SB3
Encyclopedia
The Laser SB3 is a one-design
class of sailboat
commonly used for racing. Manufactured by LaserPerformance Ltd
(Trading name "LaserPerformance") the boat was designed by Tony Castro and launched in 2002.
The yacht
is an open keelboat
and is designed for racing with a crew of up to 4 whose maximum weight must not exceed 270 kg. With a high aspect ratio keel with a very high ballast ratio the yacht is very stable, but also quite fast due to the substantial sail area. The SB3 is unique in that it does not allow hiking, using a small stainless steel bar to prevent hiking by the crew, this allows competitive crews of all shapes, sizes and ages.
The majority of boats are located in the United Kingdom,Ireland, Portugal, Singapore and Italy and the Class
has attracted considerable support. In 2005 the SB3 became the second largest One-design
fleet at the Cowes Week
regatta
with 66 entries. In 2006 it became the largest fleet with 89 entries pushing the XOD into second place, an accolade it held for two further years.
There are over 600 boats worldwide, sailed in over 20 countries. Growth in fleets internationally enabled the class to successfully apply to ISAF for the right to host a world championship, the first of which was hosted in Dublin during 2008.
The World Championships will be held at Hamilton Island, Queensland Australia in December 2012
2009 Cascais, Portugal
2010 Torbole, Italy
2011 Torquay, England
One-design
One-Design is a racing method where all vehicles or boats have identical or very similar designs or models. It is also known as Spec series. It is heavily used in sailboat racing. All competitors in a race are then judged based on a single start time...
class of sailboat
Sailboat
A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails. The term covers a variety of boats, larger than small vessels such as sailboards and smaller than sailing ships, but distinctions in the size are not strictly defined and what constitutes a sailing ship, sailboat, or a...
commonly used for racing. Manufactured by LaserPerformance Ltd
Laser Performance
-History:Up until around 2007, boats were built under the Laser brand name by several boat builders each allocated an exclusive geographic sales region. The builders were Performance Sailcraft Europe, Performance Sailcraft Australia and Vanguard...
(Trading name "LaserPerformance") the boat was designed by Tony Castro and launched in 2002.
The yacht
Yacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
is an open keelboat
Keelboat
Keelboat has two distinct meanings related to two different types of boats: one a riverine cargo-capable working boat, and the other a classification for small- to mid-sized recreational sailing yachts.-Historical keel-boats:...
and is designed for racing with a crew of up to 4 whose maximum weight must not exceed 270 kg. With a high aspect ratio keel with a very high ballast ratio the yacht is very stable, but also quite fast due to the substantial sail area. The SB3 is unique in that it does not allow hiking, using a small stainless steel bar to prevent hiking by the crew, this allows competitive crews of all shapes, sizes and ages.
The majority of boats are located in the United Kingdom,Ireland, Portugal, Singapore and Italy and the Class
One-design
One-Design is a racing method where all vehicles or boats have identical or very similar designs or models. It is also known as Spec series. It is heavily used in sailboat racing. All competitors in a race are then judged based on a single start time...
has attracted considerable support. In 2005 the SB3 became the second largest One-design
One-design
One-Design is a racing method where all vehicles or boats have identical or very similar designs or models. It is also known as Spec series. It is heavily used in sailboat racing. All competitors in a race are then judged based on a single start time...
fleet at the Cowes Week
Cowes Week
Cowes Week is one of the longest-running regular regattas in the world. With 40 daily races, up to 1,000 boats, and 8,500 competitors ranging from Olympic and world class professionals to weekend sailors, it is the largest sailing regatta of its kind in the world...
regatta
Regatta
A regatta is a series of boat races. The term typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas...
with 66 entries. In 2006 it became the largest fleet with 89 entries pushing the XOD into second place, an accolade it held for two further years.
There are over 600 boats worldwide, sailed in over 20 countries. Growth in fleets internationally enabled the class to successfully apply to ISAF for the right to host a world championship, the first of which was hosted in Dublin during 2008.
The World Championships will be held at Hamilton Island, Queensland Australia in December 2012
World championships
2008 Dublin, Ireland2009 Cascais, Portugal
2010 Torbole, Italy
2011 Torquay, England
External links
- Class Association - Race organisation and class rules
- LaserPerformance Ltd - Manufacturer
- (http://www.sb3portugal.org sb3 PORTUGAL
- SB3 Italy
- SB3 Spain
- http://sb3fleetsingapore.blogspot.com/ Singapore Laser SB3 fleet homepage
- http://www.dartsailboats.com - SB3 Sales in Australia and New Zealand