56 for the Worlds

Laser SB3 flex their muscles in Cascais

Racing for the 2009 Laser SB3 World Championships begins on Monday 31 August and runs until Friday 4 September in Cascais, Portugal. There are 56 entries representing eight countries. There are 14 races scheduled. Racing will start at 1300 each day when on Monday the wind is forecast to be a stable 18-25 knots. Many of the competitors are wondering if they have woken up in heaven this morning…

Those who have arrived early in Cascais are taking advantage of the Cascais Vela 09 Regatta, sponsored by Quebramar and Chrysler. Sister-ships Spirit of Cape Town and City of Cape Town hold the two top spots after six races. Could this be a sign of things to come for the Race Ahead boats? Father and son duo David and Roger Hudson have now split forces and Roger has joined the Spirit of Cape Town team with Tariq Jacobs of 29er Youth World Championship fame.

As host nation Portugual have fielded a strong fleet. Ex-Olympian, Fernando Bello, will be aiming high on his home waters while Rui Caldas Barreiro, who recently switched to sailing from windsurfing, leads the Portuguese fleet in the warm up event, lying third overall after six races.

Michael Quirk and Lauren Calder represent Australia at the World Championships. Calder, sponsored by Audi, sails with the only all girl team of the regatta, no doubt all eyes will be on them and their performance! Quirk enjoys the addition of Michael McLean, ex-Australian Rugby League legend, to his crew whose strength will come into play as soon as the wind builds.

Among the GBR entries, there are a number of entries worthy of a mention. Team Zimmer comprising Mike Budd, Mark Greaves and Sam Gardner will be looking for a podium position having finished 10th in the 2008 World Championships but second at the 2009 UK Nationals and 1st at the Portuguese Nationals just three weeks ago. Craig Burlton, Steve ‘AB’ White and Adam Heeley will sail their second World Championships together as Gill Race Team and will no doubt feel the pressure from Budd having won the UK Nationals in June. As a team they will also be hoping to lay to rest the ghost of day five at the 2008 World Championships.

Other GBR teams to keep an eye on include Chris Darling and daughter Alice in Darling Associates, Jerry Hill, Joe Llewellyn and Paul Kameen the trio of Old Blokes, Guy Jackson and his student team in Team Solent Helly Hansen and In Your Pocket helmed by Andy Oddie with crew Garth Edwards and legendary sailing journalist Andy Rice. Geoff Carveth, 2008 World Champion is unable to attend the Championships to defend his 2008 title.

For those who have made the effort to travel to Cascais from across Europe towing their boats and those that have flown in from the other side of the world, this Championship will not disappoint. The organisation by the Clube Naval de Cascais team, headed by Bruno Santos is first class. The weather conditions are everything an SB3 sailor hopes for, the racing will be highly competitive and the welcome from the locals could not be more friendly. All eyes are now on the coverted Waterford Crystal Laser SB3 World Championship Trophy, and the excitement that will unfold before the 2nd World Champion of the class lifts the trophy next Friday night.

Line-up

Boat	Nat	Helm	Crew
Wagop	AUS	Michael Quirk	Jordon Spenser / Michael McLean
Audi Sunshine Girls	AUS	Lauren Calder	Lissa McMillan/Louise Watson/Morgann Stanton
Sponge Bob	GBR	Marshall King	Matt Waite / Steven McLean
Darling Associates,net	GBR	Chris Darling	Alice Darling/Sian McCleave/Alastair Shaw
Rumbleflurg	GBR	David Cummins	Ian Schenkel/Chris Cousins
Cheeky Monkey	GBR	Ian Sullivan	Tom Mallindine / Colin Cunningham
Gill Race Team	GBR	Craig Burlton	TBA / TBA
Sun Microsystems	GBR	Robert Gullan	Ben Ainsworth/Pieter Heyn/Maria Stanley
Xcellent	GBR	John Pollard	Rob Smith/Mickie Schwartz
Rumshack Event Management	GBR	Roger Hexton
Skallywag	GBR	James Ford	Rob Day / Nina Day
Badger Racing	GBR	Paul Lovejoy	Sam Minge/TBC
Team Solent Helly Hansen	GBR	Guy Jackson	Jorgen Stromquist / James Moore
Hot Pants	GBR	Michael Wood	Mike Walker / Ian Martin
Trunk Monkey	GBR	Joe Burnie	Doug Peniston/Mike Austen
	GBR	Chris Jennings	Simon Everest/ Neil Hughston
Ash Holmes	GBR	Ash Holmes	Ian Gilmour / Simon Davies
In Your Pocket	GBR	Andrew Oddie	Gareth Gareth / Andy Rice
3 Sad Old Blokes	GBR	Jerry Hill	Joe Llewellyn / Paul Kameen
Zimmer	GBR	Mike Budd	Mark Greaves / Sam Gardner
Sarah Allan	GBR	Sarah Allan	TBA / TBA
Else	GER	Ferdinand Ziegelmayer	Maximilian Ziegelmayer/Sebastien Ziegelmayer
Isabella II	GER	Reinhard Schroeder	Stefan Sorgel/Nico Thielmann
Sonic Zoom	IRL	Emmet Ryan	TBA /TBA
	IRL	Aidan Breen	Eoin Breen / Martin Breen
Fishbone	ITA	Cristian Ferro	Massimiliano Pez
Phi!Number	ITA	Luca Bacci	TBA /TBA
Coating	ITA	Maitan Luca Davide	TBA / TBA
Stenghele	ITA	Pietro Negri
Citta di Numana	ITA	Vicenzo Graciotti	TBA / TBA
Razzmatazz	NED	Sebastie Dohrendorf	Fieda van Belle/Jonathan Griffiths/Isabel Dohrendorf
Bettersoft/Cidade Setubal	POR	Luis Santos	Rui Duarte
Purple DayDream	POR	Paulo Alexandre Lobo	Christian Bayon/Hugo Martins/Christopher Masters
Mergulhão	POR	Vasco Hogan	TBA / TBA
Casilda	POR	Duarte Bello	Gonçalo Eusébio / Manuel Arriaga
Vida Madrasta	POR	Piedade Colaço	Diana Caldeira/Sara Carmo/Luisa Figueiredo
Dom Pedro Hotels	POR	José Paulo Ramada	Abilio Amaral / Pedro Riebiro da Cunha
ROFF - SAP Consulting	POR	Gonçalo Horta	Hugo Mastbaum / Pedro Rebelo
Clube Mbcp WST	POR	Vanessa Batista	Telma Miranda/Inês Soares/Maria Aniceto
Quebramar	POR	Rui Brites	Gonçalo Esteves
Delta Q	POR	Gonçalo Almeida	João Lino/Daniel Martias/Elisa Matias
Windward	POR	André Gray	Pedro Coelho
Bicasco/Cidade Setubal	POR	António Santos	TBA / TBA
Herdade do Esporão	POR	Diogo Corrêa Mendes	Fernando Passeiro / Duarte Pinto Coelho
Maniacos	POR	José Pedro Dias Pinheiro	Antonio Leal Faria/ Bernardo Dias Pinheiro
Vida Malvada	POR	Vasco Batista	José Guilherme/Ricardo Batista
Trinca Espinhas	POR	Luis Figueiredo	TBA / TBA
	POR	Vasco Passanha	TBA / TBA
	POR	Rui Caldas Barreiro	Diogo Pereira / Gonçalo Cabrita
Santa Maria	POR	Firmino Morgado	TBA/TBA
	POR	Bernardo Pinto Gonçalves	Carlos Empis / Lourenço Empis
Engexpor	POR	Fernando Bello
Capital Moura	POR	Filipe Silva	Joaquim Moreira / Pedro Nieto
	POR	Peter Straton	Francisco Garcia
City of Cape Town	RSA	David Hudson	TBA / TBA
Spirit of Cape Town	RSA	Taariq Jacobs	TBA / TBA