SB3s head for Torquay

A preview to the Volkswagen Touareg Laser SB3 Nationals

Fifty boats are now entered for the Laser SB3 UK Nationals in Royal Torbay YC from 1-4 September, rounding off a fantastic third full season for the fleet. This year will see a new Champion, with Glenn Bourke away on Volvo Ocean Race duty, so there will be pandemonium in the scramble for the top spot with any of the top ten capable of winning. Volkswagen Touareg continue their generous sponsorship of the event, which will feature video coaching on the Friday, with a cinematic debrief for those brave enough to watch it that evening, and a Championship dinner at the yacht club on the Saturday night.

It is hard to say if there is a favourite, but on the day the Shelley’s in PWC , Colin Simonds in Doolalli , Jerry Hill’s team in Team Touareg , Dan Geoghegan in Blonde Ambition and Timmy Peters in Flojob are all capable of taking the title. The Irish in Team Harken will be keen to get back on track after a two month lay off, and the Team Maclaren ladies will be hoping for big breeze and waves to get back on track following some excellent early season performances.

Also knocking on the door will be Mike Riley, getting ever more consistent, and David Clarke from Ullswater. Two other Northern Irish boats will be in attendance, and it will be fascinating to see how last year’s Irish 1720 National champion and former Irish Laser Champion Gareth Flanagan fares in Ken Bibby’s TK Motors .

Glenn Bourke’s old steed 3082 will be getting her fist major outing under Stephen White’s new co-ownership, and they will be hoping to show further improvement following their first outing win at RSnYC August Regatta. New faces to watch are Duncan Hepplewhite from Scotland, Joe Woods in WKD and whoever is on the Lasersailing.com team, always competitive.

Sarah Ayton’s Olympic Yngling team have joined the class and will be keen to give a good showing, as will European Championship runner-up Luc Videau, from France.

Two youth teams from West Mersea, last year’s hosts, and Royal Torbay, have been entered under the kind sponsorship of Noble marine, who are offering special cut price insurance for the fleet. Simon Relph unfortunately cannot compete due to work commitments, but his presence will be felt as he has donated a prize on behalf of his mail order company Mailspeedmarine.com, to the top youth boat.

So, all to play for in what promises to be an enthralling weeks racing in Torbay, and who knows who will come out on top – BRING IT ON!!!”

Entries:

TBA	TBA	Sarah Ayton
GBR 3010	SBeed	Toby Litton
GBR 3016	Saboteur	Q O'Neill & P Wiseman
GBR 3017	Doolalli	Colin Simmonds
GBR 3023	Lets B Free	Ray Nash
GBR 3026	Nokia for Business	Richard Beaman
GBR 3029	?	Niall Peelo
GBR 3031	Team Maclaren	Christina Summerhayes
GBR 3032	Flojob	Tim Peters
GBR 3037	WKD Vodka Red	Joe Woods
GBR 3038	Teenage Kicks	Mike Riley
IRL 3040	T K Motors	Ken Bibby
IRL 3041	Team Harken	Peter Kennedy & Dave Cheyne
GBR 3043	Bucca	James Carr
GBR 3045	Bullet	Graydon Dawson
GBR 3051	Team Myfanwy	Rich Thoroughgood
GBR 3055	Bish Bash Bosh	Roger Hexton
GBR 3058	Nimrod	Andrew Jones
GBR 3060	Finitor 7	Stewart Reed
GBR 3062	Boo	Charles Nicholson
GBR 3067	Hooligan	Nick Glanvill
GBR 3072	Pricewaterhouse Coopers	Jono Shelley
IRL 3075	Striptease	Venetia Wingfield
GBR 3078	Team JVC	Bryan Southgate
GBR 3079	Hobgoblin	S Costain
AUS 3080	Blonde Ambition	Daniel Geoghegan
GBR 3081	Flamin' Gallah	Will Collins
GBR 3082	Remain Nameless	Stephen White
GBR 3084	Eau No!	Mark Stokes
GBR 3085	Jiggery Pokery	Simon Meadowcroft
GBR 3089	Blue Jay	Paul Burnet
GBR 3095	Mutt's Nutts	Nick Stuart
GBR 3096	Red Kite	Roger Harford
GBR 3117	On Vibrate	Tony Kilby
GBR 3118	Drumbeat	David Frost
GBR 3122	Trailer Trash	Paul Jacobs
GBR 3125	Checkmate	Neil Hardie
GBR 3130	Team Touareg	Jerry Hill
GBR 3131	It's Playtime!	Tony Kiddle
GBR 3136	Laser Scotland	Duncan Hepplewhite
IRL 3137	Closed Sundays	Brian Spence
GBR 3138	Three Steps Beyond	David Clarke
GBR 3141	Powder Monkey	Ian Poynton
GBR 3144	Synchro	Chris Blake
GBR 3146	Bathstore.com	James Ives