SB20 World Championship 2021 at Clube Naval de Cascais - Day 4

Three races scheduled, three races completed on the penultimate day of the Cascais SB20 World Championship 2021.

The Guia Race area was thus once again dominated by the fierce competition between the more than sixty SB20 sportsboats participating in this World Championship organized by the Cascais Naval Club, and which decorated this area of Cascais coast in a very special way.

The first start signal was given around noon, and today conditions were even more favourable for sailing, as the clear sky and mild temperature were combined with a favourable wind, which blew from the north-west quadrant, with an intensity ranging between 10-14 knots, delivering champagne sailing conditions.

SB20 World Championship at Cascais day 4 - photo © Neuza Aires Pereira

While there is only one day to the end of the event, nothing is yet fully decided, although, at the top of the league table, and in particular as far as the future World Champion is concerned, things are looking good for OpenBar. The crew frp, Clube Naval de Cascais, led by Henrique Haddad, with Mário Trindade, Leonardo Lombardi and Pedro Caldas, continue to add good performances, including more bullets, and thus cement their leadership, extending their advantage thanks to the combination of two decisive factors: an enviable consistency and the achievement of top results.

On this fourth day of the championship, victory in the first race smiled on Xcellent, with John Pollard at the helm, together with by Steven Procter and Rhos Hawes. The representative of the Royal Torbay Yacht Club, from Torquay, England, was followed by the OpenBar team of Henrique Haddad, with the Flow team of Banayan Daniil, with Vasinkevich Grigoriy, Prokofev Aleksandr and Konovalova Gaiane, in the colours of Saint Petersburg Yacht Club, in third.

SB20 World Championship at Cascais day 4 - photo © Neuza Aires Pereira

The Brazilian Olympic sailor, Snipe World Champion in 2019, and his crew returned to shine in the second race of the day, as OpenBar was the first to cross the finish line. MST took second place, with Vasily Grigoriev at the helm, accompanied by Maxim Kuzmin and Mikhail Markin, representing the Pirogovo Golf and Yacht Club, followed by the Barco Chefe team of Victor Demaison, with Jorge Zariff and Gabriel Borges, from the Rio de Janeiro Yacht Club in third place.

Finally, in the last race of the day, the winner was the Comet/Space Cobras of Liza Zherebetsova, Artem Basalkin, Andrey Klochko and Andrey Tukalov, followed by the Barco Chefe of Victor Demaison, and the Naturea Sailing Team/Fich of Mafalda Pires de Lima, with Mariana Lobato, Francisco Maia and Matilde Pinheiro de Melo, from Clube de Vela Atlântico.

SB20 World Championship at Cascais day 4 - photo © Neuza Aires Pereira

Given these results, it is not surprising that Henrique Haddad's Open Bar, with 49 points, not only continues to occupy the top position in the overall classification of the Cascais SB20 World Championship 2021, but also has increased their advantage from 18 to 35 points over second place, which is now France Jeune/BCI, by Machetti Hippolyte, with Lucas Chatonier, Michel Emeric and Candela Laurie, of Cercle Nautique Caledonien. In third place overall remains one of the most consistent crews in the entire championship, composed of Tonu Toniste, Toomas Toniste and Andres Viisemann, aboard Estonia Delight, 7 points behind, and with an advantage for their own most direct pursuers of just 4.2 points and 8 points, respectively.

With regard to the female crews, today was less positive than the previous ones for the formation of the Yacht Club de Cannes, of Paola Amar, Gabriel Skoczek, Marine Gauvrit and Timothe Lapaw, who discarded their last race of the day. Still they remains as the best female team but have fallen from sixth to eighth place overall.

SB20 World Championship at Cascais day 4 - photo © Neuza Aires Pereira

Carrying out a very regular championship, France Jeune/BCI is undoubtedly a candidate for a place on the final podium. Lucas Chatonier, a member of the French crew, confirmed this, even with understandable caution: "Today we had a little more wind than the previous days, which was good. We were happy to have good conditions, the boat went much faster today than yesterday, and that was also a source of satisfaction for us.

"The day was not at all negative for us, we had a difficult second race, but I think it's tough for everyone as the conditions are very demanding for most of us. It's hard to go fast at all times. The level of the fleet is very good, we have to fight in each race, go step by step, but we are happy with today in general. I still haven't seen the final overall for the day, but we'll fight until the end, tomorrow there are two more races, and we'll give everything we have.

"A word to Clube Naval de Cascais, which is doing a fantastic job, the location is always good, we were here five years ago, also for the World Championship, it was very good, so we are very happy to be back this year, for the Worlds, and everything is going very well. Thanks to the club, thanks to the race committee and thanks to the organization. We are enjoying excellent moments here in Cascais."

SB20 World Championship at Cascais day 4 - photo © Neuza Aires Pereira

With a lot to decide, the Cascais SB20 World Championship 2021 enters tomorrow, Friday, September 3rd, in its final day of competition. The Cascais Naval Club plans to carry out two races, so that the twelve initially planned can be completed in full, and the first start signal scheduled for 12:00. The 2021 SB20 World Championship has the participation of some of the top names in the class, both nationally and worldwide, and is sponsored by the Cascais Minucipality, Visit Portugal, Visit Cascais, IPDJ, Portuguese Sailing Federation, Leitão & Brother, Vista Alegre, Solyd, Sagres, Simões & Gaspar, Lusíada Saúde, Clarins Men, Clarins and JCDecaux.

Results after Day 4: