SB20 Nationals: Royal St. George's 'Ted' Victorious in Challenging Conditions

15th September 2025

Afloat.ie Team

Team Ted SB20 National Champions (from left to right) Ben O’Donoghue (Crew), Davy Taylor (Crew), Ger Dempsey (Class Captain SB20 Ireland and Michael O’Connor (Helm)

Royal Irish Yacht Club Race Officer Michael Tyrrell demonstrated experience in delivering seven races for the 2025 SB20 Nationals in wild and wet conditions last weekend.

As Afloat reported earlier, the window to complete the race programme was shrinking fast, and ultimately, Sunday racing was cancelled, but not before a successful and competitive championship had been raced.

The Royal Irish Yacht Club hosted the event to their usual level of efficiency, both on the deck and in the bar, and the foreshortened event combined Saturday night entertainment with the prize-giving. A welcome relief to the exhausted fleet.

Michael O’Connor’s Ted brought all the speed from their recent European Championships bronze medal success, including a clean sweep of bullets to the national title. Tadgh Donnelly's crew secured the silver medal. Recently crowned European Masters Champion, Ger Dempsey, moved to the other end of the age spectrum, fielding a crew of Under 21s and taking the bronze.

Team venuesworld.com Gold Fleet Bronze: L-R Colin Galavan (Rear Commodore Sailing RIYC), Ayushmaan Yadav ( Crew), Conor Staunton (Crew), Ger Dempsey (Helm), Missing Rachel Flood (Crew)Team Rubadubdub Silver Fleet Winners: L–R Colin Galavan (Rear Commodore Sailing RIYC), Nick Doherty (Helm), Ger Dempsey (Class Captain SB20 Ireland), Gareth Nolan (Crew), Missing Conor O’Regan (Crew)

Incoming DBSC class captain Nick Doherty won the much-coveted Silver Fleet trophy, with Rebecca O’Shaughnessy taking the Lady’s trophy, and Conor Duffy was awarded the Under 18 trophy.

Race Results

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Published in SB20, RStGYC, 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