Zhik to back SB3 Worlds

Aussie sailing gear manufacturer comes on board for May's Torquay-based championship

Australian clothing brand Zhik are officially announced as title sponsor of the SB3 World Championships to be hosted by the Royal Torbay Yacht Club, UK in May 2011.

Zhik clothing is already hugely popular in many dinghy and Olympic classes and more recently sportboat & keelboat sailors too have discovered the benefits of Zhik’s innovative technologies. Partnering with the SB3 class enables Zhik to work with the largest global sportsboat class, with over 120 boats already entered for the 2011 World Championships.

Zhik’s ISOTAK range is ideal for the SB3 sailor, defending SB3 World Champion, Jerry Hill and his crew members, Grant Rollerson and Matt Alvarado will all wear the ISOTAK range during the 2011 SB3 World Championships.

Brian Conolly, CEO of Zhik commented that “Zhik is one of the fastest growing sailing brands in the world and so it was an obvious decision to partner with one of the world’s fastest growing keelboat classes; the SB3. Zhik is known for producing the most technically advanced sailing gear for Olympic and Skiff champions from around the world and more recently keelboat sailors have been discovering the Zhik difference. By partnering with the SB3’s we hope to deliver an exceptional competitor and follower experience to the same level as the recent Zhik Moth Worlds.”

Dave Cheyne, President of the Laser SB3 World Council added, “We are delighted to welcome Zhik aboard as title sponsor for the 2011 World Championships, it is shaping up to be the largest and most competitive one design keelboat World Championships of 2011, and we are sure it will be a tremendous event. Zhik are a natural partner for the SB3 class, and we look forward to working with them for these world championships, and other events moving forward”.

Although entries have now reached 120, the Royal Torbay Yacht Club will still accept entries to the 2011 World Championship.

Representatives from 14 nations are set to compete in the World Championships. The host nation field an entry of over seventy boats. Entries come from as far afield as Australia and South Africa. Ireland, France, The Netherlands, Portugal, Greece, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, Ukraine and Russia will all be represented in Torquay in May.

The three Laser SB3 World Champions, Geoff Carveth (2008 Champion, Dun Laoghaire), Craig Burlton (2009 Champion, Cascais) and Jerry Hill (2010 Champion, Torbole) will all compete for the 2011 Championship title.