Dubai witnessed a spectacular start to the SB20 World Championship as forty-eight teams, with over 12 nationalities, took to the water for four races. The highly anticipated event commenced with two general recalls due to unstable wind and significant shifts, but the race management team and mark layers persevered.
The winners of the lead-up events, the SB20 Middle East Championships in late 2023 and the SB20 Asia Pacific Championships earlier this month were both competing.
By the fourth race, conditions had stabilised, offering the classic Dubai experience with 14-15 knots and ideal sailing conditions. Team Xcellent secured victory in Race 1, while the French youth team of Jeunes FF Voile 1 claimed Race 2. The Bulgarian team of Ivana and Alex clinched the win in Race 3, showcasing their potential as newcomers to the International SB20 circuit. Meanwhile, Desert Eagle emerged victorious in Race 4.
Currently, the women’s team from the UAE, Kidzink, is leading the standings, followed by the Singaporean Team Rental Car in second place. The French Youth team Jeunes FF Voile 1 holds the third place overall.
The women’s team from the UAE, Kidzink, skippered by Charlotte Borghesi is leading the standings Photo: Mikey Brignall
Charlotte Borghesi, Skipper of Kidzink, commented, “It's been a really tricky day—every weather condition, wind condition, every wind angle. So we just focused on working as a team, trying to stay ahead of what's happening. We simply sailed as best as we could.”
Overall Results after 4 races :
1st Kidzink ,Charlotte Borghesi,15pts
2nd Rental Car, Michael Buchanan, 20pts
3rd Jeunes FFVoile 1, Garreta Ian, 22pts
4th Skin in the Game, Edward Russo, 30pts
5th Desert Eagle, Hendrik Witzmann, 33pts
Full results below
