Charlotte Borghesi and her all-women Team Kidzink crew delivered a commanding performance at the Wicked SB20 Middle East & UAE Championships, securing the overall title after three intense days of racing hosted by Dubai Offshore Sailing Club. Held from 29 November to 1 December, the event brought together 25 SB20 one-design sportsboats, with light and shifting winds creating tactical challenges across the weekend. Olympians, world champions and top international sailors added further depth to a highly competitive fleet.
Borghesi, the current women’s world champion and a former outright SB20 world champion, skippered Team Kidzink alongside a powerhouse lineup: two-time Italian 470 Olympic representative Federica Salvà, Swedish 470 Olympic bronze medallist at Paris 2024 Lovisa Karlsson, and British Olympic gold medallist in the Yngling Pippa Kenton-Page. Their sharp decision-making and consistency throughout the series secured a well-earned championship victory.
“The Middle East Championship was, yet again, a great event,” Borghesi said.
“Unlike last year the conditions were super tricky. Very light and shifty winds dominated the weekend and with a high quality fleet of both local and international sailors and professionals the racing required full on focus. It’s such a privilege to be able to sail amongst family and friends at the highest level and be at the front of the fleet, next to my husband Paolo and my 11-year-old son William who gave very seasoned professionals a run for their money.”
The Borghesi family delivered one of the standout stories of the regatta. Paolo and his Koda crew finished third overall, while 11-year-old William and his Wind Warriors placed a remarkable sixth.
“William with his team Rhys, Matteo and Afonso arrived at the top mark in the top three in almost every race, super impressive,” Borghesi said. “Paolo, Diogo and George managed a third place but they are focused on working their way to the top in time for the World Championships later this year.”
Borghesi also highlighted Team Kidzink’s broader purpose: “My team is amazing. All previous Olympians with two medals on board. But more than this, these girls are committed to teamwork and excellence and progressing the sport for women; a team we don’t want to be exclusively women but we want to be predominantly women in all of the classes we sail. We will continue to sail the SB20 in Dubai and at key international events, definitely the Worlds in France next year. We also have plans for next year in the Swan 28, a class dominated by men, so we hope to take them by storm. And we will continue to race on the RS21 circuit in Italy.”
Now in its third edition and its second year as part of the SARF National Championships, the Wicked SB20 Middle East & UAE Championships has quickly become a cornerstone event for the region’s sportsboat racing calendar.
Michal Pajak, skipper of SuperSonic and SB20 UAE Class Chairman, delivered one of the weekend’s strongest finishes with results of 2, 3, 2 on the final day. His performance lifted SuperSonic to seventh overall and secured the Corinthian trophy.
“Over the past few years we’ve built a strong and healthy SB20 fleet here in Dubai, one we’re truly proud of,” Pajak said. “This weekend delivered world-class competition, with multiple Olympians, World Champions and European Champions battling it out on the water. Huge congratulations to the team on Kidzink, our 2025 SB20 Middle East Champion. An outstanding performance and a well-deserved title.”
Alan Ruigrok, skipper of Old Spice, finished ninth overall and third among the Corinthian teams behind SuperSonic and Ragged Edge: “As a new team this season we’ve focused hard on preparation, and we’re lucky that our Commodore’s Cup club racing is at such a high level, it’s been ideal training. Despite the light winds the race management did a great job delivering a full series. The fleet was stacked with professional sailors which really pushed us. We had a lot of fun out there and it’s a real privilege to race alongside sailors of that calibre right on our doorstep.”
Borghesi credited DOSC’s race team and volunteers for elevating the standard of competition: “The standard of racing in Dubai goes from strength to strength and we hope it continues to grow. Dubai has amazing sailing conditions for six months of the year and DOSC along with the race organisation and the volunteers are always amazing. Getting nine solid races in the bag despite the tricky conditions was really impressive.”
The SB20 fleet will return to action for the upcoming IRC Middle East Championship at DOSC on 13 and 14 December, where more than 100 boats across dinghy, sportsboat and keelboat classes are expected.
