Sailing Chandlery SB20 UK National Championship 2025 at Weymouth Sailing Club
by Anna Zyk 15 Jul 15:54 BST
10-13 July 2025
Start line - Sailing Chandlery SB20 UK National Championship at Weymouth © SB20 Class UK
Team Xcellent, led by John Pollard, reclaimed the SB20 UK National title at Weymouth Sailing Club after four days of competitive, high-quality racing in rare "champagne conditions" on the south coast.
Sailing with Alex Hughes and Drew Barnes, Pollard's team won five of the eight races completed across the four-day series, sealing the championship with a race to spare.
"We had amazing conditions - shorts and t-shirts every day, which is very unusual in England," said Pollard. "Although the scoreline doesn't look close, the racing was tight. We weren't always first to the windward mark; we had to fight for it."
The main challenge came from Breaking Bod, skippered by Charlie Whelan and featuring 2023 national champion tactician Will Sargent. Also in contention throughout was PBTwenty II, skippered at this regatta by Mark Gillett.
Pollard praised his new teammate Alex Hughes, a high-performance sailor with international experience in Olympic classes, who stepped into the team for the first time in the UK. "We grew in trust and capability through the week, and finished feeling like we had more to give," he said. "Drew, too, was superb - he's been with me for three years and is a very dynamic kite trimmer."
Hosted by Weymouth Sailing Club, the 2025 Nationals attracted a strong UK fleet and one overseas entry, Sailing Betties-2 from Belgium. The club ran the full race schedule with no delays, despite a variety of wind conditions ranging from light and shifty to full-planing 20-knot breezes on the final day.
"We had the full range - from ghosting in five knots to blasting at full speed. And that last day was a grand finale - we always feel strong in the breeze," Pollard added.
Weymouth Sailing Club received high praise from competitors and class leadership for their smooth race management and welcoming atmosphere. "The club is a proper grassroots operation and that shines through," said the incoming SB20 UK Class Chairman Charlie Whelan.
"Huge thanks to Paul Hine who has been chair for eight years—nearly half the life of the class! And thanks also to Andrew at Sailing Chandlery, our new UK dealer, for his generous support."
The regatta opened with a Sprint Series on Thursday, a format of short, high-intensity races that helped teams sharpen up before the main event. "The sprints were key for us," said Pollard. "It's the best training you can get - short races, prompt turnarounds, and a chance to refine handling and strategy."
UK Class Secretary Phil Tilley reflected on the success of the event: "Four days of shorts with all races completed and no delays - unheard of in the UK! It was great to spend time ashore with everyone and be reminded why the Nationals is such a cornerstone event. The standard continues to rise as we all reach for the bar set by long-time stalwarts like John, Charlie and Mark."
Newer teams also made their presence felt, including Dark'n'Stormy, who led around the first mark in Race 6. The only overseas team, Sailing Betties-2, won the Top Youth prize and said, "Thanks for making us feel so welcome! We had a lovely weekend and can't wait to see you all again at the SB20 Europeans in Ostend this August."
The SB20 UK Class now looks ahead to Cowes Week (2-8 August), before joining the international fleet for the SB20 European Championships in Ostend this September.
National Championship Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Helm | Crew | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | R9 | Pts |
|---|
| 1 | 3834 | Pollard | Barnes & Hughes | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | (DNC) | 13 |
| 2 | 3841 | Whelan | McAdam | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | (UFD) | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 19 |
| 3 | 3820 | Gillett | Anderton & Hine | 3 | (DSQ) | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 21 |
| 4 | 3732 | Rumbelow | Davis | ‑5 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 29 |
| 5 | 3510 | Berry | Meadow | 4 | 4 | 6 | (BFD) | 2 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 33 |
| 6 | 3336 | Williams | Kemp | 7 | 7 | ‑12 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 56 |
| 7 | 3816 | Tilley | Povall & Lomas Clark | 10 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 9 | ‑11 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 58 |
| 8 | 3095 | Wilkinson | Cleasby | 6 | 5 | 5 | 11 | ‑13 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 61 |
| 9 | 3556 | Mercer | Hitchcock & Nicholson | 8 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | ‑11 | 10 | 69 |
| 10 | 3462 | Harris | Kelsall & Salt | 12 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 6 | (UFD) | 10 | RET | DNC | 76 |
| 11 | 3502 | Bouckaert | Eline & Alma | 11 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 13 | (RET) | 6 | 79 |
| 12 | 3177 | Whyburd | Slade | 9 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | ‑13 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 81 |
| 13 | 3515 | Graham‑Troll | Redmond | ‑14 | 13 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 12 | 8 | RET | 82 |
| 14 | 3160 | Bailey | Shuttleworth | 13 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | ‑14 | 12 | 11 | 96 |
Sprint Championship Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Helm | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | Pts |
|---|
| 1 | 3834 | Pollard | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 11 |
| 2 | 3820 | Gillett | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 16 |
| 3 | 3510 | Berry | 3 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 20 |
| 4 | 3841 | Whelan | DNC | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 21 |
| 5 | 3816 | Tilley | 4 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 34 |
| 6 | 3556 | Mercer | 5 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 40 |
| 7 | 3336 | Williams | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 41 |
| 8 | 3177 | Whyburd | 6 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 45 |
| 9 | 3160 | Bailey | UFD | 9 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 52 |
| 10 | 3732 | Rumbelow | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 5 | RET | 60 |