Strong Mistral winds provided challenging conditions for competitors at the 2026 SB20 World Championship in Hyères, France, with three races completed on Thursday 22 October.
The fourth day of racing saw winds building throughout the morning, with gusts reaching 30 knots and several boats struggling with the increasingly demanding conditions.
Three Races in Strong Conditions
Race 4 got underway at approximately 10am in a freshening Mistral breeze of 15–22 knots.
France’s Lynx Corinthian made the most of a decision to favour the right-hand side of the opening beat, going on to claim the race victory.
The UAE’s Kidzink Youth finished second, while Australia’s Ares Youth/Women secured third place.
Conditions became increasingly challenging during Race 5 as the Mistral strengthened, with gusts reaching 30 knots and producing spectacular action around the windward mark.
By Race 6, several boats had abandoned racing as conditions became rough. The breeze subsequently eased to a more consistent 22 knots, although gusts continued to exceed 25 knots.
Australian Crew Finds Its Rhythm
The Australian Porco Rosso team reported an encouraging finish to the day after initially struggling to settle into the demanding conditions.
“Today our helmsman was Miki Romanyk. During the first two races we were trying to process everything onboard and the third everything clicked.
“We had a great start and are used to strong winds in Hobart.”
The crew’s experience in strong Tasmanian conditions appeared to serve them well as the day progressed.
Kidzink Youth Maintains Championship Lead
In the provisional overall standings, subject to jury decisions, the UAE’s Kidzink Youth retained the championship lead.
France’s Socare Marbrerie held second place, with compatriots Lynx in third.
The demanding conditions also took a toll on equipment, with Julien Bunel’s team suffering a broken mast. Another Belgian team had experienced a similar failure the previous day.
France and UAE Battle for Nations Cup
The competition for the newly named Katie Jackson Nations Cup remains particularly close heading into the final day.
France holds a narrow advantage, with its three leading boats occupying second, third and fifth places overall.
The UAE is close behind, with its top three teams sitting first, sixth and eighth.
The Nations Cup was renamed this year in honour of Katie Jackson, who served as Executive Secretary of the SB20 World Council during the class’s first ten years and played an important role in its early development.
With the championship concluding on Friday 23 October, France and the UAE are set for a close contest to determine which nation claims the trophy.
Championship Reaches Final Day
The strong Mistral conditions have added another challenge to an already competitive SB20 World Championship.
With Kidzink Youth leading the provisional standings and French teams occupying the next two positions, the final day’s racing will determine the championship outcome.
All boats are fitted with GPS trackers, allowing spectators to follow the fleet’s progress through the MetaSail tracking system.
The 2026 SB20 World Championship concludes in Hyères on Friday 23 October.
For more information about the SB20 class and updates, visit www.sb20class.org
#SB20Class #Sailing #OneDesign #SailingNews #SB20Worlds
Interested in seeing more Racing News? Click here
