So UK Chairman and multiple times UK National Champion, Jerry Hill, become the 3rd SB3 World Champion, winning in convincing style from the 16 Nation all star fleet. Yet again Roger Hudson from South Africa had to settle for runner up, sailing with Ian Ainslie, and who would bet against him finally laying that one to rest in 2011. And what a sparkling perfomance from Team Saxton and Sarah Allen in 3rd and 4th slots.
 
It was an awesome week, with five days of great racing on the glorious Lake Garda, and with the growth in the Italian fleet, it looks good for years to come in the region, and Europe as a whole, for the SB3 fleet.
 
Attention now turns to May 2011, where the fleet turns to Torbay in the SW of England, for the battle for the 4th SB3 World Champion.
 
Expect big names, big fleets and above all, a big reception from the UK fleet, for what promises to be an amazing event, and who knows, despite home advantage, what are the chances of the UK sailors finally relinquishing the trophy they have held since its inception in 2008 in Dublin…….
 
Bring it on!!”

Dave Cheyne, President, World Council

With just 3 days left in the office until Cowes Week starts, I thought I’d drop you a note regarding a couple of points! (more…)

Date: Friday 23rd July 2010

Competitors took to Lake Garda this morning for races 13 and 14 of the Volvo Laser SB3 World Championships. The Gold Fleet to the Yellow/Torbole course and the Silver Fleet to the Blue/Riva course. The fleet was full of tired but determined faces as the fleets cast off the pontoons. Hill (GBR) and Burlton (GBR) both “appeared” remarkably cool going into the final day of racing, with just 4 crucial points separating them, it seems appearances were deceptive.

Conditions were lively on both race courses, with a constant 18 knots of wind at the start of racing. The Gold Fleet, enthusiastic as ever to get race 13 underway were recalled having jumped the line with 15 seconds to the gun. With the well worn black flag raised, and the course re-set after a 20 degree wind shift the Gold Fleet were underway for their penultimate race of the Championship. Ian Ainslie (RSA) and crew pulled out a great lead on the fleet in the first lap of the windward leeward course and finished the race over a minute ahead of Geoff Carveth (GBR) in second place. Jerry Hill (GBR) finished eighth, Luca Rodion (RUS) finished ninth and Craig Burlton (GBR) finished tenth. It was all to play for in the final race.

Yet again the fleet were recalled on the first attempt of starting the final race of the championships and only got away after the black flag was hoisted. The glorious Garda sunshine finally ran out as the fleet beat to the windward mark, the black clouds burst and the wind dropped to 8 knots and swung back 30 degrees. The Race Officer was in a quandary; finish the race in unstable conditions or shorten the course after the first lap? As the fleet were making their final approaches to the leeward gate, the race committee raised the Tango flag and signalled to the fleet to finish. Unfortunately for many of the fleet, the flag was not recognised and only a canny few held their kites and carried on to the finish line.

Adrian Peach, Niall Myant, Nathan Batchelor and Ian Mills (GBR) won the final race of the Championship. “I think that half the fleet didn’t read their sailing instructions! I was sailing with 3 coaches, who had ALL read the SI’s! My tactician, Nathan used to coach the Topper fleet, and immediately recognised the “T” flag!” explained Peach. “My son has been on the phone asking me to get him a bullet; I didn’t think it was going to be possible but it was a great way to finish the event!”

32 boats in the Gold Fleet did not react to the Tango flag and continued to sail the course leaving them outside the 15 minute time limit for the Championship and as a result added a “Did Not Finish” (DNF) results to their score sheet. As the fleet came ashore and realised their mistake, their faces feel and disappointment soared. A disappointing finish for many Championship campaigns.

Ben Saxton, Tim Saxton, Nicola Brook and Matt Rainback (GBR) the young crew onboard Rola-Trac were scored DNF in the final race, but in spite of this, finished the Volvo Laser SB3 World Championship in third place, a fantastic achievement considering this is the crew’s first season in the boat. Rola-Trac will be a boat to be watched in the future and we look forward to seeing them on the podium this evening.

Ian Ainslie, Roger Hudson and Adam Martin (RAS) from Proximo finished in second place. “A hatrick of second’s for me at the SB3 Worlds!” claimed Hudson. The South African’s are always a favourite at SB3 events, will their luck change in time for the UK Worlds?

After 14 races, with scores including 3, 5, 1, 4, 1, 11, 1, 1, 27, 18, 1, 2, 8, 9 Jerry Hill, Joe Lewellyn and Grant Rollerson (GBR) are World Champions in the Laser SB3 Class. Catching up with Jerry Hill after racing, he explained, “We’ve been fast all week and we’ve sailed really well together. We’ve had 5 first and lots of other top 5 results. Our problem at previous World Championships has been carrying “big results”. I have to admit, I was in pieces this morning and I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to hold it together, I really didn’t think I could cope. But we sailed really well today, we didn’t have a great start to the first race today, we found ourselves quite deep, but we pulled back places and managed to get in front of  Craig [Burlton].  Going into the last race we had 6 points on Craig [Burlton] and 8 points on Ian [Ainslie]. We sailed really well up wind and stayed with Ian [Ainslie] and Craig [Burlton]. At the leeward gate we saw the “T” flag, but also saw that nobody was going to the finish, so we headed up wind and tried to find the Sailing Instructions…they were soggy, but when we saw some of the back markers of the fleet sailing for the finish, we hoisted the chute. Our World Championship title rested on this decision. I am ecstatic that we were right and I am looking forward to celebrating tonight!”

The Silver Fleet is won by Vincenzo Graciotti who racked up an impressive 6 first places in the finals.

With 14 races completed and a great time had by all, the 2010 Volvo Laser SB3 World Championships concludes this evening with the prize giving ceremony at the Circolo Vela Torbole.

In 2011 the Laser SB3 World Championships will be hosted by the Royal Torbay Yacht Club, Torquay, UK from Monday 16th – Friday 20th May.

Championship website with full results, images and video can be found at: http://worlds2010.lasersb3.com

Date: Thursday 22nd July 2010
For races 10, 11 and 12 of the Volvo Laser SB3 World Championships the Gold Fleet moved to the winder Bravo Course underneath the Riva cliffs. With increased wind strengths of 20 knots, the Gold Fleet were in for some spectacular racing. With points separation tight at the top of the fleet, everyone left the dock looking for some success.

Consistency is often the key factor in Laser SB3 racing. Jerry Hill (GBR), Craig Burlton (GBR) and John Pollard (GBR) are testament to this. Each team carries some hefty discard results, but at present these three boats lead the gold fleet. Jerry Hill, Joe Llewellyn and Grant Rollerson currently hold a 4 point lead over Burlton and a 14 point lead over Pollard. Consistency for Hill will be key for the two final races of the Championship.

Both South African entries to the event lie in the top 10 leading into the final day of racing. Ian Ainslie, Roger Hudson and Adam Martin (RSA) on City of Cape Town lie fifth overall and David Hudson, David Rae, Marlon Jones and Roscoe Cupido (RSA) enjoyed a better day today onboard Spirit of Cape Town leaving them in tenth position. “We managed a repeat performance today of our results on the first day of racing, a first a second! Our tactics have been to take a mid line starts, gaining us clear air which seems to have benefitted us today. We’ve been the first boat onto port, and although we’ve had to duck a few boats on our way to the cliffs, it seems to have worked,” explained helm David Hudson. “Our crew had been working really hard. It is the first time that Roscoe has sailed a Laser SB3 which has been a great learning experience for him, he’s a regular Mirror sailor and will hopefully take his experience from this event to the Mirror World Championships.”

Luca Rodion, Oleg Zherebtsov, Maria Rudskaja and Alexander Lebedev had a difficult day today. After rounding the windward mark first in the final race of the day, they dropped to third position. Luca Rodion described his day, “We are really enjoying the Laser SB3, but we know that we have a lot to learn. Small things make a huge difference in this boat, especially in this wind. It’s great practice for us and we hope to have improved a lot more for the Worlds in 2011.” 

Vincenzo Graciotti had another great day in the Silver Fleet posting a 1, 1, 1. When asked as he came ashore if he’d had a good day he answered, “even better than yesterday!”

Ukrainian team, Transbunker, crewed by Valeri Polovoy, Valentin Klymentyer and Valdimir Stasiyk are showing their metal in the finals races of the silver fleet, scoring 4, 2, 4, 3, 2, 4. Having travelled for 4 days from the Ukraine the team are enjoying their sailing on Lake Garda, “We think the event is great, we are enjoying sailing in a big fleet but we didn’t expect so much wind, it’s not very common on the Black Sea.”

Tomorrow sees the final 2 races of the 2010 Volvo Laser SB3 World Championships. All eyes will be on the 3 leading GRB boats in the Gold Fleet.

Championship website: http://worlds2010.lasersb3.com

Date: Wednesday 21st July 2010

With last night’s protests completed, the Gold and Silver Fleets were decided for the Volvo Laser SB3 World Championships finals. A further 3 races were scheduled for each of the fleets today. All races were all completed taking the Championship race tally to 9. The Gold Fleet is incredibly strong, including many great sailors with past Laser SB3 pedigree as well as a number of strong contenders from the wider sailing world. The Silver Fleet may not be racing for the Waterford Championships Trophy, but do not be fooled, their fleet will be competitive to the very end.

On the third attempt, the Gold Fleet were successfully away under the fear of a black flag start. The majority of the fleet picked the left hand side of the course, but at the windward mark, the right hand side of the course had clearly paid.

UK Class Chairman, Jerry Hill (GBR) and his crew onboard 3 Sad Old Blokes notched up some great results for their first finals races taking bullets in the first and second races today. Hill lead to the first windward mark in each race and extended his lead on each leg. It was suggested to Hill that he had made it look easy to win those races, his response, “I’m sure we will make it look very hard before the end of the event!”

Geoff Carveth was back in race mode today, having suffered a broken rudder gudgeon yesterday. Ben Saxton and his young crew onboard Rola-Trac are enjoying great consistency during their first season in the Laser SB3, they’ve posted some excellent results so far and are certainly a boat to watch at this event and in the future.

Gill Race Team’s Craig Burlton, Steve ‘AB’ White and Adam Heeley (GBR) had a frustrating first race today, but managed to turn their success around with 2 second places in races 8 and 9. Steve ‘AB’ White said, “It was a tough day at the office today, very few boats managed consistency in all 3 races and only Sarah Allan (GBR) finished in the top 10 in each race. We seem to be a magnet to Luca Rodion (RUS), each race we are sailing in the same piece of water!” Burlton and Rodion lie first and second respective in the Gold Fleet, perhaps that is more of a reason for the 2 teams magnetism!

Boomsticks, helmed by Brian Reilly and crewed by brother Paul Reilly and John O’Dowd (IRL) had a successful day on the Silver Fleet race course finishing the day with a 2, 3, 1 to add to their results. Their closest competition appears to be the Italians onboard Bravi helmed by Vincenzo Graciotti who took two bullets and a fifth today.

Vincenzo Graciotti leads the Silver Fleet overnight, and claims, “I can compete in this fleet because I have silver hair! Today we wore our lucky bear t-shirts, perhaps tonight we will wash them and wear them again tomorrow!”

Championship website with results, images & video: http://worlds2010.lasersb3.com

Date: Tuesday 20th July 2010

With freshly split fleets, the Volvo Laser SB3 World Championship fleet took to the water at lunchtime for races 4, 5 and 6 of the Championship. The wind arrived from the south, as per schedule.

The fleet racing on Course Alpha split course sides on the first beat of the day. Those who picked the right hand side benefitted, Nick Phillip’s “Chaotic” (GBR) rounded the windward mark first and set off to dice with the windsurfers at the leeward gate. Carsten Kemmling (GER) sailing Else showed great pace today. As the fleet roared downwind for the 2nd time creating a wall of spray as the wind built, their faces said it all. With grins from ear to ear, these were perfect conditions for Laser SB3 sailing! Nick Philips capitalised on his great early lead to win the first race.

Course Bravo enjoyed stronger wind from the start of the day, and by the beginning of the second race, the wind had built to a consistent 18 knots. As soon as the fleet crossed the line, the race was on to hit the cliffs and start short tacking up the shoreline. As the fleet rounded the windward mark for the first time, there was much less separation of the fleet, than seen on Course Alpha.

Ian Ainslie (RSA) onboard Team Proximo sailed a perfect second race today. Ainslie started at the Committee Boat end of the line and quickly picked his way to the front of the fleet, where he stayed for the rest of the race. By the end of the second downwind leg of the race, Ainslie had extended his lead to a full leg; as he rounded the final leeward mark of the course and dropped his kite, the final boat was rounding the spreader mark at the top of the course. Impressive sailing after a difficult day yesterday, Team Proximo are back in contention for the Championships.

Course Alpha struggled with their starts today, due to the consistently shifting wind. Roberta Righetti finally raised a black flag on the final race of the day, following the fifth general recall in 2 races. “It was extremely difficult for the fleet with the shifting wind, with 1 minute and then 30 seconds to go before the start they were well behind the line and with just moments to go they were all taken over with a wind shift. That is why I continued to start the race with flag papa.

By the time the final race on Course Alpha was started the fleet from Course Bravo were already ashore enjoying some of the fantastic Torbole hospitality. Italian LaserPerformance dealer, Peitro Negri (ITA) and his crew onboard Stenghele won the final race of the day, the first win of the Championship for the host nation!

With the qualifying races of the Volvo Laser SB3 World Championships completed, the finals races begin tomorrow. Going into the finals, Craig Burlton (GBR) still leads the fleet, by 1 point. Jerry Hill (GBR) and Luka Rodion (RUS) both finish 6 races with 14 points, following 1 discard. They are split on count back with Hill in the lead.  The pressure is on at the top of the gold fleet. It will take mental strength as well as sailing skill to win this event.

Championship website: http://worlds2010.lasersb3.com

Date: Monday 19th July 2010

Racing got underway today for the Volvo Laser SB3 World Championships 2010 at Torbole on Lake Garda, Italy. Three races were scheduled on two race courses, Course Alfa “Torbole” (yell0w) and Course Bravo “Riva” (blue).

Watching the racing from the Committee Boat on Course Alpha, it was clear that the racing conditions were exactly as described in the brochure, “At 1230 hrs, the Ora wind will arrive from the south of the Lake”….and it did, enabling Principal Race Officer Roberta Righetti, to get the fleet away on time with a clear start. Course Brava started soon after, having suffered a slight delayed whilst the Race Committee struggled to anchor the pin end mark.

Typically for Course Alpha, the fleet bunched at the pin end of the start line, before heading off to hug the shore all the way to the windward mark. The same side of the course remained the favourite for downwind leg. Luca Bacci (ITA) rounded the windward mark in first place, and lead for the remainder of the race, extending his lead at times to over 150 metres as the wind built. Bacci (ITA) went on to win race 1 on Course A, followed by Sarah Allan (GBR), Craig Burlton (GBR) and Mark Rushall (GBR). All 3 boats all sponsored by Gill.

Course Bravo enjoyed, “Perfect Riva racing conditions” according to Jerry Hill (GBR) helm of 3 Sad Old Blokes. “With a 3, 5, 1 today the Sad Old Blokes have plenty to build on and Grunter (bowman Grant Rollerson) showed his grunt at the front of the ship.”

Team Proximo (RSA) helmed by Ian Ainslie suffered a broken pole during the first downwind leg of race 1 forcing them to sail without a pole for the rest of the race in which they still managed to finish second. Their subsequent results will be a disappointment to their event ambitions.

Current Laser SB3 World Champions Craig Burlton leads the fleet overnight. When ask how his day was he answered, “Hard, very hard. But great fun.”

Racing continues tomorrow when the fleets will split again onto the two courses, this time sorted by odd and even finishing position. For now, the crews return ashore happy after a great days competition to enjoy a feast of pasta and beer provided by Circolo Vela Torbole.

More tomorrow…

Championship website: http://worlds2010.lasersb3.com

Date: Saturday 17th July 2010
Racing for the 2010 Volvo Laser SB3 World Championships begins on Monday 19th July and runs until Friday 23rd July at Torbole on Lake Garda, Italy. 108 entries represent 16 nations. 2 fleets will compete in a minimum of 6 qualifying races, before splitting into Gold and Silver Fleets for the finals races. 14 races are scheduled for the Championships. Racing will start at 1300 hrs on Monday 19th July.
 
The Laser SB3 class last enjoyed international competition on Lake Garda in 2005 when the European Championships were hosted at neighbouring town, Riva del Garda. Judging by the size of the fleet that have travelled to compete in the 2010 Volvo Laser SB3 World Championships, the choice of location for this event was correct!

The majority of the 108 boat fleet have now arrived in Torbole and rigging, registration and launching are well underway in the soaring temperatures delivered by the heat wave that Europe is experiencing.

The inevitable discussion of the favourite for the Championships Title is rife. There is talent a plenty and nobody is willing to place their life savings on an easy champion. Craig Burlton and crew, having recently won the Italian National Championship in Torbole, will defend his 2009 World Championships title. Geoff Carveth, 2008 Laser SB3 World Champion returns to the fleet in 2010. Russia is represented by Rodin Luca of 49er class fame. Luca recently made his presence felt in the Laser SB3 class at the Euro Cup hosted by the Ecole Navale at Morgat in France. Roger Hudson and Ian Ainslie join forces in one of the two South African “Race Ahead” boats, with the hope of glory in 2010, Roger having finished in second position at both of the previous world championships.

One practice race is scheduled for Sunday [tomorrow] at 1500 hrs leaving enough time for final preparations and those arriving late to switch into World Championship race mode in the morning.

One thing is certain, the competition will tough from the first to the last race and consistency will be crucial for the top boats.

A report and the results will be sent daily. Stay tuned to watch the action unfold.

Championship website: http://worlds2010.lasersb3.com

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SB3 Hamilton Island, Australia - Sunshine Coast female skipper Lauren Calder will again test her one-design racing skill against a formidable fleet during the Audi Hamilton Island Race Week SB3 class championship next month.

Lauren and her all female crew have built a respectable reputation from the important experience gained from competing at the 2009 World championship in Portugal and the 2010 Audi Australian championship at Port Stephens in April.

Racing in a fleet dominated by physically stronger all male crews has become a career ‘benchmark’ for the Audi Girls who have made their presence felt with encouraging top of the fleet race results in major championships and were encouraged with their mid-fleet scorecard at the Australian championship.

They understand their racing role will generally always fall into playing ‘catch up’ but this has not affected their overwhelming enthusiasm which is evidenced in all of their races.

The strict class rules and clone nature of the SB3 provide all crews with an equal opportunity but the longer stronger and heavier hiking power of the male crews generally means the difference in results favouring the male crews in the stronger winds.

However both skipper Lauren Calder and her crew are not about to give up and treat every struggle in moderate to fresh winds as another step towards narrowing the gap.

Sailing the SB3 combines all aspects of sailing skill with the combination between helming, crew sail handling technique and race strategy making the difference between competing at the front of the fleet or faced with trying to maintain a competitive speed at the back of the fleet.

Racing in a one design class is demanding but it is rewarded with a high level of excitement and fellowship where the top crews freely offer their experience to improve the standard of fleet racing.

The Audi Girls racing team will again be exposed to another physically demanding challenge when face up against a very competitive fleet in the Audi Hamilton Island Race Week championship from August 21-28.

They have never raced at Hamilton Island before and understand it will be a different challenge particularly when they line up to contest the best position on the start line against class mentor and dual Audi Australian IRC champion Rod Jones and local Australian Sailboard champion Dennis Winstanley.

Winstanley is new to the class while Rod Jones is expected to be the pacesetter in what promises to become a highlight of the multi-class championship regatta.

Meanwhile Lauren Calder and the Mooloolaba based Oceanburo SB3 racing fleet will continue with the female program.

‘We are looking for female sailors who are dedicated to improving their skills all they need is to know the basics’.

‘The benefits and opportunities are endless with the exposure to compete at the 2012 World Championship in Geelong as a career goal’. Rod Jones said.