Yacht Club

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