The National Yacht Club, host of the inaugural SB3 World Championships, has today launched a dedicated website for the event.

Bookmark sb3worlds2008.com

NATIONAL YACHT CLUB SCOOPS FIRST LASER SB3 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Dublin Bay will be the venue for the first ever World Championships for the sensational Laser SB3 Sportboats – the world’s fastest growing keelboat.

The National Yacht Club will run the event next September and the huge fleet of 120 boats will be the largest ever assembled in Irish waters for a one-design keel boat event.

NYC Commodore Con Murphy spoke of the significance of the event and it’s status in international sailing: “The SB3 is an out and out racing boat which has had explosive growth since it began in 2000. There are now 400 boats worldwide – raced by many national champions and Olympic sailors. This is the hottest boat in international racing and we are delighted to be the first country and club to host their world championships”.

The Championships are expected to be an Open event and competitors will be travelling from all over the world. Strong teams will travel from the Middle East, USA and as far away as Australia and New Zealand as well as many European countries.

There are still some details to be sorted as event Chairman Rory Byrne explained: “We will be seeking a commercial sponsor for the event and are having discussions with a number of firms and expect to make an announcement at the end of January. Logistically to cater for a fleet of 120 wet sailing boats will take some planning – but we are getting great support from many organisations. It will be the best single make sailing championship ever run in Dublin Bay”

Formal “Notice of Race” will be published at the end of January 2008.

LASER SB3 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2008

National Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire
20 – 26 September 2008

Programme

Saturday 20 Sept – Arrival, Registration, Measurement

Sunday 21 Sept – Registration, Measurement
Practice race
Opening ceremony 1800

Monday 22 Sept – 3 races

Tuesday 23 Sept – 3 races

Wednesday 24 Sept – 3 races

Thursday 25 Sept – 3 races

Friday 26th Sept – 2 races
Prize giving and closing ceremony

Members gathered at the Royal Irish Yacht Club on Saturday, 10 November.

Documents distributed (pdf files):

2007 AGM agenda

2007 Rankings

2007 Event Notes

Notes for PRO’s

Proposed SB3 Ireland Constitution

New committee:

Chair — Eoin Leahy

Vice Chair / Treasurer — Joe Hughes

Southern Fleet — Ronan Collins

Northern Fleet — Dave Cheyne

Midlands Fleet — Donal Herraghty

Howth Fleet — Mike Evans

Dun Laoghaire Fleet — Jerry Dowling

The LASER SB3 is granted ISAF recognition during the ISAF Conference in Estoril, Portugal.  Performance Sailcraft Europe Ltd (PSE) and the Laser SB3 Class Association are delighted to announce the Laser SB3 has been granted ISAF recognised status.

As the class continues it phenomenal growth worldwide so does the competitiveness of the fleet, and with ISAF’s knowledge and experience in helping emerging classes it will be a great benefit to the Class Association and the future of the Laser SB3.

PSE have produced over 400 boats to date, and the Laser SB3 is now established in 7 countries, including, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Italy, and Australia. With the acquisition of Vanguard Sailboats in the USA, the Laser SB3 is now being launched across North America.

In 2008 the Laser SB3 Inaugural World Championships will be held in Dublin, from September 21-26 at the National Yacht Club. Tim Bourke, Laser SB3 Ireland Chairman, comments “From a standing start in 2006 the LASER SB3 is now Ireland’s most successful keelboat class ever. Hosting the inaugural LASER SB3 World Championships for up to 120 boats in 2008 will be the highlight of this adventure for the class. The Dublin event should be a pretty good party too!!”

David Graham Managing Director of PSE quotes; “2007 has been a spectacular year for the LASER SB3 with the biggest entry ever at Skandia Cowes Week, with 98 boats competing, The Volkswagen Touareg King of Cowes, fantastic Europeans at Weymouth, new districts worldwide emerging and sailors from all continents joining the class; ISAF recognition is the icing on the cake”’.

Daniel Geoghegan, Laser SB3 Class World Council President, who was in Portugal for the conference commented that: “The acceptance of the Laser SB3 by ISAF in such a short period since inception shows the success of the class. The growth of the fleet international and with big names in the world of sailing competing in the boats regularly demonstrates the appeal of the boat in the one design concept.”