(MENAFN- Mid-East)
SB20 World Sailing Championships were held in Dubai 13-16 February, sponsored by Dubai Duty Free
Dubai-based businesswoman Charlotte Borghesi & her team made history as the first female helmed team and first team representing the UAE to ever win a sailing world championship
Kidzink won the World Championship amongst 47 teams representing 11 different countries.
Dubai: The Dubai Duty Free SB20 Triple Sailing Championships concluded with an exhilarating finale of the 2024 SB20 World Championships, where Team Kidzink secured a historic victory over 47 other global teams making Charlotte Borghesi & her team the first female helmed team and the first team representing the UAE to ever win a sailing world championship.
The win for the Dubai-based businesswoman and owner of Kidzink and her team was confirmed at the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club (DOSC), after intense competition across 13 thrilling races, between 13-16 February, 2024. Team Kidzink emerged triumphant, showcasing exceptional skill, teamwork, and determination.
Along with Helm and Driver Borghesi, the team comprises Strategist and Olympic Gold Medalist (Team GBR, Beijing 2008) Pippa Kenton-Page; Tactician Artem Basalkin, and Trimmer Goncalo Lopes. The team was coached by Rodion Luka , Olympic Bronze Medalist (UKR, Athens 2004) and Designer of the L30 yacht.
The final day of the championships witnessed ideal sailing conditions, with stable winds ranging from 6 to 9 knots, setting the stage for an exciting conclusion to the event.
Reflecting on her victory and the lead-up to the Championships, Charlotte Borghesi said: In November, I decided I wanted to perform at the highest possible level, rather than simply perform to enjoy and have fun. I am attracted by big daring goals and the UAE, where I have built a home life with my family for the past 14 years, is built and moved forward with the vision of making the impossible possible. Forming the best possible team with Artem, Goncalo and my soulmate – Pippa, and with the structure, guidance and experience that Rodion brought, clearly helped realize this vision, here in my adopted home. I am over the moon thrilled, it's still a bit surreal.”
The SB20 class of boat is sailed by 3-4 sailors and offers high performance sailing. Sponsored by Dubai Duty Free, The SB20 World Championships showcased the world's top sailors competing for glory in the heart of Dubai and followed two momentous events including the SB20 Middle East Championship, 1st to 3rd December 2023 and the Asia Pacific Championships 2024, held from 2nd to 4th February 2023.
At the conclusion of the Championships, Dubai Duty Free Chief Operating Officer Ramesh Cidambi said,“I think it is absolutely fantastic that we had a great diversity in terms of nationalities. We had sailors coming from 11 different countries and to cap it all to have a finish with Kidzink skippered by Charlotte Borghesi – a UAE based woman – winning over so many talented teams. We are pleased to conclude another successful collaboration with Dubai Offshore Sailing Club.“
A longtime resident of Dubai, Charlotte Borghesi is also the owner of Kidzink, which the champion team is named after. Kidzink is an educational design and manufacturing firm dedicated to building inspiring learning spaces. Through its group of companies including Koda, an architectural practice specialized on education, Kidzink has designed and furnished some of the most iconic and successful schools in the Middle East and worldwide.
Named as Fast Company's Most Innovative Company – Education 2023 in a ceremony in Dubai late December, Kidzink was recognized for its pioneering approach to educational design that to date, has touched the lives of almost half a million students across 450 schools.
In reflecting on the win, Borghesi added that her role as business owner has also both allowed her and prepared her for the World Championships: “There are so many parallels between between success in business and success in sport and in training for the event, I used the same principles that I do in business: teamwork, creativity and an intense focus on the task at hand to do your best at any cost. Our team is named Kidzink and that is testament to the wider team at Kidzink as well, this is a win for all of us.”
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