Apologies, due to delay in results posting, Celox Sailing were incorrectly congratualted for winning the Laser SB3 class in the Round the Island Race. Congratualtions to Ash Holmes/Phil Devereux.

Congratualtions to Celox Racing (AUT 3551) skippered by Peter Farbowski in the 80th Round the Island Race! It have been an incredibly windy race, and a number of boats either did not start the race or retired during the race.

Celox Racing completed the 50 nautical mile course in 07:51:40. Congratulations to the crew!

Full results of the Laser SB3 class in the Round the Island Race can be seen here

SPINNAKER TALES by Ian Grant

OceanBuro performance sailing and Maroochy Sailing Club have combined their resources to host the important SB3 Wintersun championship on the open offshore course off Mooloolaba next month.

The present Flag Officers of the Maroochy Sailing Club which has the proud history of promoting dingy sailing on the tricky Sunshine Coast estuary for the past 52 years have issued the Notice Of Race which has attracted entries from Hobart, Sydney, Newcastle, Bowen and Sunshine Coast crews.

Heading the small but impressively competitive fleet will be the specialist Middle Harbour Yacht Club skipper and Montreal Olympic Bronze Medallist Ian Brown and his One Design Racing team while Rod Jones who finished 4th in the 2011 World Championship in England returns to the tiller of Club Marine.

“Glenn Bourke our World championship skipper is unavailable so I will get the chance to ‘drive’ again”. Rod Jones said.

However Rod Jones the only skipper to win two Audi Australian IRC ocean racing championships is an ideal deputy having the personal versatility to be an equally proficient crew member after he combined with Glenn Bourke and Greg MacAllansmith to record the best ever result by an Australian crew in the recent SB3 World championship.

Close tactical racing for the SB3 Wintersun trophy will become a family affair for Rod Jones and Greg MacAllansmith when they combine their experience to encourage their sons Luc Jones and Joel MacAllansmith to enjoy their initial introduction to one design fleet racing with and against a number of Australia’s high profile sailors.

For 9 year old Optimist dinghy sailor Luc Jones the youngest sailor it will mean the first step of following his father’s footsteps.

Interest will also focus on the talented Queensland Academy of Sport Laser skipper Klade Hauschildt when he contests his first major SB3 regatta with Maroochy River sailors Toby and John Pearce.

This trio of individually clever sailors face the task of overcoming the important class racing experience but the nominated skipper Klade Hauschildt who is ranked among the best in Australian Olympic class racing is expected to make up any shortfall in boat speed with his proven tactical strategy.

However the career results of Ian Brown supported with the class racing experience of his One Design Sailing crew suggests they will start as the regatta favourite closely followed by Mooloolaba helmsman Phil Gray in Dulon Polish, Rod Jones Club Marine and Klade Hauschildt OceanBuro 1.

This will be the first of a series of regattas off Mooloolaba which will provide the Australian fleet with the vital opportunities to improve their boat speed and crew technique in preparation to be on the pace for the World championship at Hamilton Island in December 2012.

Ian Grant

The Academy Sprint Cup  – Sunday 3rd to Tuesday 5th July 2011          
 
-           Racing on Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 July
-           Up to eight fleet races a day
-           Max 30 minutes a race
-           Laser SB3s supplied or bring your own
-           Quick turnarounds
-           Great competition
-           BBQ on Sunday 3 July – tickets on the day
-           Party with Disco, activities and curry INCLUDED FOR COMPETITORS on Monday 4 July.  All welcome.
-           J/80 Class too – six entries needed.
-           Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions on www.royal-southern.co.uk .
 
ENTER NOW: REDUCED ‘EARLY BIRD’ FEES FOR ENTRY BY 13 JUNE
AT LEAST TWO CREW MEMBERS MUST BE 18-25 (See NOR)
 
THE ROYAL SOUTHERN ACADEMY: GREAT SAILING.  GREAT PARTIES.  SEE YOU THERE!
 
To enter please download and complete the entry form below. Please return your form to the Sailing Office

Royal Southern Academy Sprint Cup NOR 2011
Royal Southern Academy Sprint Cup Entry Form 2011

And so, off we set, a mini armada heading to the deep west, only it only took 5 hrs from Belfast, and presumably a little less from Dublin. Getting to SB3 events in Ireland is getting so easy,there really is no excuse to miss them. With a promise of 12-18 knots building over the weekend from the perfect direction of North, blowing off the Atlantic into Tralee Bay, all was set for a beautiful weekend.

As always with such awesome forecasts, we awoke to no breeze and fog, and a chance to go back to bed for a couple of hours / faff with our boats for a little more. Extra time was facilitated by the fastest craning I have witnessed, less than 10 seconds from trailer to sea, clearly a fleet of a hundred would be no challenge to the Fenit Marina crane driver, and service with a smile too.

After a delay of a few hours, the wind filled, swung around a bit and finally settled in Mr Darcy’s favour and old peg leg set the pace to win from Rob Howe. Sean Craig took race two, Kiwi Ben race three (though he had to share it with Pete Kennedy, who had a little finish line schamozzle with Sean, resulting in him not finishing, nor Sean for that matter, and the subsequent gentlemanly gesture of Sean resulting in him lending his boat to Pete’s team for the Sunday. Chapeaux Sean Craig, and his team of Stephen and Ronan, who were relegated to a heavy imbibement scenario for Saturday night. Some confusion at the start of race 4 saw Rob Howe nip off into an early lead and adding a race win to give him the overnight lead.

Saturday evening saw some jocularity in the Yacht Club with some fine food and wine, expensive imports at that, and some big shapes on the dance floor from the very talented all rounder, Marty Cuppage. Paul McMahon won a prize for his endeavours too, best ask him why.

So a slightly tired fleet struggled out of the marina and round the corner for race 5, only to have all memories of the previous nights joviality swiftly erased by a glorious F4 and sunshine, now with some tasty little 3-4 foot ramps to play with. Pete K showed repaid Sean’s kindness by taking the other half of the crash to victory after hooking into a nice lefty and extending to the finish, then Ben Duncan, having finished his film making duties, romped home for a win in the final race.

So a wonderful romp in the Atlantic came to an end, with thoughts of Galway 3 weeks hence to keep the smiles going, and a fine burger at the Club in the sun to cap it off, life was good for the merry band of travellers.

We’ve got it all over here in Ireland, spoilt rotten, and so we should be, we deserve it. Great thanks to Tralee Bay Sailing Club, terrific and very capable hosts, with the infrastructure to easily host a National Championships for us in the future – we’ll be back!

For the record, after everyone had a go on the top of the podium, Pete K was given the trophy, with Rob Howe in second, by a point from Kiwi and Brian Riley in fourth.

Shifting up a gear in the 2011 event.
 
Featuring 4 days of races, 112 participants, 106 yachts ranked, 89 races launched across 11 series, 3 race zones in a single day, split between 4 different fleets, harbour courses, 1 long coastal course around the Baie de Seine and 1 offshore course for the M34s, things certainly shifted up a gear in Normandy Sailing Week 2011!
 
The event enjoyed some extremely varied weather conditions, ranging from very light airs to a moderate gale involving winds of up to 30 knots during the nocturnal element of the offshore race for the M34s; the first test in real conditions for the new Tour de France à la Voile craft.
 
Added to this were 3 big nights on shore in Le Havre’s sailing clubs, which gave all the competitors a chance to get together to enjoy the festivities in a cosmopolitan atmosphere made up of around ten different nationalities, including a strong British contingent.
 
A firm foothold in Le Havre and a demonstration of the sporting potential of the event were the most striking elements of this 2011 edition.
 
Honours go to the different winners from each class (see list below) and we extend our sincere gratitude to the teams from the local marina and the sporting organisation, the umpires from the FFVoile (French Sailing Federation) and the volunteers from the clubs in Le Havre (Centre Nautique Paul Vatine (Paul Vatine Watersports Centre) – Société des Régates du Havre (Le Havre Société des Régates) – Sport Nautique et Plaisance du Havre), who were coordinated by the Upper Normandy Sailing League, with the support of the UNCL and the FFVoile.
 
The event would not have been possible without the support of our media partners (Groupe Presse Normande (Norman Press Group) – France Bleu Haute-Normandie – France 3 Normandie – Voiles et Voiliers – Sport + ) and the economic world, the Official Partners Caisse d’Epargne Normandie and Audi Auto Concept, as well as all the official suppliers.
 
A 2012 EDITION ALREADY LAUNCHED
 
Thanks to renewed commitment from the Town of Le Havre, the event’s major partner, Normandy Sailing Week is already in a position to announce the dates for the 2012 edition, from Thursday 7 to Sunday 10 June. The next edition will stick with the traditional formula of a first day dedicated to the M34s, the event again set to be part of the French Crewed Offshore Racing Championship, and 3 days of racing from Friday 8 to Sunday 10 June for all the other series.
 
After a very restrictive slot in this year’s racing calendar, 2012 has a considerably more favourable outlook with several weeks separating the Le Havre event from the other sailing events of that period (Grand Prix de l’Ecole, Grand Prix du Crouesty and Grand Prix de la Côte d’Opale). Furthermore, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Cowes-Deauville race, a joint collaboration between the Royal Ocean Racing Club (R.O.R.C), the Deauville Yacht Club and Normandy Sailing Week will enable crews on the English IRC racer-cruisers to race a comprehensive programme with an offshore race on 1 June (Cowes / Deauville) followed by a few lively days of racing on French waters from Friday 8 June (Normandy Sailing Week).
 
Great things are expected of 2012 then, with considerable development in prospect for the 7th edition of the great Norman meeting!
 
 
RELIVE THE 2011 EVENT at www.normandy-week.com

14th June 2011

COYCH, Hyeres, France has been chosen as the venue for the 2013 Laser SB3 World Championships which will be held in September. This is an exciting time for the Laser SB3 class in France as ownership of boats and racing activity is on the increase. Edward Russo, newly appointed President of the Laser SB3 World Council, has been the driving force re-igniting the Laser SB3 Class in France, and was delighted that the 2013 World Championships will take place in France where the potential for growth of the class is significant.

COYCH was founded in 1982 and is affiliated to the French Sailing Federation. COYCH boasts a highly qualified technical staff and secretariat, with a high level of experience in running world class events. Further news and developments about COYCH can be followed on their website: www.coych.org.

In recent years, the Laser SB3 Class has received numerous requests from Yacht Clubs in sailing hot spots around the World to host the classes World Championships. Bid documents are completed by interested Clubs and submitted to the Laser SB3 World Council for review and debate. It’s never an easy task for the World Council members choosing from such high calibre invitations, but the acid test for decision making is whether the venue will deliver a high number of entries for a Championship as was the case for the last two Championships: 107 boats at Lake Garda in 2010 and 103 boats at Torquay UK. “With the proximity of strong Italian fleet, with 35 Laser SB3 and the Portugese fleet with 30 Laser SB3, as well as the attraction of the Côte d’Azur in late summer, Hyeres was the best choice for the Laser SB3 class,” explained Russo.

Ahead of the 2013 World Championships in Hyeres, the Laser SB3 Fleet will compete at a European Championships in Medemblik, Netherlands, 1-7 September 2012 followed by the World Championships at Hamilton Island, Australia, 13-20 December 2012.

With 40 hulls currently in production, the Laser SB3 continues to grow strongly around the world.

The Laser SB3 class provides low cost, high intensity, big fleet racing and attracts some of the most recognisable names in sailing today.

With the World and European Championships calendar set for the next two years, the Laser SB3 continues to be the boat to be sailing.