Cowes Week – SB20 fleet overall

by Katie Ashworth on 21 Aug 2012 Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week 2012 was held from 11th to 18th August. A healthy fleet of 28 SB20's contested this year’s event. The class represented the second largest one design fleet after the XOD's who enjoyed another very large entry.

It was a generally windy week and good racing was enjoyed throughout the fleet. Sportsboatworld.com's Jerry Hill won four of the six races; enough to hold off Cowes Week regular Iain May sailing Space Docker. Iain sailed with Skandia Team GBR Finn and 49er coaches Matt Howard and Mark Asquith. Third place, and winner of the last race of the series; was Williams F1's Tim Newton sailing Polar Bear.

Other competitors who had good weeks included SB20 class regular's Colin Simonds sailing with a variety of his Seaview clan, Alec Russell on eDigitalResearch and a group of sailors from Wembley Sailing Club who chartered three boats for the week.

In the next couple of weeks the first of the new SB20’s built by White Formula will be launched. White Formula built the first 60 SB20's in 2002-3, many of which are considered fast boats and are highly sought after because of their build quality. At Cowes Week, Jerry Hill's team raced a 10 year old hull that now boasts its third Cowes Week overall win, having secured previous wins in the hands of Ian Southworth and Russell Peters.

The SB20 fleet now turns their attention to the two major international events to finish off 2012. The European Championships in Medemblik, Holland take place from 23rd to 27th September where over 60 boats are expected to compete on the Ijsselmeer. Following the European Championships those competing at the fifth World Championships at Hamilton Island, Queensland, Australia will load their boats into containers to be shipped down under. Geoff Carveth will defend his 2011 World Championship title amongst a star studded fleet of over fifty boats.

SB20 Class Association website