J/70 BRICS Sailing Championship 2025 in Bodrum, Turkiye - Day 1
by Burak Zengin 20 Dec 2025 17:01 HKT
18-21 December 2025
Grand Opening, intense races and business program
The opening ceremony marked the start of the J/70 BRICS Sailing Championship, combined with Leg 2 of the Tenzor International Cup winter series. The event brought together sailors and officials from 10 different countries, symbolizing the spirit of cooperation, friendship, and sporting competition.
China, Russia, India, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Turkey, Italy, Spain, and Germany are represented among the competitors and the jury panel.
"Together, we are opening not only this sporting competition but also new horizons of cooperation and friendship. Different crews under different flags have gathered here, but we are all united by the sea, the race, and the sail. May this regatta be a source of vibrant emotions, new friendships, and sporting achievements!", - noted the speakers at the opening.
In the welcoming address to participants and organizers, Pavel Knyazev, Ambassador at Large of Russia's Foreign Ministry and Russia's BRICS Sous-Sherpa, emphasized:
"We value public initiatives aimed at expanding sports cooperation between BRICS+ countries and all interested partners. I am confident that this unique open regatta project will contribute to the growth of international sports cooperation, promote mutual trust, and expand business and humanitarian ties." He also expressed hope for the continuation of this work during India's chairmanship of the association in 2026 and wished everyone "good luck and fair winds".
The first racing day was marked with perfect wind conditions and uncompromising competition on the water.
As noted by Srikanth Chaturvedi, a jury representative from India: "The first racing day was fantastic. The wind of about 10 knots with gusts up to 14 knots created excellent racing conditions for the regatta participants."
Three races were held precisely on schedule in very close competition.
"The fleet is sportingly aggressive; there is a tough fight on the course between the leading teams, but everyone competes within the rules, so the umpires had very few protest situations," - said Chief Umpire Jules Tronquet from Germany.
After three races, Ptichki Sailing Team, led by Elvira Pinchuk, emerged as the day's leader. Two wins and a sixth-place in last race allowed the team to top the standings with 8 points.
Bars Sailing Team, helmed by Alexey Bunzya, and Gaswar, skippered by Alexander Romanov, secured places in the top three with an equal number of points.
The Turkish team Eker Efsane Yogurt finished 4th in ranking by just 1 point behind the top-3. By the way one race win and excellent potential are active to fight for the podium for them. "The day turned out even better than we expected. We are happy and will maintain this level until the very final. We had to show character and fight in all races. We won one race. For us, it was the perfect starting point. We took a good position and made the right tactical decision. We set the tone from the start and took the lead. It's important that we acted as one team. And everything turned out successfully," - said Melis Baykan.
Hubex Team skippered by Anton Frolov closed the top-5 of the first race day.
"Everything was amazing. We are a fairly light team, and today the weather was on our side, so our finishes were 2-3-9. The team is happy with the result; I hope we can continue at the same pace. Among the interesting moments, I remember the start of the third race. We decided to change plans at the last second, but in the end, everything went well. All the turns and all the marks were rounded quite correctly. We already see the improvements compared to the last event and I believe progress has already been made," shared Anton Frolov.
After the races, the regatta participants met for the business part of the program. During the business session, they discussed the development of sailing in BRICS countries, hearing reports from representatives of China and India, and held discussions on the topic "Sailing as a solid foundation for business ties," with representatives from Turkiye.
The J/70 BRICS Sailing Championship joined with Leg 2 of Tenzor International Cup Winter Series promises to become a significant event in the international calendar, strengthening ties between countries through sport and a passion for the sea. The races continue, with two more days of competition ahead.
Results after Day 1: (top ten, 3 races)
- Ptichki Sailing Team 8pts
- Bars Sailing Team 14pts
- Gaswar 14pts
- Eker Efsane Yogurt 15pts
- Hubex Team 16pts
- Orient Express 18pts
- Tenzor Team 20pts
- Russian Bogatyrs 25pts
- Nautique Yachting 26pts
- Dolce Vita 28pts