Clube Naval de Cascais and the Portuguese sailing community can all be proud of the success that constituted the 2021 SB20 World Championship held in Cascais waters. Over an intense week, 29 August – September 4, the more than 200 sailors from no less than thirteen countries (Belgium, Brazil, Spain, Estonia, France, England, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal, Russian Yachting Federation, Singapore, Switzerland and Ukraine) provided an excellent spectacle for all lovers and connoisseurs of the competition, completing 12 races full of action and fiercely fighting for the best positions.

On the closing day of the event, the 66 boats in competition enjoyed another excellent day of sailing and premium conditions: clear skies and radiant sun, very pleasant temperatures, and a northwest wind of 10-13 knots. On this final day, some crews that hadn’t stood out much posted much improved results, which, without denying them any merit, also indicates that the candidates for the podium adopted a more tactical and cautious posture, so as not to jeopardize their positions.

Thus, the victory in the first race went to Nils Razmilovic’s Glasgow Kiss, with CNC sailor, Pedro Andrade, representing Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, with Quebramar, from the Cascais Naval Club, in second place. The third position went to what was, perhaps, the main animator of the competition, Henrique Haddad’s Open Bar defending the colors of the CNC.

In the last race John Pollard’s Xcellent from Royal Torbay Yacht Club first crossed the finish line, followed by Vasily Grigoriev’s MST, representing the Pirogovo Golf and Yacht Club, with third place falling to ted, skippered by Michael O’Connor, of the Royal Saint George Yacht Club, Dublin Bay, Ireland.

With the team taking the opportunity to discard the last race of the event from its results, Henrique Haddad, with Mário Trindade, Leonardo Lombardi and Pedro Caldas, aboard Open Bar, are the 2021 World Champions of the SB20 Class – a title that rightly fits them, as they were the team that won the most races (one third of the twelve races held), finishing with 78 points.

Henrique Haddad exulted in the win: “Today is a very special day for us, we are World Champions, and we are very glad to be here. I’m with my friends, friends I made thanks to this extraordinary sport, and I’m also here, in a place where I really love sailing, because I consider Cascais one of the best places in the world to go sailing.”

The champions’ joy was reflected in Leonardo Lombardi, who made a point of commenting on the team’s performance: “From the beginning, I had for me, in my mind, that this was just more than just a trophy. It wasn’t about winning the World Cup, it was more than sailing. My teammates are a reference for me. I learn from them, and I am extremely grateful for this training, for having this opportunity. I came to Lisbon to study for a year, it will be a new start for my life, it’s fantastic and I have no words for my teammates, thank you all”.

Among the ladies, and confirming a trend that was notable during the entire regatta, the best ranked crew, in 9th place overall, was Shifter Pro Youth France, from the Yacht Club de Cannes, commanded by Paola Amar.

“It was a long, hard week, with good sailors, and we enjoyed it a lot, and I think we were lucky with the organization, which knew how to take full advantage of the event. It was complicated for us, because we didn’t train before the championship, at least with the whole team together, and so, in the end, we are satisfied with the results achieved. Thanks to Cascais and all the people who organized the event,” Amar said.

Of the crews that represented Portugal, the best was the Madeira Islands, from the Associação Nautica da Madeira, led by John Tavares, who won 5th place overall.

After five days of intense competition, the participants in the Cascais SB20 World Championship 2021 gathered at the headquarters of the Clube Naval de Cascais for the traditional awards ceremony and to celebrate an excellent week together.

The Clube Naval de Cascais and the SB20 Fleet express their appreciation for the many sponsors who made this World Championship regatta possible: City Council of Cascais, Turismo de Portugal, IPDJ, Portuguese Sailing Federation, Leitão & Irmão, Vista Alegre, Solyd, Sagres, Simões & Gaspar, Lusíada Saúde, Clarins Men, Clarins and JCDecaux.

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