Yesterday in Hyères, France, 66 nations competed in the SB20 World Championship. Among the crews were four teams from SSL: Vietnam, Mozambique, Cuba and Morocco, making the event a truly international experience.
The competitors also had to contend with very challenging conditions through the week, as a strong Mistral wind swept across the racecourse, with gusts reaching even to 30 knots, making racing particularly demanding for all the crews.
Morocco and Mozambique were the only two African teams, while Cuba was the sole representative from South America. From Asia, the participating teams represented Vietnam, the UAE and Singapore.
The highest-ranked SSL team was Cuba, which finished 40th. For the Cuban crew, the regatta was a valuable opportunity to gain experience ahead of the SSL Pan American Qualifiers in Rio de Janeiro, taking place from 12–16 November at Marina da Glória. Team Cuba will face Uruguay and Venezuela, with only one team securing a place in the SSL Gold Cup Finals.
After their demanding experience in Pattaya, Thailand, during last year's Asian Qualifiers, where SSL Team Vietnam made its debut, the crew returned to international competition ten months later. This time, they faced the challenging conditions of the SB20 Worlds.
Vicky Tran Thi Hong Nhung shared her impressions:
"First of all, I want to thank the SSL team for bringing us here to compete in the SB20 World Championship. The weather has been quite challenging for us. It's very windy, but it's also a beautiful place to sail. One of the things I will take back to Vietnam is the memory of the friendships we have made. Another important takeaway is that we have developed good teamwork. We understand our positions on the boat, respect each other and have learned to listen better. We hope to see more people in Vietnam and more young people around the world trying sailing, because it's a really great activity. We also hope that Vietnam will have the opportunity to organise more regattas and welcome teams from other countries. As a team, and especially for young people, we would love to have more opportunities to compete internationally. I also want to empower girls and women to give sailing a try. This is the first time we have had an all-female team representing us in sailing, and I hope everyone will be open to trying it. Just give it a go!"
SSL Team Morocco and SSL Team Mozambique had already completed their SSL campaign during the African Qualifiers. However, their participation in international events like the SB20 Worlds shows how SSL can make sailing more accessible to developing sailing nations and provide valuable opportunities to gain experience on the international stage. Zineb Harris of SSL Team Morocco shared his thoughts on the experience:
"I really enjoy it. It's great fun, especially when there's a lot of wind. Our team is giving it everything we've got, and we're really enjoying ourselves. First of all, we have the same skipper here as we had in the SSL. He already has experience sailing the big SSL boats, so the SB20 feels quite small in comparison. We can manage it quite easily, and we've gained a lot of experience, especially together with the other team members"
"I think the SSL is a really good initiative because it allows developing countries to participate in major international events. It includes them and gives them the chance to experience sailing, which is a major sport. Everyone has different techniques and approaches, so we learn a lot from each other. We've already achieved a big victory simply by being here. Our participation is a win in itself. Of course, we also want to achieve a good result, but we'll be happy because we're having fun and enjoying the strong wind. We would also like to thank the SSL team for bringing us here. Thank you so much!"
The SB20 Worlds was more than just another regatta for these crews. It was an opportunity to gain international experience, strengthen teamwork, exchange knowledge, and build friendships across continents. And perhaps most importantly, it was another step towards making sailing more accessible to young people and developing sailing nations around the world.
The overall podium was led by UAE 3823, KIDZINK YOUTH, followed by France's FRA 3716, SOCARE MARBRERIE, in second place. The French team also claimed victory in the Youth category. Third place went to another French crew, FRA 3837, LYNX, which also took the win in the Corinthian category.
- 1st overall: UAE 3823 – KIDZINK YOUTH
- 2nd overall: FRA 3716 – SOCARE MARBRERIE (Youth category winners)
- 3rd overall: FRA 3837 – LYNX (Corinthian category winners)
FULL RESULTS are here.
Photo Credits: © João Saraiva Mendes