About us
Sportsboat World
Sportsboat World is the manufacturer and worldwide distributor of the SB20, a British-built one-design 6.15m keelboat conceived by Tony Castro as a wide appeal, affordable, competitive sports sailboat.
Two decades after the successful launch of this strict one-design sailboat, we are now ready to widen our reach by strengthening our ties with our trusted international network of SB20 dealers and stakeholders and expanding into new territories, building on the 800-strong fleet of SB20s around the world.
Sportsboat World supports the Jubilee Sailing Trust
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Our Team
Tony Castro
CEO
Email: tony.castro@sportsboatworld.com
Born in Lisbon, Portugal, Tony Castro has been designing sailing and motor yachts for 40 years, with about 9,500 boats launched to date that include a wide array of vessels from renowned brands, one-design production models and custom-made superyachts.
Acknowledged amongst the top racing-yacht designers in the world, the quest for performance is core to Tony Castro. His meticulous attention to detail and original vision has pushed performance on virtually every new boat Tony has designed.
Tony’s racing boats portfolio stretches back forty years and his passion for sailing goes back even further as a multiple class champion for Portugal in Sharpie 12, Vouga, Moth, Snipe and 420.
As a former dinghy sailor, his interest in small racing boats led to him being commissioned with the design of the now legendary 1720 for the Royal Cork Yacht members. The 1720 was a successful racing yacht, with many of the 150 built, still actively racing today.
In the wake of this success, the idea of a smaller, fast and fun, one-design sailing keelboat started taking shape; a boat that would ultimately fulfill a very ambitious brief: stiff and stable, easy to sail by anyone of any age, strict one-design rules, affordable, trailable, and raced with just three crew, and so the SB20 was born.
Tony’s design firm, Tony Castro Design, is based in Hamble-le-Rice, England.
Simon Russell
DIRECTOR
Email: simon.russell@sportsboatworld.com
Well known around the marine world as “Fumesy”, Simon Russell has over 25 years of experience in the marine business. His move to Sportsboat World comes after 11 years as Corporate Sales Manager at sailing apparel brand, Musto, where he focused on growing the team sales business. Before that he spent ten years at Jack Holt Ltd as a Technical Sales Manager of their dinghy and keelboat hardware.
Simon is also a very accomplished and successful sailor being twice Etchells World, European and National champion, Melges 24 World, European and National champion, Mumm 30 European and National champion, J24 National champion, Twice XOD class champion with an ISAF bronze medal in the J80 class, to name just some of his accomplishments.