The SSL 47 yachts are back in action on Lake Neuchâtel this week as six more teams aim to book their ticket to the SSL Gold Cup Brasil 2026 in Rio, the Football World Cup… in sailing.
The final European Qualifier sees two Groups ready for racing in Grandson: Finland, Ukraine and Greece in Group F with Bulgaria, Portugal and Türkiye in Group G.
Here’s how you can get to the heart of the action over the next few days…
Live and Uncut!
Want to feel the energy of your nation in real-time? live, electrifying racing and continually updated leaderboard on the official YouTube broadcast at youtube.com/@Starsailors is the channel to follow! Featuring multi-camera feeds from on the water, the air, and on board the yachts themselves, you can feel the energy and live every moment with anchor Yann Dorset, Robbie McCutcheon’s expert insights, and raw, post-race reactions directly from the yachts as Karolina Soltaniuk interviews the athletes. Thousands of fans worldwide are locking in daily to support their national team.
Get the Reels as they drop!
The media crew is on the docks, on the water, and at the SSL HQ in Grandson, capturing the passion of the world’s best sailors to drop high-energy reels that are setting the internet on fire! Join the global fanbase on Facebook at facebook.com/SSLGoldCup, Instagram at instagram.com/sslgoldcup/, and TikTok at tiktok.com/@sslgoldcup, where thousands of supporters are rallying behind their home nations and sharing their epic SSL Gold Cup journeys! Tap into everything instantly through linktr.ee/starsailorsleague – for the ultimate fan experience.
Stunning Visuals
The gleaming gold SSL47 hulls slicing through the water, dramatic black sails, and a kaleidoscope of vibrant national jerseys contrasting with the jaw-dropping Swiss backdrop of Lake Neuchâtel. The SSL Gold Cup has the best photography thanks to Martina Orsini, the reigning Yachting Photographer of the Year, who captures the action in staggering detail for the social feeds and event articles.
WorldofSailors.com
The digital home of the SSL Gold Cup is www.WorldofSailors.com – the official home of breaking news and the legendary Global Rankings for Nations and Sailors! Every single race injects crucial SSL Points into the Men’s and Women’s categories, while the fiercely competitive National Ranking aggregates the power of each country’s top five skippers and two crew members! Climbing this leaderboard is everything—it dictates the crucial seeding for the main event, meaning entire nations are watching the charts like hawks as their top sailors fight for every single point!
Read all about it!
The thoughts from the sailors are delivered to you via the daily reports, packed with insights, imagery and cutting-edge media graphics. Dive deep into exclusive feature articles, so you can learn more about your favourite national sailors.
The Highlights
No time to watch the full livestream? No problem! The key moments and tactical decisions that won – and lost – each race are on our daily highlight shows, ready for you to enjoy on YouTube at your convenience! Media outlets worldwide can instantly embed these directly into their articles to spread the word.
VNR
For broadcasting networks and creators ready to craft their own high-energy content, a dynamic daily Video News Release (VNR) is fully uploaded each day.
Opening Ceremony
The energy was immediately up as host Yann Dorset fired up the crowd with a spectacular look ahead to the SSL Gold Cup Finals Brasil 2026! Regatta Director Paul Hutton-Ashkenny stepped up to echo the sheer scale of the event, which has exploded to 66 nations, bringing the raw thrill of national team sailing to new global audiences. Each team hit the stage in turn to rapturous applause.
Team Introductions - Group F
SSL Team Finland – The Northern Lights
Illuminating the racecourse, Finland enters Group F ready to freeze out the competition! With ice-cool tactics, this Nordic powerhouse brings an elite squad forged in the demanding, unpredictable waters of the Baltic Sea. With a rich history of producing Olympic sailing champions and top-tier match racers, Northern Magic is prepared to dazzle.
SSL Team Ukraine – United
With unstoppable resolve, Ukraine is set to charge onto the starting line ready for action. They boast an incredibly deep line-up of dinghy champions and seasoned offshore veterans.
SSL Team Greece – Odysseus
Greece storms into the arena ready for battle. With a coastline carved by the Aegean and Ionian seas, sailing runs deep in the DNA of this powerhouse nation. With a roster of Olympic medalists and world champions this team will be looking to dominate Group F.
Team Introductions - Group G
SSL Team Bulgaria – The Lions
The Lions have sharpened their claws on the highly competitive Black Sea circuits, and the squad is packed with talent.
Yavor Kolev, SSL Team Bulgaria Captain said ahead of racing, “I feel hopeful. We have a young team who are very keen to achieve success here. Our competitors are well-known for the previous qualifiers and they are good, but we are good too.
“The main thing in this class and this competition is teamwork. If you have a team working together, caring about each other, and each person doing their job, then everything is possible. There are big names in sailing, but in this event teamwork and making smart decisions on the water pay off.”
SSL Team Portugal – The Navigators
The historic masters of the ocean are back. Portugal enters Group G with an unparalleled seafaring heritage and a roster of top-tier Olympic athletes, World and European champions, and elite match racers.
SSL Team Türkiye – Young Turks
Türkiye bring high-energy to Group G. Strategically positioned at the crossroads of continents and seas, Turkish sailing has nurtured elite talent in recent years, and the team is packed with dinghy and sportsboat champions.
