SB3's in the King of COwes

The 2008 Volkswagen Touareg King of Cowes at Skandia Cowes Week exploded into life today with three glorious races sailed in conditions ranging from eighteen up to twenty five knots. As the wind whistled around the Cowes Yacht Haven, there were lots of nervous faces amongst the twenty nine teams who gathered at eight o'clock this morning for the official briefing from race officer Tony Lovell. The racecourse was set in the lee of the land in Osborne Bay to provide the competitors with some shelter from the forecasted steadily increasing breeze and the fleets' sleigh ride journey down there gave several of the 2007 Cowes Week class winning helms their first true experience of the SB3 downwind at speed.

As the fleet hit the line for the start of race one, first to show at the pin end were RS K6 Class winner Richard Talbot, Victory representative John Tremlett and Dragon Class winner David Palmer. As the fleet approached the windward mark the racing could not have been closer with the top fifteen boats rounding in a tight pack, headed by 1720 representative Mark Greenaway. Most of this leading bunch chose to continue on starboard allowing Ian Kirkpatrick from the IRC6 class to take the initiative by gybing on the mark and heading out into the stronger breeze on the left. This tactical call rocketed him from tenth to first at the leeward mark. Also making big gains on the downwind leg were Graham Bailey from the Etchells Class and the Daring Class's Giles Peckham. At the finish, Ian Kirkpatrick had extended on the fleet to pull off an impressive race win. Graham Bailey came through second having managed to hold off a fierce attack from Giles Peckham on the final downwind leg.

The breeze had notched up a couple of clicks for the second race and it was the Dragon fleet's David Palmer who having started at the pin end of the line found himself leading the fleet at the windward mark. Having learned their lesson from the first race, almost the entire fleet gybed immediately at the weather mark. The SB3 fleet all under gennaker was a spectacular sight as the boats blasted downwind totally obscured by spray. Victory Class helm John Tremlett had the bit firmly between his teeth and closed the gap on David Palmer sufficiently to be able take advantage of a poor drop at the leeward mark. Having taken the lead John Tremlett was never challenged and went on to win the race from Mark Greenaway who slipped past David Palmer on the final downwind to take second.

At this point in the proceedings Graham Bailey from the Etchells Class on six points, held a three point lead over Giles Peckham (Daring Class) and Mark Greenaway (1720 Class) who were tied on nine points.

The wind was up to a steady twenty five knots for the start of the final race which was sailed around a round the cans course finishing off Cowes. At the windward mark Glynn Williams from the IRC 2 Class rounded just ahead of Giles Peckham, Russell Mead (Hunter 707) and David Palmer. On the downwind leg these four were engaged in a high speed battle for the lead which culminated in Russell Mead rounding the leeward mark just ahead of Glynn Williams. On the next beat Giles Peckham demonstrated blistering pace to move into first place and as he set off down a tight two sail reach to the next mark he was followed by JohnTremlett (Victory), Glynn Williams and Russell Mead (Hunter 707).

On the next long beat to the Gurnard Buoy, Mark Greenaway kept his podium aspirations alive by moving from sixth up to second. The final leg to the finish just outside the mouth of the Medina River saw the leaders pass the Royal Yacht Squadron at full chat and clearly at the limits of control. Giles Peckham successfully held his nerve to take the gun and was quickly followed by Mark Greenaway in second with John Tremlett coming through third.

When the results were calculated, Giles Peckham's impressive 3,6,1 scoreline had secured him an overall win and the title of 2008 Volkswagen Touareg King of Cowes at Skandia Week. Only a single point behind in second was Mark Greenaway and Graham Bailey's fourth in the final race was enough to earn him a well deserved third place overall.

At this evening's prizegiving, held at a packed Volkswagen Touareg hospitality stand, Giles Peckham along with his winning crew, boat owner Craig Burlton and bowman Steve White was officially announced as the winner of the 2008 Volkswagen Touareg King of Cowes. Giles was also presented with the keys to a brand new Volkswagen Touareg and Craig received a voucher for a Mark Warner family sailing holiday. The Nexus Marine award for most passionate performance of the regatta went to Mark Greenaway, in recognition of his amazing comeback in the final race, which saw him move from almost last at the first mark, to second at the finish.

2008 Coastal Living Newport Regatta a Hit for Laser SB3 Class.

Great conditions and top competition at the 2008 Coastal living Newport Regatta for the first Laser SB3 North American event.

The class saw eight entries at this first North American SB3 regatta and some top talent on the boats with Dave Dellenbaugh, John Loe, Val Smith, David Reed and LaserPerformance’s own Team Maclaren US to name a few. With close racing, tight mark roundings and speedy downwind legs, the sailors got to experience all the SB3 has to offer in a regatta setting. Conditions varied from 8-12 knots on Saturday which tested the competitor’s strategy and tactics on the boat. Sunday’s 15-20 knots tested boat handling and the crew’s ability to control the boat in the stronger winds and bigger seas. “The boat is unbelievable - being able to sail 6.5 knots upwind without hiking, and then turning the mark and blasting off downwind with the chute up is awesome!” said John Loe, skipper of second place SB3 #3460.

The SB3 was designed for just that type of sailing. The Laser SB3 is a 20 foot one-design sportboat being introduced to the North American market by LaserPerformance, formerly Vanguard Sailboats. Already a hit overseas, the SB3 class has attracted top sailors from around the world. With 150 boats competing in the 2008 World Championships in Ireland it is only a matter of time before North America catches up. Support for the class is coming from manufacturer LaserPerformance, as well as Selden Mast, Inc. which provided additional support for the Coastal Living Newport Regatta.

A regatta report and photos will be posted on the LaserPerformance website, www.laserperformance.com. The website is also host to additional information on the SB3 and links to the international SB3 class website.

For additional information on the Coastal Living Newport Regatta and full race report please visit the organizers website at: www.sailnewport.org


LaserPerformance is the steward of some of sailing’s most recognized brands including Laser, Sunfish, 420, and Sailing World’s Boat of the Year – the Laser SB3. LaserPerformance products are actively sold and sailed in over 40 countries worldwide. For more information on the Laser SB3 and LaserPerformance please visit: www.laserperformance.com.

Event photos for media use, additional photos available from LaserPerformance upon request:

King of Cowes racing in SB3's

The announcement of the helm and owner pairings for the 2008 Volkswagen Touareg King of Cowes at Skandia Cowes Week regatta on Friday 1 August, has provoked speculation, heated discussion and even argument amongst the UK's sailing community. Everyone has their favourites and their own opinion on who the 'dream teams' might turn out to be. One thing is clear however, predicting a winner at this early stage is simply impossible.

Just as last year, the 2008 Volkswagen Touareg King of Cowes at Skandia Cowes Week will be an exciting, three race shoot out, sailed in Laser SB3's - the UK's most dynamic one design class. This unique event pits the major class winners at Skandia Cowes Week 2007 in a head to head battle for a chance to be crowned as 2008 King of Cowes and to pocket the keys to a shiny new Volkswagen Touareg into the bargain.

2007 Volkswagen Touareg King of Cowes at Skandia Cowes Week winner, Xtreme 40 Catamaran helmsman Alistair Richardson, had this to say about his experience: 'What an event! The concept is simple but brilliant - invite the winners, level the playing field and let battle commence. Despite the enormous logistics Volkswagen Touareg pulled it off with sheer class. The standard in 2008 looks to be extremely high as all the helms are already used to winning. Good luck to everyone who is competing.'

Following on from Gabby Logan's participation last time, to add to the excitement this year, there will be no less than three celebrities taking part in the racing. Kirsty Gallacher, Colin Jackson and Jonathan Edwards will be competing at their first ever competitive sailboat regatta. All three have recently taken part in an intensive one-day training session, courtesy of the LaserPerformance coaching team. Under the watchful tutorage of experienced SB3 helmsman Jono Shelley, of Team Touareg, the celebs were given a crash course on the theory of sportsboat racing followed by an action packed on the water session, where they were introduced to the concepts of tacking and gybing along with the pitfalls involved in hoisting and retrieving the SB3's huge gennaker. To round off their day, the celebrity yachties got a chance to put their newly acquired skills into practice, with a short windward leeward race. The coaches all commented on the high level of commitment and enthusiasm shown by the trio of the celebrities. Colin Jackson, in particular, showed considerable aptitude during spinnaker hoists - powering the sail to the top of the mast quicker than some seasoned professionals. All three are said to be looking forward to getting to know their teams and for the chance to compete for real on the day.

Unfortunately, Glenn Bourke, who won the Laser SB3 Class at Skandia Cowes Week last year, will not be able to compete at Volkswagen Touareg King of Cowes at Skandia Cowes Week this time, but sends his best wishes to all the competitors. 'I am extremely sad that pressure of work means I will not now be able to take part in this year's Volkswagen Touareg King of Cowes at Skandia Cowes Week. Last year's event was fantastic fun and I was very much looking forward to competing again, but I would like to take this opportunity to wish all the competitors good luck for what I am sure will be another great day.'

Since the pairings announcement, most owner/helm combinations have been in close contact, formulating potential strategies and discussing their training plans. None more so than legendary one design sailor Geoff Carveth, paired with Cork 1720 class winner Mark Greenway. Carveth who has both National and European and Laser SB3 titles under his belt is clearly delighted with his allocation 'When I first looked at the list of potential helms, Mark was one of the ones I thought would be great to race with. His 1720 background gives him vital asymmetric experience and I know he has sailed SB3's before. Also his weight means that we should be able to sail with four people rather than three, which will help too'. Renowned for his meticulous preparation, Carveth is clearly focused on giving his helm the best possible chance of winning.

'This is serious stuff and I am preparing in the same way as if I was going to be helming' he said. 'We will get as much sailing in as we can over the next couple of weekends and will launch the boat early on Thursday to do some final practicing over in Cowes'. Commenting on the high level of competitors at this year's event he went on to say 'Quite a few people are here for the second time so will know better what to expect. The helms are all experienced racers used to winning so it is going to be intense on the water.' Who did he see as the main contenders for the 2008 title? 'There are lots of teams on the list capable of putting together a regatta winning series. If I had to single out one I would say Fumesy (Simon Russell) representing the XOD Class should be competitive. He has lots of small keelboat experience and he knows his way around the waters off Cowes too.'

The draw has thrown up some other interesting owner/helm pairings combinations. Chris Sherlock, skipper of the monster sized super maxi Ocean Leopard, who won Class Zero at Skandia Cowes Week in 2007, will have challenges of a significantly different scale to get to grips with when racing a twenty six foot laser SB3. Sherlock will be sailing on David Atkinson's Liftingsafety.co.uk boat.

Richard Talbot, victorious in the RS K6 class at last year's Skandia Cowes Week, will be steering Ian Southworth and Nigel Smith's Chilli Chaser. Southworth has multiple dinghy titles and a J24 European Championship victory to his name and is renowned for his ability to get the most out of whichever boat he sails. Combining this with Talbot's proven asymmetric and sportsboat experience puts this team squarely on the list of potential winners.

Another team to watch will be 2007 Victory Class winner John Tremlett sailing on Guy Jackson's Helly Hansen. Jackson, who is studying yacht design at Southampton University, told us that before the event he hoped to get at least four full days of training with his guest helmsman. 'Introducing a new driver into the team can potentially change everything so it is vital that we give ourselves as much time as possible to get used to sailing together.' Commenting on his allocated helm he had this to say 'We are delighted to have got someone like John. As well as the Victory sailing he also has a very competitive background in Finns and has been putting in some RS400 hours to sharpen up his asymmetric sailing'.

Daniel Geoghegan also believes he is on to a good thing with his allocated helmsman, Tim Spalding, the owner of last year's IRC 4 Class winner Amey Love Shack. 'Tim is very experienced and competitive so I think we will be in good shape on the day. The important thing is to be able to get off the line cleanly and with a helm like Tim we should be fine' he commented.

In subsequent press releases, as the anticipation builds towards what promises to be another exciting Volkswagen Touareg King of Cowes at Skandia Cowes Week, we will be updating you on the progress of the three celebrity sailors as well as bringing you the stories behind some of the other teams challenging for the coveted 'King of Cowes' title along with the chance to drive away in a brand new Volkswagen Touareg.

Full details on the 2008 Volkswagen Touareg King of Cowes at Skandia Cowes Week including sailor profiles on all the competitors can be found on the official website at www.kingofcowes.com

Images from the Audi SB3 Queensland Match Racing Championships

Audi SB3 Queensland match racing championship

Sean O’Rourke combined a welcome break from university study in Sydney to record a remarkable perfect score win in the Audi SB3 Queensland match racing championship off Mooloolaba Beach earlier today.

O’Rourke (19) who represented the Mooloolaba Dinghy Sailing Club when he cleverly won the Australian Sabot Championship in Bowen only four years ago clearly showed his understanding of the ‘local knowledge’ steering Oceanburo to 13 wins from 13 races during the highly competitive three day series.

Sure Sean O’Rourke had an advantage but that was only embraced within his personal experience which was yet to be tested in the cut and thrust of one-design match racing against a high class fleet of tried and tested crews including David Chapman’s Team Edake from The Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron and the Katie Spithill’s Wot Chicks from Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club.

He confidently faced up to his first Round Robin match race on Friday making all the right choices in a light westerly land breeze to score an impressive win and continued with this form to emerge as a major title threat when they had the pace on Wot Chicks to finish with an undefeated record in the qualifying rounds on day one.

Remarkably the Oceanburo crew of Sean O’Rourke, Jay Griffin and brother and sister sailors Will and Jamie Ryan while being good friends had never raced together before they stepped into Oceanburo.

But all four were physically and mentally prepared to accept the challenge with their confidence, strategy and technique improving with every race.

That confidence was again evident when the Oceanburo crew progressively eliminated their rivals to enter the best of five final series of match races against the equally determined and more experienced Wot Chicks.

As expected Katie Spithill probed and tested the Oceanburo crew for any weakness and while she cleverly won all three starts the Oceanburo crew fought back winning the decisive first use of the breeze to win the final with three straight wins.

There was a well deserved sense of pride when Oceanburo sealed her win and while Sean O’Rourke had good reason to be happy with his first major match race title as skipper he was quick to applaud the commitment of his equally happy crew mates.

'Will and Jamie Ryan along with Jay Griffin gave me the time to think about my role of sailing fast while we all communicated on tactics and strategy'.

'It’s team work that makes winning possible and the win resulted from a top team effort'. Sean O’Rourke said.

Results 2008 Audi SB3 Queensland Match Racing championship open final:

1. Oceanburo (Sean O’Rourke, Qld)
2. Wot Chicks (Katie Spithill,NSW)
3. Allyacht Spars (Luke Johnson, Qld)
4. Team Adake (David Chapman, NSW)
5. Team Jeanneau (Phil Gray, Qld)
6. Team Noosa (Kai Timm, Qld)

Youth:
1. Oceanburo Tasqua Youth (Ryan Palk, Qld)
2. RQYS Youth (Curtiss Skinner, Qld)

3. Open Women:
Team Wot Chicks 1,
Audi Sunshine Girls (Lauren Calder, Qld) 2

Audi Queensland Match Racing Championship - Day 1

The tactically clever one-design match racing sailors experienced a 'brain drain' during the first day of the Audi Queensland SB3 Match racing championships off a warm and sunny Mooloolaba Beach earlier today.

Weather conditions were perfect for the sun seeking holidaying tourists and the local offshore fisherman who used the annual Agricultural Show holiday to return with bags of reef fish.

Unfortunately the light and twisting wind which boxed all western points of the compass with an unpredictable mood swing of up to 200 degrees helped to plunge a high number of smart match racing tacticians into the depths of despair.

However they all had the chance to draw the smart card and when the call fell short they had to accept that 'Old Huey' was playing his role in showing that natures elements can never be completely controlled.

All 14 teams representing New South Wales and Queensland clubs including the World ranked Wot Chicks, skippered by the tactically clever Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club helmswoman Katie Spithill, had good reason to not be real happy with the weather god.

Race officials also had to accept that the westerly land breeze at this time of the year will leave their skill and experience to be challenged but there is no one who can claim to have made the perfect call every time to give the equally dedicated sailors a fair go on a perfectly set course each time they tension the sails.

Results Day 1
Pool A Rd 1
Match 1. Team Jeanneau (Phil Gray) d Team RQYS (Suellen Hurling).
Match 2. Team Noosa (Kai Timm) d Team Wagop (Lachlan McLean).
Match 3. Team Allyacht Spars (Juke Johnson) d Team Mexican Bananas (Callum
Burns)
Bye Team Edake (David Chapman).

Rd 2
Match 1 Team Jeanneau d Team Wagop
Match 2 Team Edake d Team Mexican Bananas
Match 3 Team Noosa d Team RQYS
Bye Team Allyacht Spars.

Rd 3
Match 1 Team Allyacht Spars d Team Wagop
Match 2 Team Edake d Team RQYS.
Match 3 Team Noosa d Team Mexican Bananas
Bye Team Jeanneau

Rd 4
Match 1 Team RQYS d Team Allyacht Spars
Match 2 Team Edake d Team Wagop
Match 3 Team Jeanneau d Team Mexican Bananas
Bye Team Noosa.

Rd 5
Match 1 Team Noosa d Team Edake.
Match 2 Team RQYS d Team Mexican Bananas
Match 3 Team Allyacht Spars d Team Jeanneau
Bye Team Wagop

Rd 6
Match 1 Team Wagop d Team Mexican Bananas.
Match 2 Team Allyacht Spars d Team Noosa.
Match 3 Team Edake d Team Jeanneau.
Bye Team RQYS.

Rd 7
Match 1 Team Wagop d Team RQYS.
Match 2 Team Jeanneau d Team Noosa.
Match 3 Team Edake d Team Allyacht Spars.
Bye Team Mexican Bananas.

Pool B Rd 1
Match 1 Team Tasqua Youth (Ryan Palk) d Team SB3 (Nick Moriarty)
Match 2 Team RQYS Youth (Curtiss Skinner) d Audi Sunshine Coast Girls
(Lauren Calder)
Match 3 Team Oceanburo Youth (Sean O'Rourke) d Team Bake N Shake (Jack
Sweep)
Bye Team Wot Chicks (Katie Spithill).

Rd 2
Match 1 Team Tasqua Youth d Team Audi Sunshine Coast Girls
Match 2 Team Wot Chicks d Team Bake N Shake.
Match 3 Team RQYS Youth d Team SB3.
Bye Team Oceanburo Youth

SB3 Worlds Entry Full - Five Months to go...

Many of the world’s top sailors are among the 120 entries received for the SB3 World Championship where entry capacity for the event has been reached six months before the event date.

The National Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire, has confirmed entrants from twelve countries – including New Zealand, Australia, USA, Dubai, France, Italy – as well as large entries from Ireland and the UK.

Initially the plan was to close entries on 1 June 2008 – but interest has been above and beyond expectations as National Yacht Club, Event Chairman, Rory Byrne explained:

'There is amazing enthusiasm for the event. Considering the logistics of a full team and the associated equipment and support travelling to Dublin Bay in September, it just shows that this really is the premier racing event on the 2008 sailing calendar.'

Among the 50 Irish entries, last years Irish National Champion and Irish Olympic Sailor, Tom Fitzpatrick will compete. The UK entries include Craig Burlton and Geoff Carveth both previous European Champions in the SB3 Fleet. Many other notable sailor with National and European titles to their credit will ensure that the event is one of the most closely contested in Europe for a number of years.

The SB3 is the fastest growing fleet of keel boats in the world today and the World Championship promises to be one of the most exciting sailing events ever held.

SB3 World Championship - 20 – 26 September 2008

National Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire

Programme

Saturday 20 Sept - Arrival, Registration, Measurement
Sunday 21 Sept - Registration, Measurement, Practice race, Opening ceremony 18:00
Monday 22 Sept - 1st Racing Day – 3 races
Tuesday 23 Sept - 2nd Racing Day – 3 races
Wednesday 24 Sept - 3rd Racing Day – 3 races
Thursday 25 Sept - 4th Racing day – 3 races
Friday 26 Sept - Final racing day - 2 races, Prize giving and closing ceremony