Aussies Impress At SB20 Worlds

A total of 75 fleets took part in the recent SB 20 international event. Australians showed their prowess and skill in the sport boat class division at the SB20 Worlds held at the Cascais in Portugal. Two of Hobart boats came in the fourth and the fifth position at the SB20 and they were the Export Roo and Flirtatious.

The Sorrento Sailing Club man Chris Dare’s Flirtatious came in the 4th position overall and three points ahead of its compatriot Export Roo boat helmed by Michel Cooper. This boat belonged to the Royal Yacht Club. Michel is the Director of the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania.

The two final races of the SB20 are where these two crews showed their class and sailing skills. Cooper and his crew of David Chapman and Commodore Mathew Johnston were in the sixth and the fifth positions on the final day of the race and Drew and his crew comprising of Ella Clark and Oliver Tweddle were in eighth and fourth places. The final result had Flirtatious finish with net 97 points and Export Roo complete with net 100 points.

Russia was the eventual winner of the Portugal SB20 Worlds with boat New Territories helmed by Hugo Rocha, who owns a Croatia bareboat charters company, and it earned net points of 55, the second place was bagged by French vessel France Jeune with 72 points and third place overall was Trem Engineers from Ukraine with 76 points.

Flirtatious put up a stupendous show at the SB20 as it fished in the top ten in nine races out of the 14. Export Roo was not far behind as it completed the championship races with eight top ten performances out of the possible 14 races. This gives these Australian teams and sailors a big boost and confidence to perform at its best when the 2018 World Championship hits River Derwent in Hobart.