Guanabara Bay and Marina da Glória, November 24–25, 2026: On November 24 and 25, Guanabara Bay will host the SSL Snipe Challenge, an invitation regatta for Open and Women's fleets. The Snipes will share its venue, the Marina da Glória, and its regatta village, including the main stage and the social programming (SCIRA), under the patronage of the Star Sailors League and the Sailing Athletes Foundation (SAF).
The regatta is part of the SSL Gold Cup, which brings national sailing teams together in a format inspired by the football World Cup. A total of 66 nations are involved, 40 of them in the final series, racing the SSL47 yachts. The SSL Gold Cup is recognised by World Sailing as a Special Event. The Snipes will share its venue, the Marina da Glória, and its regatta village, including the main stage and the social programme.
Who is coming
The top five teams from the recent World Championship in Mahón are expected. Ernesto Rodriguez (USA), the winner in Mahón and a multiple US, Western Hemisphere and Pan American Games medallist, sails with Diego Lipszyc (ARG). He is also a member of the US team at the Gold Cup. Julio Alsogaray and Malena Sciarra (ARG), runners-up in Mahón and the 2024 world champions, are also entered. Alsogaray is a Laser Olympian and a Pan American Games gold medallist.
Alfredo González and Cristian Sánchez (ESP), who won the Worlds in 2022 and took the bronze this year, will take part. González is also on the Spanish team at the SSL Gold Cup. Manu Hens (BEL) will sail with Alexandre Tinoco (NED), fourth in Mahón. Tinoco won the Worlds in 2011. Felipe Rondina and João Pedro Herrlein (BRA), fifth in Mahón, will race in separate boats.
Several past world champions are on the list. Mateus Tavares (BRA) won in 2015. Bruno Bethlem (BRA), a multiple Olympian in the 470, won in 2009 and 2013. Henrique Haddad (BRA), Olympian in the 470, was the Snipe Worlds winner in 2019. Nelido Manso (CUB) won in 1999 and captains Cuba at the SSL Gold Cup. Ricky Fabini (URU), world champion in 1989 and a Laser Olympian, captains Uruguay. Augie Diaz (USA) won the Snipe Worlds in 2003 and 2005 and is also a Star world champion. The current Snipe Class Commodore, Martín Bermúdez de la Puente (ESP), will also be on the water.
Other sailors competing in both events include Mario Tinoco and Juninho Jesus (BRA), and Esteban Echavarria and Juan Esteban Restrepo (COL). They are joined by Nick Grael, Bernardo Peixoto, Juliana Duque, and others from Brazil, by Gustavo del Castillo from Spain, and by Nicolás García and Alejandro Triggiano from Argentina. A sizeable women's fleet is also expected, with crews from Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Japan, Chile and the United States. Many of them will stay on for the Snipe Women's Hemisphere Cup in Niterói, which starts right after the Challenge.
The format
In keeping with the SSL approach, the Challenge replaces a long points series with a knockout. After the first day of the qualifying series, each fleet will be reduced to ten boats. On Day 2, ranks three to ten race in a quarter-final, and the top five go through to a semi-final. The second-ranked boat from qualifying joins the semi-final directly. The winner of the qualifying series goes straight to the Final, where four boats race a single race for the title. Racing is umpired under Appendix UF, and crews will wear national jerseys.
New boats for South America
Part of the SAF's mission is to promote racing in small boats across South America. For the Challenge, ten new Lemão Snipes, bought by CBVela with the SAF's support, will be launched. The organisers will lend a limited number of charter boats free of charge, with priority for international teams.
Brazil and the Snipe
The Challenge is also a recognition of how deep Brazil's ties to the class are. Brazilian sailors have won the Snipe World Championship 14 times, which puts the country second only to the United States. They have also won the Women's Worlds twice and the Junior Worlds nine times. The list of Brazilian world champions includes Axel and Erik Schmidt, Nelson Piccolo, Torben Grael, Mauricio Santa Cruz, Alexandre Paradeda, Bruno Bethlem, Alexandre Tinoco, Mateus Tavares and Henrique Haddad. Every member of Brazil's team at the SSL Gold Gold Cup is a Snipe sailor. The Snipe is also a Pan American Games class, which gives the Rio event a place in the continent's wider sailing calendar.