Cowes Week 2025: wind, wits and a bit of whiplash
- annazykwork
- Aug 10
- 6 min read
Updated: Aug 11
Cowes Week 2025 saw the biggest SB20 fleet here since the Worlds rolled through in 2017, largely thanks to a lively gang from Sussex Yacht Club (Fluttergrub, Shark bait, Sacre bleu, Huffler and Snollygoster). Most were fresh to the Class, eager to jump in and make waves. Throw in four youth teams, family crews and two female helms, and you’ve got a fleet ticking all the boxes for variety!
Mark Gillett had a cunning plan for Sean Nee, new owner of Boomerang: why not jump straight into Cowes Week? He even tagged along to help rig the boat, launch it properly, and give them a crash course in SB20 sailing. With Sean’s daughters buzzing about the SB20s for months, it was time to see what all the fuss was about.
The Solent, as ever, made sure nobody got too comfortable. Day one was a gentle nudge into the event, with a light-wind start against tide. Sean Nee recalls:
“The first start was very interesting - Northerly and Westerly winds vying for dominance, we were shifting from a run to a beat in moments. We had to a huge lift all the way up to the first mark only to need to hoist the kite to get around the mark in the increasing tide. Mark called the tactics brilliantly and we managed a very respectable third.”
A nice welcome to the Class!
Day 2 was a proper workout - the sort of breeze that has even the old hands mutter “blimey” under their breath. In this lively scenario coming up to 25 knots of breeze in a 400-boat fleet the Cowes Week continued:
“Race one started well, with a good run to the windward mark. We had a couple of broaches - or maybe more, it all blurred - but when you get the boat in the groove, I don’t think I’ve ever had more fun on a boat. Race two saw the wind pick up and plenty of us struggling. By race three, things got pretty hairy..”
With the increased wind Day 3 was blown clean off the schedule, but in true SB20 style, the layday became a pit lane. Crews rallied with tools, tape and spare parts, patching up boats and swapping kit to make sure everyone could get back on the water for the final day of the Grand Slam on Tuesday.
Tuesday was a day for Nils to remind everyone who’s the boss, with three races sailed and three wins for Glasgow Kiss. After Sunday’s blustery battle and Monday’s late-night parties they arrived to the final day both sharp and unshaken. Solid as ever, Nils kept the fleet chasing his wake all day to crown the event with a 10-point advantage.
“He [Nils] sails his boat very well,” - said Mark Brammer, skipper of Mutts Nuts. “He's got a good boat and it's very well set up. And the worst thing about him - he's a nice chap! Yeah, you can't hate him, can you?”
Grand Slam and Mini Slam winners
As usual, the Class programme at Cowes Week was split into two trophies – the Grand Slam (Saturday to Tuesday) and the Mini Slam (Wednesday to Friday).
The Grand Slam was dominated by Glasgow Kiss (Nils Razmilovic, Marcus Tressler, Alex Razmilovic), who took the win with six bullets from nine races (10 points). In second place was Absolut Carnage (Robin Kirby on the helm with Matt and Chris Williams) with 20 points, and Betty (Simon Berry sailing with Nick Meadow and Paul Roberts) completed the podium with 36 points.
“Cowes Week 2025 was fantastic," - said Nils. "The SB20 numbers are growing with the 2027 Worlds coming to the UK. Sailing with my son Alex and racing against my other son Nico, who was with my daughter Sofia, made it extra special. We had a great regatta and can’t wait to be back next year!”
The Mini Slam title went to Breaking Bod (Annabel Whelan), with Shark Bait (Terry Kinch) second and Huffler (Will Holden) third.
“The Mini Slam is a brilliant way to finish Cowes Week,” – said Annabel Whelan. “The atmosphere stays buzzing and the racing fierce. We were neck and neck with Game of Thrones, which kept us on our toes! The variety of conditions made for interesting racing. This was my first year at the back of the boat, so lots learned and winning the Mini Slam was the perfect end to a fantastic regatta.”
Full overall results from Cowes Week 2025:
Pontoon Banter
Robin Kirby, skipper of Absolute Carnage, summed up the week with a grin. He’s been racing SB20s with brothers Matt and Chris for nine years and Cowes Week has always been a fixture:
“It’s been brilliant to see so many new boats and faces this year – both out on the Solent and in the bars,” - he said. “Cowes Week is always so well run – mostly windward-leeward, with the odd Squadron start thrown in – and the socials are just as much part of it as the sailing. Congratulations to Nils and crew and to everyone who raced, drank Dark and Stormy and joined the party.”
For Simon Berry of Betty, the mix of competition and camaraderie was just as memorable:
“Finishing 7th amongst the J/70s in race one, with an elapsed time less than the winning J/70, was pretty crazy,” - he laughed. “The Dark’n’Stormy pontoon party was a highlight, as was tearing downwind in 17 knots on day two!”
Mark Brammer, who made the trip from Ullswater was delighted to see the growing SB20 participation:
“The increased numbers in the fleet were a real highlight and it was good to see that older boats, like mine (3095), can still mix with the newer ones. We were finishing alongside much newer boats like Absolute Carnage (37**). The fastest speed we saw was 15.7. We learned on that day that we should tighten the rig a bit more than we did. I've had the boat for 10 years and I'm still learning! It was well worth the drive down from “up Norf” – though it would be great to see some southern boats coming up for the Inlands at Ullswater on 6-7th September. It’s only 10 minutes off the motorway, so no excuses!”
The Class was happy to welcome again the youth team from Radley College - already a regular at our events and not the first-time Cowes Week participants:
"Although cut short by a sheared mast step, Cowes drew many positives for us as a team and a high baseline for next season. Battling a shifty breeze and multiple breakages, the ethos of bow down and back end power was prominent in our upwind boat speed. Throughout the week we developed the factors around our decisions; reflected in our climb up the results and most clearly shown in the bullet on Wednesday ," - shared helm Oliver Casey.
A Baptism of fire for Boomerang
After day one, Sean and the team reckoned: “This sportboat thing is easy”. Thanks to Mark’s sharp starts, they posted some decent finishes, even if the day was peppered with "all the dropped tillers, wrong sheet pulls, forgetting to un-cleat the halyard drops etc etc".
“We came off the water tired, but buzzing,” - he added. Sunday was a whirlwind of speed - zooming past boats and bouncing over waves until suddenly:
“I was hitting over 16 knots for the first time on a sailboat. My nerves were shot, but in a good way.”
From light-wind drills on the way to Cowes, to rig repairs in a rolling swell, to adrenaline-fueled downwind blasts, Sean’s first Cowes was packed with podium moments, a few broaches and even an unexpected swim in the Solent. Despite the bumps and bruises, the verdict was simple:
“This boat just keeps on giving and we can’t wait to get back out there! Mark’s seen it all before, but even he was whooping when we finally got into the groove and the spray was flying.”
Final words
The SB20 fleet at Cowes Week 2025 captured the best of it – competitive, welcoming and always ready for a party. With the 200th edition of Cowes Week looming in 2026 and the SB20 Worlds returning to the UK in 2027 the momentum is here.
Thanks to all teams for making the effort to come and race, but moreover for being there for each other and utterly enjoying yourselves!
Some of the UK’s SB20 teams are already testing the waters in Ostend ahead of the SB20 European Championships 2025 next week – and doing so with promising results. There’s still time to sign up and be part of the action.
Photo gallery
If sharing the photos, please refer to: image copyright - copyright : Paul Wyeth - pwpictures.com and Martin Allen for Cowes Week 2025
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