The last 6 months has seen an immense effort from the SB20 World Council, the Irish and British SB20 Associations, ISAF and PSE the builders of the boat, in undertaking a review of the rules and manufacturing processes to ensure that we sail in the tightest one design sports boat fleet in the world.

The essential principal underlying the rule changes is that all SB3’s should be identical when delivered and require no further work or expense to be used for competitive racing.
The revised rules clarify and enhance the enforceability of regulations that govern the class and should ensure that boats remain one design and competitive for many years.

It has to be acknowledged that variations, particularly in weight, do exist between some of the boats built to date. For the future it is planned as part of the manufacturing process that very tight control of weights will be implemented. However, in order to ensure the existing fleet competes on an equal footing and that second hand values of boats are underpinned, the decision has been taken to adopt weight limits for boats and keels.

The Irish SB20 Association has already undertaken sample weighing of almost 40 boats and the picture emerging is that most of the boats will weigh close to the new weight limits.

Key Changes
• There is now an overall minimum weight of the hull, rig and rudder of 685Kgs. (This excludes sails, engine, designated safety equipment and spinnaker bag).
• The maximum permitted weight for the keel is 327Kgs.
• For the vast majority of boats it should be a relatively straight forward process to adjust hulls and keels to conform to these weight limits. Hulls which are under the 685 Kgs weight limit can have their weight adjusted with the addition of lead correctors.

Keel weights can also be adjusted fairly easily in accordance with advice provided by Laser Performance, see here (pdf format).
• The keel box is misaligned by about 3 degrees to port on older boats. The new rules now allow straightening the alignment of the keel fore and aft in the keel box by using Tufnol packing pieces supplied by Laser Performance. Technical guidance from Laser Performance on how best to do this is available here.
• It is now a requirement to fix national (IRL) letters on both sides of the mainsail.
• The alignment and position of the rudder blade may be adjusted so that the rudder blade is flush with the bottom of the hull.
• Owners are reminded that the use of GPS devices is now prohibited.

The full text of the revised rules, showing both the updates from January and April 2008 are available here.

Implementation
The class has always prided itself on its low key approach to measurement and it is intended that this should continue to be the style that will be adopted.
• Boats will be liable to random checking and inspection at all events by the Irish Measurer and the team of Irish Assistant Measurers.
• Crew weighing will continue to be undertaken during check in at selected events.
• It is planned to provide all boats with the opportunity to be formally weighed prior to 31 May 2008. Already 30 boats have been processed. It takes about 15 minutes per boat provided the boat is stripped and dry. The keel is weighed in situ in the boat.
• Boats will be issued with a measurement certificate. This certificate will record the measured weights of the hull and keel together with details of any correctors that need to be fitted.
• A central database of Irish boat weights will be maintained by the Irish SB20 Association.
• Boats which are found to be below minimum weight on a check weigh will be required to permanently fit appropriate lead correctors, apart from any action that a protest committee may wish to implement. Correctors may not be reduced following a check weigh. Lead correctors may only be removed or adjusted following a formal reweigh by an approved Class Measurer. The conditions for formal weighing are very strict particularly in relation to the “dryness” of the boat.
• It remains the responsibility of the owner, whether they have a measurement certificate or not, to ensure that the boat complies with the designated weights and that the stipulated amount of corrector lead is permanently attached to the boat in accordance with the rules. How to weigh a boat.
• All new boats from 1st June 2008 onwards, notwithstanding that they will be fitted with lead correctors as appropriate by PSE, must be formally weighed by an official Class Measurer before being eligible to participate in SB20 Class events.

Technical Queries
Should anyone have technical queries regarding conformance with the rules, these should be directed by email to the Irish Measurer:
The Irish measurement team is as follows:
(email addresses being set up, check back after a day or two)
Irish Measurer Roger Bannon
Regional Assistant Measurers
South Coast Ronan Collins
Northern Region Dave Cheyne
East Coast Jerry Dowling
Midlands Donie Herraghty

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Changes to the Rules:

Rule C.6.1 Amendment: Delete “680kg” and replace with “685kg” and delete (1) and replace with the following: “(1) All equipment as listed in C.5 except for the compass bracket, buoyancy bags, if fitted, the main traveller rope, bowsprit outhaul rope, spinnaker tackline, jib tackline, lower backstay rope and any fittings or bags as detailed in C.5.2(8).”

Rule C.6.2 (b) Amendment: Add new rule to read as follows: “If the total weight of corrector weights required exceeds 20kg, the owner may divide the weight between the centreline stringer and the stringer at the port side of the mast bulkhead.”

Rule C.7.3 (h) Amendment: Add new rule to read as follows: “If the total weight of corrector weights required exceeds 20kg, additional reinforcement as detailed by the LIC may be added to the area around the centreline stringer between the mast bulkhead and the keel box.”

Rule C.8.3 (b) Amendment: Add new rule to read as follows: “From 1 September 2008, the maximum weight of the keel shall be 327kg.”

Rule C.9.5 Amendment: Delete “Main Cunningham Diameter” and “Gnav Control Line Diameter” from the list of rope dimensions.

Rule C.9.6 Amendment: Delete the current rule and replace with the following: “The bowsprit shall be retracted at all times, other than when the spinnaker is set or in the act of being set or recovered. When retracted the forward end of the bowsprit shall not extend more than 200mm forward of the hull.

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Updated 2008 SB20 International Class Rules (pdf format)

Weigh an SB3 (pdf format)

Align the SB20 Keel (pdf format)

Add Weight to an SB20 Keel (pdf format)