The Australian Sailing Team Crowned ‘King of the Docklands’

Over the weekend of 19th – 20th January 2008, Victoria Harbour, in Melbourne’s Docklands was venue for the inaugural King of the Docklands event. With 20 competing in strict one design racing in SB3’s, battling it out for the title of King of the Docklands.

The sun was out briefly for a super Sunday of sailing on day two of the Skandia Docklands Invitational. While the ocean racing yachts raced out on Port Philip, twenty teams of elite sailors gathered to race in super-slick one-design sports boats as part of the Vectrix SB3 King of the Docklands event. The first prize of a high performance Vectrix electric maxi-scooter focused the attention of the twenty teams battling for the 2008 King of the Docklands trophy.

Anticipation was intense as crews prepared to take part in the high adrenaline competition at Victoria Harbour in Melbourne’s Docklands. The harbour was transformed to a hive of activity when boats of all shapes and sizes took to the water for various events, with many describing the blustery southerly wind as potentially chaotic.

Guessing the winner from any of the heats was always going to be difficult. One of the favourites for Heat One was Oceanburo, skippered by Kai Timm; tactician and top sailing coach in his own right and director of Oceanburo, distributor of the SB3 in Australia. However, with a field that included Skandia Team GBR, ten time world champion of various classes Mitch Booth and local sailors the Ridgeways it was not going to be easy for anyone. Early leaders in heat one, Skandia Team GBR appeared to have the race rapped up, until the on water jury judged them to have infringed class rules so they had to do a 720o turn that took them out of contention for the heat. This left Team Oceanburo and Mitch Booth to dual it out and it was Booth who came out on top.

In race two, the Australian Sailing Team, skippered by current 49er World champion Nathan Outtridge and crewed by Laser World champion Tom Slingsby took line honours and Andrew Campbell’s North Atlantic Sailing Team (NATO) raced to glory in the third heat. Campbell, a member of the US Olympic Sailing Team Pan American Gold Medalist was joined by Abil Torchinsky, and Dave Wright, both of Canada.
Race four had the biggest upset of the day with well-respected sailor and editor of Australian Sailing Magazine, Vanessa Dudley showing speed and technique to clinch the final heat from Olympic medalist Mark Turnbull and hot favoutite for Olympic Medal in the Tornado Class in this years Olympics. It was only on her return to shore that the commentators spotted she had enlisted the crewing abilities of Australian Sailing Team member Brendon Casey.
After the four heats there was star studded line up for the final race. Spectators gathered on shore to watch the race for the most expensive prize in a single days racing in Australian history.
Racing in short courses, there was no room for error as the experienced sailors pitted against one another, putting their boats to the test in a thrilling final. Laser World Champion Tom Slingsby, 49er World Champion Nathan Outteridge, 470 World Champion Nathan Wilmot and Radial National Champion Sarah Blanck, Captain of the Australian Sailing Team consolidated their considerable skills to outrace their opponents.

Arriving back at the dock Tom Slingsby was full of praise for the Dart SB3 sports boat, a relative newcomer on the Australian sailing scene. “It was nice to sail, it would get up and plane and was tactical to sail upwind” he said adding “we had a great time out there!!”
In a generous gesture, the four sailors of Team AST will donate their prize, a revolutionary Zero-emission Vectrix electric vehicle valued at $17,500, to the Australian Paralympic team and look forward to defending their “King of the Docklands” title at next years’ Skandia Docklands Invitational event.
The Vectrix SB3 King of the Docklands event was part of Skandia Docklands Invitational, which was proudly presented by Skandia, the Victorian State Government, the City of Melbourne, The Age and the organising authority, Royal Geelong Yacht Club.

Vectrix SB3 King of the Docklands - The Teams

20 teams will face off in the inaugural Vectrix SB3 King of the Docklands. The competition will be tight as Olympians, World and National Champions battle it out to win the prestigious title. Their prize, one of the richest in a single day of sailing is a $17,500 high performance Vectrix maxi-scooter.

The teams vying for the title are:

Ridgidige
o Paul Ridgeway – numerous State and National titles
o Bronwyn Ridgeway – Numerous State and National titles
o Hugh Ridgeway – 2005 Junior World Champion

Firbog Team Ireland
o Paddy Oliver - Olympian 1984 & 1998
o Bill O’hara - Irish Olympic Squad
o Chris Kalleen - British Team Racing Champion
o Diane Nelson - Current Australian Team Racing Champion

Mitch Booth
o Mitch Booth - Dual Olympic medalist, 10 time World Champion
o Pim Niuewenhuis - Olympic Team 2008

Oceanburo
o Kai Timm - ‘Team Oceanburo’ Skippered by Kai Timm, tactician and top sailing coach. Kai is the distributor for the SB3 in Australia and will have had a chance to sharpen his teeth well before the event.

Skandia Cowes Week
o Jono Shelley
o Lawrie Smith - 2nd in Cowes Week (fleet size 90 plus) for three years running

Hawaiian Lau
o Michael Harvey - Match Racing UK Team member
o Darren Simcox - Match Racing UK Team member, 7 Melbourne to Hobarts
o Lino Lascalia
o Peter Nagarski - 4 Melbourne to Hobarts

AST
o Tom Slingsby - Australian Team sailing member, world champion, NSW Institute of Sport Athlete of the Year

Sail McCrae
o Guy Bancroft - Numerous National dinghy titles
o Rhys Bancroft - National Title Winner
o Kelvin Boyle

Ocean Blue
o Mark Dagge - 3 time Hong Kong Yachting Association Yachtsmen of the Year
o James Dagge - 2nd Youth Championship – Laser
o Samantha Dagge - Royal Queensland Yachtsmen Squadron Junior Yachtsman of the Year, multiple State and National championships

Team Hungary
o Tamas Keleman
o Andras Vigh
o Balint Perjes

Tasqua Youth
o Sean O’Rourke - Audi Australian IRC Champion

Home Team
o Brendan Garner - 2 time fireball Australian Champion
o Jake Newman - 4 Sydney to Hobarts
o Michael Schilt

AST Masters
o Tom King - A gold medalist at the Sydney Olympics and World Champion
o Mark Turnbull - OAM, over the years Mark has won nine Victorian, five Australian, two pre-worlds, one World Championship and an Olympic Gold Medal

Skandia Wild Thing
o Grant Wharington - Too many to mention, Sydney to Hobart and much more

North Atlantic (Nato)
o Andrew Campbell - US Olympic Sailing Team 2008 Laser, PanAmerican Games Gold Medalist (07) Youth World Champion (02), US University Sailor of the Year
o Ed Wright - British Sailing Team – Finn, currently winning Sail Melbourne, top three at Finn Gold Cup, World ranked #3
o Dave Wright - Canadian Sailing Team – Laser, current US Laser National Champion, US University Champion

Team GBR
o Nick Rogers - Nick and Joe have grown a reputation as one of the worlds strongest pairings, achieving medals at Olympic, World and European competition and reached No 1 on the world rankings
o Joe Glanfield
o Ronstan
o Michah Shusalow
o Josh Newman

AST
o Glen Ashby - Australian and Victoria Sailor of the year. A number of World, National and State titles in catamaran classes, including two F18 World titles as crew for Darren), two F18 Australian titles, five European A-Class wins and as of February 2007 the pair are currently ranked number on in the world in the Tornado class.
o Darren Bundock - Australian Sailor of the Year, Olympic Silver medalist at Sydney and representing Australia in the 2008 Olympics

Intrusion – Demand
o Cameron Way – S80 2007 State Champion
o Luke Reinher – S80 2007 State Champion
o Gary Holdsworth - S80 2007 State Champion
o Mike Kusnank - S80 2007 State Champion

Australian Sailing
o Vanessa Dudley – Editor of Australian Sailing Magazine
o Alistair Murray – Managing Director of Ronstan

Sunshine Coast Sailors do battle in SB3 Nationals at Geelong

Kai Timm and Sean O’Rourke will have their personal friendship challenged when they contest the inaugural Dart SB3 Australian championship on Corio Bay, Geelong over the Australia Day weekend.

There is absolutely no evidence of feud between the two talented Sunshine Coast sailors who played a contributing role when Mooloolaba’s Rod Jones skippered Alegria to a runaway win in the Audi Australian IRC championship last August.

However they will become rival skippers when the battle lines are drawn to decide who is the smarter one-design racing helmsman.

Naturally personal pride is at stake and the tactical skills of the clever Kai Timm will stretched to the depth on his international sailing experience by the younger Sean O’Rourke.

They are both very good mates and are individually proud to be representing the Sunshine Coast.

However that friendship will be left onshore when the respected tactician and coach Kai Timm and his student Sean O’Rourke enter into a personal match race in what promises to be an exciting debut regatta ‘down under’ for the Dart SB3 which has recently gained International recognition as the World’s fastest growing sports boat class.

The battle between the two exceptionally talented sailors will be one of the highlights of the championship which has also attracted entries from champion English helmsman Jono Shelly and the experienced Victorian B16 skipper Guy Bancroft.

Based on his valued Dart SB3 racing experience in England and Europe Jono Shelly deserves his ranking as the title favourite however while he promises to set the speed sailing benchmark the title result remains in the melting pot simply because the clone nature of the class provides all the crews with an equal chance from the start line.

Sure Shelly has proved his sail-fast technique but his results will hinge on the ability to limit the mistakes in the important human applied elements of race strategy and crew technique.

Corio Bay has a reputation for being a tricky course and promises to test all of the crews irrespective of their career results which sets the pattern for an exciting series of races when the fleet of Dart SB3 one design ‘sprint machines’ duel for their important debut class championship in Australia.

Both Kai Timm in Oceanburo and Sean O’Rourke in Tasqua Youth despite their limited class experience have the temperament and the tactical skills to master the challenge but who will finish with the best place will only be decided during the final meters of the last race.

Sean O’Rourke has already proved his sailing talent winning the Australian Senior Sabot title before climbing the ranks as one of Australia’s best one on one match and fleet racing sailors.

He also has a good young crew of Nik Peate, Matt Jones and Mitch Kennedy who are well prepared to enter into a tactical title dog-fight under the Tasqua Youth battle-flag.

They all have the skill and determination to enter the battle and will not hesitate to test their combined talent and youthful endurance to win a medal against their older rivals.

Vectrix Sponsor SB3 racing at King of Docklands

World’s best on show at the Docklands

The world’s best sailors will compete in a spectacular, short course, winner take all event at the Melbourne Docklands on Sunday, January 20, 2008. Olympic medalists, round the world racers, America’s Cup veterans and national champions will battle it out in identical sports boats to become the undisputed Vectrix SB3 King of Docklands.

Sixteen teams will be pitted against each other in a knockout series which has been likened to cricket’s revolutionary twenty 20 competition. The teams will be competing for one of the richest prizes for a single day’s racing in Australia, a $17,500 high performance Vectrix maxi-scooter.

Umbrella Event Coordinator Doug Jarvis said the unique format guaranteed fast, short course racing and a rare opportunity for spectators.

“The crème of the international sailing crop will be provided with the world’s fastest growing one design for the winner-take-all series. Identical sports boats, a demanding race course and one heck of a prize from Vectrix will ensure the pressure is on.

“It will be in your face racing and reputations will be on the line,” said Jarvis.

The event, which is part of a Super Sunday of sailing, will consist of four races featuring four equally matched teams with the winner of each race going through to the final. A challenging 220-metre short course on Victoria Harbour will test the nerve and skills of the competing crews. Racing will begin shortly after midday and the final is programmed for 6:30pm. The best vantage point will be Waterfront City.

Jarvis said the event would add an exciting dimension to the overall program.

“Skandia Docklands Invitational is all about the best sailors and the best boats. It is a showcase event. An opportunity for the general public to get up close to a sport that is often out of reach. You can climb aboard an ocean racing super maxi, have a try at sailing, mingle with celebrities and watch the best short course racing imaginable,” he said.

Vectrix, manufacturers of the world’s first high performance electric two wheel vehicle, are thrilled to be involved with sailing.

Vectrix Marketing Director Charles Mann said the Vectrix Maxi Scooter and sailing are an extremely good fit.

“Vectrix is all about high performance and zero emissions. The eventual winners will display the highest performance and they will do so without harming the environment.”

With the event literally on the city’s doorstep, spectators will have a bird’s eye view of the series. Organisers have planned a wide-range of on-shore activities and a host of sailing events for visitors and participants to enjoy. Skandia Docklands Invitational will be staged at Waterfront City Saturday, January 19 and Sunday, January, 20 2008.

The umbrella program is presented by Skandia, the Victorian State Government, the City of Melbourne, The Age, Vectrix and the organising authority Royal Geelong Yacht Club.

Download Entry Form PDF

Download Notice of Race PDF

STOP PRESS: LASER SB3 WINS SAILING WORLD BOAT OF THE YEAR AWARD - USA

Article by Chuck Allen: Sailing World

I've tested many sailboats while involved with Sailing World's Boat of the Year program and one of the coolest I've ever encountered is the Laser SB3. The absolute simplicity of this boat is amazing. Upwind it locks into a groove, which in most boats you have to fight to maintain. Downwind is a dream; the SB3 is an incredibly stable platform with remarkable speed.

Since its introduction in Europe in 2004, the SB3 has experienced tremendous growth, with more than 400 boats built. Two reasons for its popularity are that the boat has been designed to be sailed legs-in and all the controls are at the crew's fingertips. Another key feature is that it can be rigged and launched in 45 minutes. The mast is light enough to make raising it a two-man job, allowing the third, and possibly fourth crewmember to rig the rest of the boat. The T-bulb keel, which is raised and lowered by an included, removable gantry, makes launching and hauling painless. As the boat only weighs 1,309 pounds, a mid-sized car can tow it.

We sailed the SB3 twice, in 2 to 7 knots of breeze, and again in 25. Both times the SB3 found its groove easily and we found it nearly impossible to unintentionally slow down or fall off a plane. We tested moving our weight around, with the boat responding as expected. Light air and flat water required moving the crew forward and sitting close together, while in breeze and chop we moved aft. The boat sailed best in the light stuff with a lot of twist, and the long throw of the traveler made this easy; you can pull the car well to windward while easing the mainsheet for power. It was the exact opposite when the breeze was up; vang on, find the correct mainsheet tension and play the traveler up and down to control the angle of heel while maintaining good drive forward. All the controls are easily within reach and if someone needed to jump in to adjust a line, it wasn't a big deal. You think the boat is going to tip over like a dinghy, but the high-aspect keel underneath keeps it on its feet. The boat has a great feeling upwind and because of the flared gunwales, is relatively dry.

Downwind is an absolute blast; simply put, the SB3 rips! During our high-wind test we sailed consistently at around 15 to 18 knots of boatspeed. I would think when setting the 495-square foot kite at the offset in big fleets you would need to stay high, so easing the vang is a smart idea. When the kite reaches the sheave, it's take-off time. Weight aft near the foot straps is the place to be. When driving in breeze, the helmsman is butted up against the backstay, the kite trimmer next forward (using the foot straps), and the bow person is the furthest forward, watching the vang while pumping the main. It's quite obvious when a puff hits that you need to bear down a bit. Once you do so, the boatspeed jumps a couple of knots. A breeze spotter is the way to go, and can make a huge difference in one-design racing in a boat like this.

Jibing is simple, especially with the long pole and high-clewed gennaker. I found the easiest way is to start the jibe slowly, wait until the clew got just past the centerline, and finish on the stronger side, coming out fully powered up. By starting slowly it also gives the crew some time to locate their position on the opposite side of the boat before take off. Sets and takedowns are very simple; there's an enormous launching bag at the forward edge of the cockpit. Takedowns require a quick turn downwind to help the bow person get the kite in the boat completely. Overall, downwind sailing in the SB3 will be some of the best sailing you'll ever do.

The SB3 hull laminate is epoxy with a foam core, and there's an internal frame and bulkheads providing strength and rigidity. The mast is an aluminum deck-stepped Proctor Selden rig with double spreaders. The boom, also by Proctor Selden, is aluminum as well, but the retractable pole is carbon fiber. The boat is mostly Harken equipped, with gear from the Carbo Block and Hexaratchet range. A Spinlock halyard cleating system offers easy lock and release even under load. The rudder is epoxy and core with carbon reinforcement, and the high-aspect ratio keel is based on a stainless steel main member with an epoxy, foam core, polyester skin, and a 770-pound lead bulb.

The best thing the SB3 class has done is put a tight rein on its rules. The boats come complete from bow to stern and you cannot change anything. This ensures tight racing and keeps running costs down. One potential cost issue could be sail purchasing, which is unlimited [but sails are only available from Hyde Sails through Laser]. In Europe the top sailors are showing up with new sails for each big event. Otherwise, you are looking at a $39,000 program (includes sails, trailer, and a TackTick system), which seems high at first, but when you look at comparable boats and their costs, it's right in line, if not better.

The SB3 was clearly the best boat we sailed this year; if not the best boat we have sailed in all our BOTY years. With the buzz over the SB3 in Europe, it seems poised to take the U.S. market by storm. If you get the chance to take one for a sail, go for it; you'll quickly see why we named the SB3 as our top choice.

For more information see link: http://www.sailingworld.com/sailboats/boat-of-the-year/2008-boat-of-the-year-coverage-21031640.html

Volvo Laser SB3 Middle East Grand Prix

Round 2 – Al Hamra Village Marina, Ras Al Khaimah

23rd – 24th November

Event Overview

Held at the newly opened Al Hamra Village Marina, on the 23rd and 24th November, Round Two of the Volvo Laser SB3 Middle East Grand Prix proved to be another exciting chapter in this evolving Grand Prix Circuit. With outstanding on water facilities and the promise of further expansions in the near future it proved an excellent base for the weekends racing.

Al Hamra proved an exciting arena for both offshore and onshore activities, with the crews appreciating the challenges of the Al Hamra Golf Resort Driving Range over a few refreshing beverages at the Dunes Terrace once racing had wound up for the day, not to mention the bountiful BBQ that accompanied the Prize Giving Ceremony on the 24th November.

Special thanks must go to the logistical support from Volvo, with the Grand Prix Series XC90’s proving invaluable in transporting the fleet to the Northern Emirates, also to Chris White, General Manager of Al Hamra Golf Club and Marina, for all his support in organising this event and making his facilities available to us for the weekend.

Race Report

Day One – Light morning desert breezes matured through the mid-morning into a promising sea breeze gaining strength and maintaining direction as Race One got under way at approximately 1pm. This was true Grand Prix style Short Course Racing, with course lengths set between 0.4 and 0.6 nautical miles with up to four laps contested in each race. The emphasis was on smooth crew work and fault-free execution of mark rounding’s and tactical fleet play up wind. By late afternoon Jonathan Hill had exerted his dominance on the day’s proceedings with two bullets from three races, DeVere Racing picking up the win in the second race. Markus Fiala was snapping at their heals with two 2nds onboard Petite Tazo, and the ever consistent Team Premier Composites, Series Leaders after Round One, sitting in third place with 5,3,2.

Day Two – Stronger morning pressure off the desert delayed the arrival and strength of the sea breeze for day two, though there were no complaints from those looking for a little weekend tan, with another stunningly clear and sunny 31C day greeting all competitors and officials. Renowned local race officer Brian Hooper was keen to get the proceedings underway and with 5 knots he launched Race Four at approximately 12:30pm. Again following the shorter course strategy of Day One, the fleet quickly split in search of fickle zephyrs. Team Premier Composites quickly asserted their strength with two quick bullets, but it was Team Laser with Tom Pratt at the helm who surprised with a consistent 2,3,2, making the most of their lighter crew weight and often leading to the top mark but unable to find the downwind pace to hold off the likes of Hannes Waimer and Jonathan Hill who between them walked away with five of the six victories.

Round Three of the Volvo Laser SB3 Middle East Grand Prix sees crews shift their focus to the waters off the Abu Dhabi Corniche. To be held on the 14th – 15th December it is already shaping up to be a cracking weekend of racing, with the prospect of new teams, and some breezier conditions already whetting the sailors appetites.

Round Four and the arrival of the New Year sees the crews take flight to the Indian Ocean Coast of Oman, for two days of spectacular racing along the jagged coastline of the nations capital, Muscat, on the 25th – 26th January.

Round Five and the series shifts its focus back to the UAE, but this time to the East Coast port city of Fujairah. Renowned for its fishing and abundance of shipping, it will be an interesting test for crews and race officials alike.

Round Six, the Grand Final, and it’s all eyes on the Dubai International Boat Show 2008, with racing being held in and around the world famous Palm Jumeirah development over the Boat Show Weekend 14th-15th March 2008, it will be a fitting climax for this One Design Grand Prix Series.

Dublin Bay = venue for the first SB3 Worlds

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 (www.nyc.ie and www.sb3worlds2008.com) will run the event next September and the huge fleet of 120 boats will be the largest ever assembled in Irish waters for a single make 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 Austrialia 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 manufacturer sailing championship ever run in Dublin Bay”

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

Programme:

Saturday 20st Sept - Arrival, Registration, Measurement
Sunday 21st Sept - Registration, Measurement, Practice race & Opening ceremony
Monday 22nd Sept – 3 races
Tuesday 23rd Sept – 3 races
Wednesday 24th Sept – 3 races
Thursday 25th Sept – 3 races
Friday 26th Sept - 2 races, Prize giving and closing ceremony