Zhik SB3 World Championship - A major assault set to launch

by Ian Grant on 4 May 2011 Zhik SB3 World Championships - Sunshine Coast’s Rod Jones and Greg MacAllansmith have teamed up with Olympian and multiple World champion Glenn Bourke to launch a major assault on the Zhik Laser SB3 world Championship in England later this month.

The Queensland trio of top line one-design sailors have the potential to upset the British domination who has ruled the waves winning all three previous World championships.

For Glenn Bourke the CEO of Hamilton Island international resort the championship hosted by the Royal Torbay Yacht Club from May 16-20th will represent a return to familiar racing waters. He is very familiar with the strict type of one design racing in the SB3 having won the British championship while managing the globe circling Volvo Ocean Race.

All three highly successful sailors rate the Zhik SB3 World championship among the most difficult to win with the result determined entirely by the crew who sail the smartest under pressure while making the least errors in technique and tactical strategy.

While Glenn Bourke, Rod Jones and Greg MacAllansmith are respected for their individual career results they will just become a number among the 119 crews who have the same purpose in mind when the fleet line up for the opening race on May 16th.

Recent reports suggest the first of the northern hemisphere summer breeze blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean promises to test their moderate to fresh wind racing skill. However the Queensland Club Marine crew while having limited time in racing together have slogged out the hard yards in brute breezes before.

Collectively they have the potential and one-design racing experience to be rated in the top 20 but that will depend on their ability to protect their clear wind space in the front line when the start signal is fired.

Naturally the Club Marine crew particularly Glenn Bourke and Rod Jones will target a top result before focusing their attention to host the 2012 World championship at Hamilton Island in December 2012.

Rod Jones and his well managed OceanBuro team were instrumental to introducing the exciting one-design SB3 into Australian class racing and he has progressively developed strong support from Australia’s leading sailors.

Meanwhile the Club Marine crew will remain focused on the 2011 World championship which promises to test the defending champion Jerry Hill and crew mates Grant Rollerson and Matt Alverado.

They have the ‘runs on the board after crewing three sad old blokes to victory in 2010 but that win is now history and the top team of English sailors while having the advantage of racing on home waters will be hard pressed to rule
the waves for the proud sailing nation when the battlelines are drawn off Falmouth later this month.

Zhilk World Championship website