SB3 Success for Royal North in France

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Team ZEAL OPTICS takes European SB3 Title in France

The final week of May saw the European SB3 fleets gather in Port de Crouesty, France for the 2nd European championship.

A total of 48 teams representing Great Britain, Ireland, France, Portugal, Italy, Russia, The Ukraine and Australia were present, making this a truly international event, demonstrating the success and wide-spread take up of the Class. Those present included the previous year's runner up and local member Luc Videau, current UK National Champion Colin Simonds, 2004 Olympic Bronze Medalists Chris Draper and Simon Hiscocks joining the class for the first time, Luka Rodion, Athens 49er Olympic Silver Medalist from Ukraine (who have just ordered 20 SB3s!!) along with the usual mix of SB3 regulars.

Conditions prior to the event were certainly boisterous with the gales that lashed the Volvo Ocean Race fleet pounding into Biscay over the days prior to racing. As a result many of the fleet were not so eager to participate in the practice race, with only 12 teams greeting the starter, principally testing speed and bedding in rig settings ahead of racing in anger.

A schedule of 12 races over 4 days promised to be testing for all involved, not the least the Race Committee!

Day 1 saw Atlantic fog rolling into the bay and the prospect of racing looked limited. Some pre-race entertainment was provided by three teams - Chris Draper, Jerry Hill and Dan Geoghegan - doing some starting drills within the harbour as part of a training DVD being compiled by Volkswagen, Mark Rushall and Andrew Preece.

The fog having cleared slightly, racing got under way in 10 knots from the west with Colin Simonds taking the first race, Luka Rodion winning the second and Mike Budd victorious in the third. At times the fog (or was it mist???) rolled in thickly with the windward mark quite elusive and sometimes more likely stumbled upon by the leading boats. Performance of the day was by Multiple National Champion and Endeavor Trophy legend Geoff Carveth in Small But Steamy with a 4,2,3 score line putting him just ahead of the not so Over Zealous lads, Burlton Heeley and Cheyne, with 7,3,4 and Chris Jennings driving Team Netgear with 3,5,8. The fleet size and standard saw many scattered scores and staying in the top ten consistently proving more than difficult, or was it weariness, many of us have never finished racing at 8pm before, certainly one way to make sure the scheduled races get completed!

Day 2 saw very similar conditions with early fog, just under 10 knots from the West and tough racing. The Ukrainians got away to a good start winning race 4 from your scribes team in Another Naked Blonde with the early leader Paul Lovejoy scrubbed from the results having been too eager at the start. Race 5 went to Team Netgear from Zeal Optics and Luc Videau getting into the top 5 for the first time. Race 6 saw a completely different top three with Chris Draper taking the honours in lighter conditions from the ladies of Team MacLaren and Dom Akers in Sybarite in third. Your scribe was too busy battling out 12th to notice, however Fernando Bello of the premier Portuguese team led until the final mark having turned upwind for another beat rather than reaching to the committee boat and finish line. I'll personally remember the day for lots of one on one racing with Craig, Adam and DrC on Zeal Optics, seemingly magnetically drawn to the Naked Blonde!

After six races Craig Burlton and the Zeal Optics team headed the score sheet with Geoff Carveth slipping back having fallen victim of the black flag in race 5. The Ukrainian's showed plenty of pace all round but also had the ability to find themselves in trouble with a few not so brilliant scores in 3rd from Team Netgear and the Australian ship hovering in 5th. The YCCA hosted a quality social following day 2, with the fleet wondering what to do with themselves having returned to the dock by 4pm! Fine French fare as you may expect was dished out in ample quantities and enjoyed by all despite the English weather many of us had brought with us.

Day 3, more grey weather and 5-10 knots from the West and substantial reference to Groundhog Day. The sun did venture out during proceedings and another competitive day of racing was enjoyed. Team Zeal Optics got a race win under their belts in heat 7, Mike Budd then took race 8, and not to be outdone Geoff Carveth got his first win in race 9 from the Russian team. Some interesting happenings during the day were noted by the scribe; none the least Tim Peters and co trying to convince our team that we'd hit a windward mark we clearly missed - nice wind up! Also noted from our ship was some not so mild match racing of Geoff Carveth by The Ukraine's in only race 8 of the 12 scheduled with a set of turns for Geoff the result. Paul Lovejoy added to the entertainment with two black flags for the day, as did Jerry Hill’s insistence that anyone with three black flags for an event would be banned from racing!

Day 4, all to play for, the top 3 all close on points with many of the top ten capable of major improvements in their final position. The day however was to be all about two teams, the eventual winner and the team that blitzed all three races. Team Simonds (Colin, Raymond and Gavin) on Doolalli were simply superb on the final day, incredibly winning each race comfortably despite the range of conditions.

A light Northerly of around 5 knots for race 1 in mild conditions saw Colin won the pin and launched up the first beat to win well from the Crewsaver Dickies team and Mike Budd and all the series contenders finish in the top ten. Race 2 was particularly fickle with Colin again winning the pin end and working up the middle to lead at the weather mark never relinquishing first place despite some massive shifts and wildly varying pressure, Colin won from Paul Lovejoy (Mark Richards now helming and starting behind the line) then Stewart Reed on Finitor. The final race saw a sea breeze for the first time, with the successful final start getting away just in time to be counted. Colin again raced away from most but Team MacLaren kept him honest with a fine finish to the event and Mike Budd 3rd.

You may note the usual contenders not featuring in the final day's places. Most of the top five had moments on the day but generally mixed results, Team Zeal Optics however did more than enough to win the event from Geoff Carveth's team and The Ukrainians on Team Transbunker. The Simonds lads’ final day performance saw them jump up the score sheet from 9th to 4th overall as others slipped away.

Congratulations to Craig Burlton, Adam Heeley and Dave Cheyne in Team Zeal Optics - a fantastic effort against tough competition. Thanks must be given to The Yacht Club Crouesty Arzon for hosting a fantastic event, running the racing superbly and delivering the full series of 12 races impeccably. Mention must be mad of Luc Videau’s efforts in making the event happen and drawing an excellent fleet to his home port, it really is a fantastic facility with an enormous hard stand area, superb race course and masses of accommodation alongside.

Finally a word of thanks to VW for providing ten Touaregs for teams to travel with. The SB3 fleet is well supported by VW and seeing so many SB3s following Touaregs en-route to Caen for the return ferry trip was quite a site. Word has it the same scene will be repeated for the Nationals in Abersoch at summer's end.

The next class event sees the SB3 fleet head for West Mersea for the weekend of June 10th and 11th.

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