In 2026, Great Britain leads the SSL Nations Ranking, thanks to a strong team of sailors. At the top is John Gimson (3rd place in Global and Men ranking), sailing in the Nacra 17 class, supported by his talented crew, Anna Burnet. The British team also includes Nick Craig, one of the country’s most successful amateur dinghy sailors, Michael Beckett and Finley Dickinson, a top ILCA 7 competitor, Nic Ahser, RC44 sailor, and the SSL Team Great Britain capitan Ian Williams, a multiple-time winner of the Match Tour.
In second place is the United States, with its squad led by Paul Cayard, the SSL champion and Rolex Sailor of the Year, alongside Laura Grondin, who has been dominating world competitions in her class.
Italy takes third place overall. Their top sailors include Gianluigi Ugolini, silver medalist at both the 2025 Nacra 17 World and European Championships, and Ruggero Tita, Olympic champion in the Nacra 17 class and a competitor in the 2018 SSL Finals in Nassau, Bahamas. Tita and Ugolini highlight Italy’s strength in multihull racing.
At the SSL Gold Cup in Gran Canaria 2023, the British team finished in semi finals, the Americans also performed well, finishing in the 1/8, and the Italians secured second place, confirming the competitiveness of these top sailing nations.
