Rovika SB20 Open UK National Championship 2026 at Royal London Yacht Club
by Anna Zykova 30 Jul 10:20 PDT
25-28 July 2026
From 25th to 28th July 2026, the Royal London Yacht Club (RLYC) hosted an epic edition of the Rovika Open UK SB20 Nationals and Open Championships. Gathering 31 teams from across Australia, France, Belgium, Singapore and the UK, four days of action spanned from 25-knot Solent blasts to nail-biting light-air tactical battles setting a new benchmark for the UK Class.
Saturday, 25th July: The Sprint Series Warm-Up
The regatta opened on Saturday with a fast-paced, three-race Sprint Series. With a Southwesterly breeze pumping from 18 to 24 knots, boat handling and consistency without discards were put straight to the test.
Mark Gillett on PBTwenty II sailing with Paul Hine and Richard Anderton (fresh off an 8th-place finish at the 505 Worlds) - put on a masterclass in consistency, posting a winning 6-2-3 scorecard. Mark noted:
"Conservative but clear lane starts proved important, pushing hard downwind to benefit from our lighter crew, and grabbing a few nice shifts. The SB20 is fantastic in this breeze - exhilarating to sail and rewarding for the crews. It was champagne sailing!"
Sunday, 26th July (Day 1): Solent Gales and RLYC Hospitality
Sunday brought a stark reminder of the Solent's raw power for Day 1 of the ROVIKA Open and UK Nationals. With gusts topping 25 knots across the racecourse, Race Officer Peter Taylor made the prudent call to display AP over A, keeping the fleet ashore.
While racing was put on hold, the Royal London Yacht Club stepped up with world-class hospitality. The class held its AGM in an informal manner providing discussions on the bright future for the Class in the UK. An opportunity for the many fleet newcomers to get clarity on rules and plans for future events. The club has pulled the event BBQ forward, opening their doors and bar to an eager fleet.
Monday, 27th July (Day 2): Classic Solent Champagne Sailing
Monday delivered the quintessential Solent package: blue skies, high temperatures, a building sea breeze and fierce rivalry. After the initial postponement to let a shifty North-Westerly settle, the Race Committee got racing under way in 10 to 12 knots before the customary sea breeze built in.
2025 SB20 World Champion (and reigning UK National champion) John Pollard on XCELLENT - reunited with his 2025 World Championship winning crew of Henry Wetherell and David Chapman - stamped their authority on the fleet, holding off the pressure from Nils Razmilovic's Glasgow Kiss to take the overnight lead by three points. The RLYC's hospitality has ensured that the fun continued after a few endless protests with pints of Peroni and spirited "sailing karate" at the bar.
Tuesday, 28th July (Day 3): RaceSense Precision
Tuesday's final day posed a different tactical puzzle. Sitting under a light 3-knot Southwesterly in the morning, the RC faced a tight window to complete the championship before the 15:00 final warning signal cutoff. Lighter breeze compressed the fleet and made clean-lane starts to the favoured left side critical, especially with seven boats packed with top pro sailors pushing the pace.
Utilising the Vakaros RaceSense technology, RO Peter Taylor and his team executed a masterclass in race management, squeezing in four rapid-fire races in a shifting 6 to 11 knot breeze. The weather-going tide pushed boats over the line who were instantly identified as OCS and had to return with no general recalls required. The final race of the regatta got under way with just five minutes to spare at 14:55, a single general recall would have prevented this.
Mark Gillett, helm of PBTwenty II, noted that missing the far left early made recovery tough: "getting back into the leaders was a challenge in the lighter downwind runs against the tide." PBTwenty II fought hard to secure 6th overall (2nd UK boat), looking ahead to resuming the battle at Cowes Week.
While XCELLENT claimed the overall victory with six bullets, the fleet proved nobody was invincible. In Race 7, a door opened for Nils Razmilovic's Glasgow Kiss to snatch a well-earned win, closely pursued by fellow Singapore-flagged entry The Incident, skippered by Daire O'Reilly, who crossed in 2nd.
Throughout the regatta, the pressure at the front was relentless. French entries Lynx of Pierre-Yves Lambert and Ed Russo's Skin in the Game consistently challenged the top boats, bringing a high level of competition from Hyères.
It was also another accomplishment for Henry Wetherell, securing his third UK National title this year following his victories in the J/70 and Moth classes. Reflecting on the team's performance, Henry noted:
"David did a fantastic job on tactics, putting us in controlling positions so we could really leverage our boat speed. John is in top form and raring to go - we're feeling great, but a lot of things have to fall into place to win a World Championship."
With this victory team XCELLENT now turn their attention to defending their title at the 2026 SB20 World Championship in Hyères, France. Tactician David Chapman highlighted the team's dynamic, which consistently delivers top-level performance whenever they are racing together:
"It was our first time back together since Singapore... We didn't have a chance to train, but we all slotted into position pretty quickly. Henry has been on a bit of a hot streak and John did a great job keeping us on the pace - he's a top-level helm."
Winning helm John Pollard concluded: "High calibre Nationals sailed on the mighty Solent with full-range conditions. Team XCELLENT was on point with expert starts and strategy throughout... Super pleased to take the win in a tight fleet with plenty of champions on the line. A fantastic event and what a fleet with a great dockside atmosphere. Thanks everybody for the most memorable Nationals to date!"
Fleet Winners and Future Plans
The regatta highlighted the generosity and sportsmanship that defines the SB20 class:
Top Female Team: Eirini Marios and her Australian crew onboard Ares delivered a stellar performance, claiming a race win during the Sprint Series and pushing hard at the front of the fleet.
Masters Trophy: While PBtwenty II topped the Masters scoreline, Mark Gillett and his team gracefully passed the trophy to Tony Woods on Frankie The Rhino - a wonderful gesture to encourage and welcome the fleet's newer boat owners.
Youth Trophy: The visiting Belgian Youth team posted a higher score overall in the category, but had to make a quick dash to catch their ferry and missed the prize-giving. The Top UK Youth Trophy was awarded to Reuben Uglow's Firefly.
Meanwhile, other youth teams, notably the Oxfordshire Schools team, made huge gains across the week thanks to coaching and tips shared generously throughout the regatta.
Summing up a memorable championship, UK SB20 Class Chairman Charlie Whelan, who spearheaded the event alongside UK Class Secretary Phil Tilley, reflected on a landmark week:
"The class has worked hard to rebuild numbers, and to see 31 boats on the start line supported by world-class race management and superb social events showed just how strong, friendly and inclusive this fleet has become. Having so many overseas entries raised the standard of competition to a level we haven't seen in nearly a decade.
A massive thank you to our title sponsor rideROVIKA - with wall-to-wall sunshine all weekend, those long-sleeve tops were absolute lifesavers out on the water! We are also enormously grateful to the Royal London and the Royal Southern Yacht Club for launch support and our volunteers.
Next up is Cowes Week, and after that, all eyes turn to the 2026 Worlds in Hyères. Any UK teams still on the fence should reach out - we'll help get you to the start line, ready for the 2027 Worlds in Torquay!"
UK National Championship podium:
1. XCELLENT - John Pollard, Henry Wetherell, David Chapman
2. PBtwenty II - Mark Gillett, Paul Hine, Richard Anderton
3. Reservoir Bod - Charlie Whelan, Richard McAdam, Patrick Whelan
Sprint Series Results [PDF]
Corinthian, Female, Masters, Youth results [PDF]
Overall Open Fleet Results:
| Pos | Nat | Boat Name | Sail No | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | GBR | XCELLENT | 3834 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ‑4 | 1 | 9 |
| 2nd | SGP | Glasgow Kiss | 3750 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ‑3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 14 |
| 3rd | AUS | Porco Rosso | 3855 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 5 | ‑14 | 32 |
| 4th | SGP | The Incident | 3845 | (SCP) | 5 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 34 |
| 5th | FRA(ITA) | Lynx | 3491 | 4 | 6 | 4 | (SCP) | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 36 |
| 6th | GBR | Twenty | 3820 | 3 | 4 | ‑13 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 5 | 42 |
| 7th | GBR | Reservoir Bod | 3841 | ‑15 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 46 |
| 8th | FRA | Skin in the | 3844 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 8 | ‑11 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 46 |
| 9th | GBR | Ethel | 3027 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 7 | ‑14 | 3 | 55 |
| 10th | AUS | Ares | 3819 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 5 | 13 | 13 | ‑17 | 71 |
| 11th | GBR | Frankie The | 3504 | 8 | 15 | 7 | ‑16 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 74 |
| 12th | GBR | Great White | 3336 | 14 | 11 | ‑18 | 10 | 17 | 14 | 16 | 4 | 86 |
| 13th | GBR | Doris | 3732 | ‑21 | 17 | 11 | 18 | 20 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 94 |
| 14th | GBR | BOOMERANG | 3584 | 10 | 16 | 14 | (RET) | 16 | 19 | 7 | 13 | 95 |
| 15th | GBR | Slinky | 3069 | ‑23 | 12 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 16 | 12 | 16 | 95 |
| 16th | GBR | Muttsnuts | 3095 | 11 | ‑20 | 19 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 104 |
| 17th | GBR | Frank 3.5 | 3204 | 17 | 14 | 15 | (RET) | 15 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 111 |
| 18th | | [none] | 3086 | 18 | 19 | ‑20 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 12 | 116 |
| 19th | GBR | TÃn Gwyllt | 3515 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 14 | 21 | 18 | 20 | ‑24 | 119 |
| 20th | GBR | Amica | 3164 | ‑24 | 18 | 12 | 12 | 19 | 22 | 19 | 22 | 124 |
| 21st | GBR | DARK N | 3177 | 26 | 21 | 22 | (DNC) | 13 | 20 | 24 | 19 | 145 |
| 22nd | BEL | Collective 1 | 3518 | 20 | 23 | 21 | 19 | ‑24 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 146 |
| 23rd | GBR | Snollygoster | 3023 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 21 | 23 | ‑26 | 23 | 23 | 163 |
| 24th | GBR | Firefly | 3135 | 13 | 30 | 28 | (RET) | 22 | 24 | 29 | 21 | 167 |
| 25th | GBR | Strange Brew | 3137 | 19 | 25 | 23 | (RET) | 26 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 168 |
| 26th | GBR | Huffler | 3022 | 22 | 22 | 25 | (RET) | 27 | 27 | 21 | 25 | 169 |
| 27th | GBR | Fluttergrub | 3081 | ‑27 | 26 | 26 | 20 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 174 |
| 28th | GBR | SACRE BLEU | 3089 | 28 | 27 | 27 | (RET) | 28 | 30 | 27 | 28 | 195 |
| 29th | GBR | Salt | 3661 | 30 | 28 | (RET) | 31 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 204 |
| 30th | GBR | Shark Bait | 3082 | 29 | 29 | 29 | (DNF) | 30 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 205 |