As the Class President, it is an absolute pleasure to welcome you to our global community at a time of extraordinary momentum and growth for the SB20. Looking back at our 2025 season, it was truly a defining year that showcased the very best of our Class – fierce on-water competition blended with our unmatched onshore camaraderie. From the spectacular World Championships in Singapore, where John Pollard clinched his hard-earned title, to an unforgettable European Championship in Ostend, Belgium, won by Hendrik Witzmann in thrilling fashion, 2025 proved that the global appetite for top-tier one-design racing is stronger than ever.
A massive driver of this energy is our strengthened collaboration with Devoti Sailing. Earlier this year, the SB20 World Council unanimously approved a landmark long-term strategic partnership with Devoti through to 2030. This plan provides the stability, clarity and ambition needed to propel the Class into its next chapter. Most excitingly, this partnership has secured an incredible lineup of future World Championships, bringing the pinnacle of SB20 racing back to some of the world’s most iconic sailing venues. Following our upcoming World Championships in France 2026 and the UK in 2027, we are thrilled to confirm that the SB20 Worlds will head to Anzio, Italy in 2028, return to the legendary waters of Hobart, Australia in 2029 and revisit the magnificent shores of Cascais, Portugal in 2030.
This long-term vision is already sparking a massive resurgence worldwide. We are seeing numbers rise across the globe, notably with a fantastic renaissance of the Class in Italy, marked by a highly successful league season-opener in Anzio. Likewise, fleet momentum is building rapidly in the UK as fleets grow and sharpen their skills looking ahead to the 2027 Worlds in Torquay.
Right now, all eyes are fixed on the upcoming 2026 SB20 World Championship in Hyères, France this October. It already promises to be an absolute blockbuster – a true “Battle of the Titans.” Hyères is famous for its demanding breeze and exceptional open-water racecourse and we are firmly on target to see up to 80 boats packing the starting line. The excitement is already palpable with the confirmed return of some of the sport’s heavyweights, including two-time World Champion Jerry Hill historically reuniting his 2010 winning crew, alongside fierce international campaigns arriving from Australia, Singapore, Belgium, and beyond.
Our Class is open for everyone – sailors of all ages, professional and amateur sailors, youth & female teams and those transitioning into keelboats. If you are a new owner stepping into one of our brand-new Devoti hulls, there has never been a more exciting or stable time to be part of the SB20 Class.
See you on the start line,
Scott Glanville
SB20 Class President
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