Sport

Dubna yachtsmen concluded the season
by participating in an international regatta

After the closure of the previous sports section in 2020 and a three-year hiatus, Dubna residents greatly missed sailing. Thanks to the enthusiasm of past participants, the sailing section in Dubna has acquired new features and resumed its activities. Co-founder of the section of the Sailing Club "Atom" and Head of the Social Communications Group at the JINR University Centre Anastasia Sushchevich spoke about the revival of yachting in Dubna, the international regatta in Gelendzhik, the season's results and plans for the future.

How was the Sailing Club "Atom" founded?

- I took up sailing in 2016, following my son. Until 2020, we trained under the guidance of Andrey Yurevich Pasev at the JINR pier and annually, traveled to the reservoir to compete with Moscow Polytechnic University. It was very difficult to accept the idea that the section was closing due to a lack of funding and the departure of the coach. It was only three years later that I met the family of Yuri Gurchin and Svetlana Fernandez that together with my husband and me, began to assemble and restore the section. First, we restored four abandoned yachts at our own expense. We found athletes from the former section and like-minded people from our circle came to us. We found a coach in Kimry that brought two more of his boats, left over from his previous job, for training. Sympathetic friends from the sailing community began donating centerboards, rudders and sails. Parents chipped in for equipment, building materials and repair kits and we built a pierce at the pier "Bereg" on Leningradskaya Street. At the time, the Club had 15 children, mostly, employees of the Institute and Yuri and Svetlana's Wind Brothers company. We developed a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

How did the section develop?

- The city residents began to notice the sails on the Volga, expressed interest and afterwards, came to the classes. There was an unexpected increase in participants and suddenly, we ran out of boats and a pier. Parents and friends came to pick up their children. In 2024, there were already 64 participants: 39 of them were families of JINR employees and 25 were residents and visitors of Dubna. It became clear that without a systematic approach, it would be difficult and in 2024, we registered an autonomous non-profit organization, collectively choosing the name Sailing Club "Atom". Also, in 2024, we were provided with invaluable support from JINR Director Grigory Trubnikov and Vice-Director Sergey Dmitriev that provided us with the opportunity to hold sailing camps in Lipnya. In 2025, sailing yachts and a rescue boat were purchased for the section and the yacht Club premises were renovated.

Crew of the yacht "Gerda": Gennady and Veronika Sizovs and Alisa Sushchevich

There are four co-founders of the Sailing Club "Atom": Yuri Gurchin, a researcher at VBLHEP and a multiple Russian sailing champion; his wife, our Club Director Svetlana Fernandez Matkova; my husband Mikhail and me. In 2025, Gennady Sergeevich Firsov, a renowned coach, president of the Krasnoyarsk Sailing Federation and a third-category judge joined our team. Thanks to his enthusiasm and extensive experience, the section developed even further. People began to flock to us again, even in winter.

How has this year's season gone for the Club?

- We began training with a new coach in February 2025, covering yacht equipment theory, rules of conduct on the water, racing and safety. Dubna University Rector A.S. Denikin supported us and provided the opportunity to train at the Swimming Pool "Olympus". During the winter, a friendly sailing club from Moscow loaned two more boats and in spring, as usual, they carried out repairs and prepared the fleet for the season. As a result, the Club's athletes participated in 17 away competitions and organized five of their own. Participants from Moscow, Dolgoprudny, Tver and Zavidovo come to our competitions. Among them are students from the Higher School of Economics, Moscow State University, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and the Institute of Oil and Gas. Just a year ago, we had a maximum of three competitions per season.

We have begun the process of joining the Moscow Region Sailing Federation that will subsequently allow athletes to compete for the Moscow Region and Russian national teams.

This year, we also received a letter of support from the President of the All-Russian Sailing Federation Sergey Dzhienbaev.

In total, 114 theoretical classes, 540 practical training sessions, 20 general fitness sessions were held throughout the season and five competitions were organized with a total of over 300 participants. The Club's athletes earned sporting qualifications: Timur Gridnev achieved the 3rd category; Denis and Egor Franchuk became Candidate Masters of Sport. We recently concluded the season with the participation of Dubna yachtsmen in the international regatta in Gelendzhik.

Gelendzhik Regatta - 2025 All-Russian Sailing Federation, photo by Denis Andreev

What experience was gained in this regatta?

- The Dubna sailing section participated in such a major event for the first time: 1,306 participants aged 7 to 23 from 10 countries and 38 regions of Russia. Ten children from Dubna, accompanied by their parents and a coach, traveled to the competition.

Firstly, it was an invaluable experience for both children and adults. Secondly, for the organizing committee. Thirdly, it meant contacts, networking and invitations to other competitions.

As for medals, the top places usually go to those who train on the water year-round. Typically, they come from cities on the sea: St. Petersburg, Arkhangelsk, Yeysk, Taganrog. But there are, of course, exceptions: athletes from the Urals, Rostov-on-Don and Belarus.

This was our athletes' first time on seawater. Believe me, it's nothing compared to the "river" regime. Furthermore, the season in Dubna for a sailor lasts four to five months a year, while their competitors train year-round. But we also have an advantage over our esteemed competitors. The so-called "ladies' wind". When there's a light breeze at sea, river sailors know how to use it and pull ahead! We find conditions close to the sea at the Lipnya Tourist Resort.

What will you take note of for development?

- We're determined to start the next season much earlier than usual. To this end, we're going to expand our training facilities. We'll be constructing a temporary base in the First Technical Bay on the Moscow Sea for May-June 2026. We'll also upgrade our racing sails. Real athletes replace them almost every year, as even the slightest wear and tear impacts their competition results. We've decided to start theoretical classes two months earlier. In addition to the pool, we're also going to maintain physical fitness by participating in active team sports during the winter.

Alexey Novospassky, one of the section's first students

What are the Club's plans for the future?

- We need to manage the organization of trips and participation in major competitions such as the "May Regatta" in Pskov, the Spartakiada, the Spring Starts in Gelendzhik, the championships "Ray" and "Cadet", the 35th Gelendzhik Regatta, as well as the organization and holding of the 48th Dubna Open Championship and the Moscow Sea Cup.

For those who prefer quiet training without racing or medals, we will reintroduce sunset training on the Volga - evening outings just before sunset for children and their parents. We would also like to develop sailing in Dubna in future that includes not only sailing yachts but also windsurfing and kiting. Our plans include training more and more often, gaining strength and experience and finding support for our coach.

What do children find in sailing?

- Sailing is a beautiful, challenging and noble Olympic sport. Children learn to overcome difficulties and fears, to achieve and surpass their own results, to assist their opponents on the water and sometimes, at the expense of their own victory, to make new like-minded friends. And most importantly, they develop healthy values in life.

In recent years, sailing has become a family sport in Dubna. Children bring their parents to the sport more often than their parents do. My son Mikhail has brought me into sailing. Today, entire family clans have developed within the section. My husband, me and our three children are typical examples of it.

What attracts you to this sport?

- Firstly, the aesthetics. The sight of sails on the water makes most people, including me, reach for a camera. Secondly, the incredible feeling of overcoming challenges and my own fears that arises when I sail at speed, alone or with a crew. There's water all around, a strong wind and a huge sail above you. The adrenaline is off the charts. You control speed and direction and your family is right there, a big, friendly sailing family...

The heads and members of the Sailing Club "Atom" thank JINR Chief Scientific Secretary Sergey Nedelko and PCDD Head Sergey Sokolov for their help.

Maria KARPOVA,
photo from the Club's archive

2025 season results

"Sails of Russia" (Tver)

1st place - Gennady Sizov

"2025 Commonwealth Open Sailing Cup" (Minsk)

1st place - Yury Gurchin

Full Course Regatta (Solnechnogorsk)

1st place - Timur Gridnev

"Novice's Cup" of Sailing Club "Atom" - 2025 (Dubna)

1st place
Alexey Novospassky
Yaroslav Fomin
Lev Akhlyustin

2nd place
Varvara Mostovaya
Vasily Kudryashov

3rd place
Vladimir Baranov
Makar Poplavsky

Quarter-Tonner Association Cup, Round 2 (Boltino):

3rd place - Denis Franchuk

Open Moscow Sea Cup (Dubna, Lipnya Island)

1st place
Andrey Baginyan
Anna Sumbaeva

2nd place
Svetlana Kubarskaya
Maria Ivleva

3rd place
Lyubov Paigacheva

Open JINR Cup (Dubna):

1st place
Alexey Novospassky
Ivan Nikitsky
Vasily Kudryashov

2nd place
Timur Gridnev
Maksim Kubarsky
Dmitry Volkov, Yaroslav Fomin
Lev Akhlyustin

3rd place
Varvara Mostovaya
Evgeny Antipanov
Evdokia Ivleva, Vasilisa Lesnik
Leya Ivankova

Volga Federal District Championship in the Quarter-Tonner class (Cheboksary):

1st place - Denis Franchuk

3rd place - Egor Franchuk

Season closing ceremony, Sailing Club "Atom" (Dubna)

1st place
Alexey Novospassky
Evgeny Susyan
Yaroslav Fomin, Ulyana Shestakova
Lev Akhlyustin

2nd place
Timur Gridnev
Matvey Abramov
Evdokia Ivleva, Vasilisa Lesnik
Vasily Kudryashov

3rd place
Varvara Mostovaya
Anna Sumbaeva
Stanislava Trushkina
Polina Trushkina
Alexey Kuzmenkov