The SB20 is a one-design class of

sailboat A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is smaller than a sailing ship. Distinctions in what constitutes a sailing boat and ship vary by region and maritime culture. Types Although sailboat terminology ...

commonly used for racing. Marketed and distributed by Sportsboat World the boat was designed by

Tony Castro Tony Castro (full name Antonio Maria de Lancastre de Mello e Castro), Conde das Antas, Conde da Lousa, Visconde de Pernes, born 1952, is a yacht designer, known for numerous winning designs. Born in Lisbon, Portugal, he has been designing sailing ...

and launched in 2002. The SB20 was originally called the Laser SB3, and was marketed and distributed by

Laser Performance LaserPerformance is an Anglo- American dinghy manufacturer- the world's largest producer of small sailboats. LaserPerformance manufactures many sailboats including: Laser, Sunfish, Laser Pico, Bug, Laser Vago, Laser Bahia, Club FJ, Club 420, ...

under license from the designer. This licence ended in 2012. SB20_bar_hiking

The

yacht A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...

is an open

keelboat A keelboat is a riverine cargo-capable working boat, or a small- to mid-sized recreational sailing yacht. The boats in the first category have shallow structural keels, and are nearly flat-bottomed and often used leeboards if forced in open w ...

, strict One-Design and is designed for racing with a crew of 3 or 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 SB20 is unique in that it does not allow

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

, using a small stainless steel bar to prevent hiking by the crew, this allows competitive crews of all shapes, sizes and ages. Fast Fun and Affordable this boat rules are so strict that it does not allow "money" to dictate the results. The majority of boats are located in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Portugal, Australia, France, Holland, Singapore and Italy and the class has attracted considerable support. in 2019 there is a growing fleet in the UAE and Turkey. In 2005 the SB20 became the second largest one-design fleet at the

Cowes Week Cowes Week ( ) is one of the longest-running regular regattas in the world. With 40 daily sailing races, up to 1,000 boats, and 8,000 competitors ranging from Olympic and world-class professionals to weekend sailors, it is the largest saili ...

regatta Boat racing is a sport in which boats, or other types of watercraft, race on water. Boat racing powered by oars is recorded as having occurred in ancient Egypt, and it is likely that people have engaged in races involving boats and other wat ...

with 66 entries. In 2006 it became the largest fleet with 102 entries pushing the XOD into second place, an accolade it held for two further years. The Sb20 Class is also unique in that since 2018 you can rent a race-ready boat to participate in regattas. In 2020 the first SB20 Carbon version especially built and set-up for ORC and IRC racing will be launched. There are over 800 boats worldwide, sailed in over 20 countries. Growth in fleets internationally enabled the class to successfully apply to

World Sailing World Sailing (WS) is the world sport governing body, governing body for the sailing (sport), sport of sailing recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). History The creation of the Inter ...

for the right to host a world championship, the first of which was hosted in Dublin during 2008. Regular top quality events organised by the Sb20Class.com

World championships

References

External links

Class Association
- Race organisation and class rules
Sportsboat World
- Manufacturer Classes of World Sailing Keelboats 2000s sailboat type designs Sailboat type designs by Tony Castro Sailboat types built by LaserPerformance {{ship-type-stub