BRICS Sailing Championship 2026 Day 2

by Olga Zvyagina 6 Sep 04:25 PDT 3-6 September 2026

Strong winds intensify racing

The second racing day of the international regatta of 3rd stage of Tenzor Elite Cup and BRICS Sailing Championship 2026 gave participants a real adrenaline rush. Strong winds with gusts of up to 30 knots, torrential rain and sharp course changes turned the races into a true test of strength for both crews and boats. Racing Committee managed to hold three races, and the leading group once again confirmed their high class.

Ptichki Sailing Team skippered by Elvira Pinchuk continued to dominate the course with confidence. Two wins and one second finish allowed them not only to strengthen their overall lead but also to pull more than 10 points ahead of their closest rivals. With such a cushion, the crew approached the final racing day with a serious advantage.

The fight for second place turned out to be fierce. Maxim Batrakov's Bars Sailing Team is one point ahead of Petr Bukin's W Sailing Team, while another serious contender - Andrey Pushkin's Tenzor Team - trails the second place by 4 points. Rounding out the top-5 is Skolkovo Sailing Team-3, but their margin is very small - only two points behind them is Butter Sailing Team, and another two points further back is Yacht Club Pirogovo. The suspense is at its peak.

Regatta PRO Vladimir Komel highly praised the organization and pace of the racing: "We are on a good schedule. Eight races have been held over two days. On the first day there were five races in fresh winds; on the second day the weather threw us a curveball - the wind strengthened to storm gusts and we were able to run only three races."

Butter Sailing Team's tactician Mikhail Yatsun shared his emotions: "The day was intense. We did well on the approaches to the first mark; in the second race we led but couldn't hold the position. In the third race, as the wind increased to 28-30 knots, the boats heeled over heavily, many broachings - it was spectacular. The most memorable moment was the downwind leg, where we hit 16.5 knots. For us that's a big achievement. The main thing is to keep your composure in such conditions."

Sergey Maruk from Yacht Club Pirogovo called the day "a victory over ourselves and the nature": "We had two broachings - we lay over beautifully but managed to recover, losing a couple of places. Rain like a wall, wind but we raced, we flew."

The day was especially dramatic for Skolkovo Sailing Team-3. Helmsman Sergey Doronin said: "We didn't have time to practice and jumped straight into the racing. With gusts up to 30 knots, we went to the right and found ourselves in the epicentre of the storm. At the leeward mark, the tiller extension broke, and I had to steer manually - a first experience in such conditions. Mentally we were prepared; the team is experienced, we didn't panic and even overtook two boats. On the final day we expect calmer weather and will fight to improve our result."

After the races, there was a business program took place on shore, bringing together participants, guests and experts from the BRICS countries. In the format of open discussions, five key topics were examined in detail.

• India - the BRICS Chair Country 2026: participants discussed the dynamic development of sailing in India, its growing role in world sailing, and plans to expand infrastructure.

• The Power of Women in Sport and Business: during the Year of the Woman in Belarus, a lively dialogue took place on involving women in sailing, on how sailing helps develop leadership qualities and create projects that combine sport and business.

• Judging and Umpiring at International Regattas: professionals shared their experience, discussed quality standards and approaches to judging, as well as opportunities for mutual learning between countries. The BRICS countries demonstrate extensive experience in this area.

• Sailing as a platform for business ties: participants confirmed that sailing has long become an effective platform for building business bridges and finding reliable partners - many contacts made during the regatta have already grown into concrete projects.

The organizers noted the high interest in the discussions and expressed confidence that the business program will become a fine tradition of the Championship.

The third racing day promises equally fierce competition. Weather forecasts suggest moderate winds, which will allow the teams to showcase all their skill. The fate of the prize places will be decided in the decisive races!

Results after Day 2: (eight races)

1. Ptichki Sailing Team 9pts
2. Bars Sailing Team 20pts
3. W Sailing Team 21pts
4. Tenzor Team 24pts
5. Skolkovo Sailing Team 3 34pts
6. Butter Sailing Team 36pts
7. Yacht Club Pirogovo 38pts
8. NOVASAIL Team 58pts
9. Tornado 70pts
10. LITMUS7 Team 70pts
11. Team India 41pts