With just 40 days to go until the 2025 SB20 European Championship, 17 teams descended on Ostend last weekend for a thrilling three-day rehearsal - the Open Belgian Nationals 2025. Hosted by the Royal North Sea Yacht Club (RNSYC), the event delivered everything a championship fleet could hope for: sunshine, squalls, big waves and bigger drama.
At the end of seven closely fought races, it was Marco van Driel’s Team MXTC from the Netherlands who claimed the Open Belgian title 2025 - adding to their previous wins here in 2019 and 2022. They held off the British team Reservoir Bod skippered by Charles Whelan with a close 3-point margin, with Dutch entry Buitenhuis Advies of Martijn Buitenhuis completing the podium.
“We delivered a 3-day event for 17 dedicated teams and were lucky with the mix of weather conditions - from 6 to 30 knots on the downwind legs and everything in between,” - said Cedric De Bleye, General Secretary of the RNSYC. “It was good to see the enthusiasm building up for the SB20 Europeans. From today on, we go in one straight line to the main event of the season.”
One of the most compelling stories of the weekend came from Charlie Whelan’s Reservoir Bod, featuring the reunion of a crew who had last won in Ostend 16 years ago.
“Back in 2009 the team of Richard Hall, Richard McAdam and I won the Tri-Nations Cup here. Sixteen years later - and many years since Richard Hall last sailed an SB20 - we put the band back together. This time with a combined age of 170!” - remembers Charlie.
This time they arrived in Ostend to take delivery of their brand new Devoti-built SB20 and quickly showed their skills with a 2nd and 3rd on a light first day. “The new boat is lovely!” - Charlie added.
The best on Day 1 was Dutch team Skipjack of Auke Holtrop, Lotte Brasser, Finn Holtrop and Lisanne Nijdam with a 1st and a 2nd. Followed by Go with the Flow and Reservoir Bod tied on 5 points.
Day two saw conditions intensify, with big waves and breeze delivering high-speed racing - and equipment failures. Reservoir Bod and Go with the Flow were forced to retire due to a broken tackline and damaged rudder, but made it back after repairs. “Being on the podium at the end of Day 1 means nothing, if the boat is not properly prepared,” - explained Charlie after a bruising day that also saw early leaders Skipjack suffer a broken mast that forced them to retire completely from the competition.
The final day brought torrential rain and gusty offshore winds. The fleet took shelter before heading out for three back-to-back races. Buitenhuis Advies took two wins, Go With The Flow claimed a race victory, and Reservoir Bod secured the best overall day with a 2, 3, 2. But it wasn’t enough to overhaul the leaders on MXTC!
“I think the competition was very strong this year," - said Marco van Driel. "We sailed a consistent series and made the most of the windy conditions on Saturday, which gave us a comfortable cushion on our nearest rivals - most of whom had their issues. Fellow Dutch team Skipjack were especially unfortunate being out of the competition on Day 2.”
Top Belgian honours went to Go With The Flow, led by Bart Tytgat, who finished fourth overall - the best of a strong local contingent that has helped grow the Belgian SB20 scene significantly in recent years.
Among the standout Belgian performances was Betty 5, sailed by Thomas Bouckaert, Bianca Petiteau, Jutta De Bleye and Kato Maene. Under the guidance of coaches Simon De Gendt and Will Sargent, the young team delivered their best result in Race 6 - a superb second place - finishing as the second-best Belgian entry overall.
For the longest trip made to the event team Reservoir Bod from the UK received a special prize - a giant beer glass from the jealous Belgian fleet. A nice souvenir to take home!
With one final big tune-up behind them, teams are now turning their attention to the SB20 Europeans:
“We don’t sail as much as we used to," - admits MXTC skipper and multiple local winner, - "so sailing with the same crew really helps. Of course, we’ll try to get a good result at the Europeans, but realistically a podium finish will be difficult for us. This is the first event where we qualify as Masters, so let’s see what we can achieve in that category!”
The 2025 SB20 European championship is set to begin on August 18th. There’s still time to sign up… but not much: Sign up here.
As winners of the Belgian Open Nationals, Team MXTC also became the first to receive one of the beautifully handcrafted trophies created by Belgian ceramic artist Martine Fraeyman.
These unique pieces, designed especially for the 2025 SB20 Europeans, will be awarded to the champions next month. Crafted with creativity at A Mano Keramiek, they’ve already become a talking point in the fleet. Who will take them home next? We’ll find out soon!
Photos by Nicolas Boel, Ann-Sophie Borny and A Mano Keramiek