SSL Snipe Challenge

From November 24-25, 2026, Guanabara Bay and the Marina da Glória will host the inaugural SSL Snipe Challenge. The event is organized by the Iate Clube do Rio de Janeiro (ICRJ), in co-operation with CBVela and the Snipe Class International Racing Association (SCIRA), bringing high-stakes tactical racing to one of the most technical sailing venues in South America.

Organized under the patronage of the Star Sailors League (SSL) and the Sailing Athletes Foundation (SAF), the regatta will take place directly within the framework of the SSL Gold Cup Finals. By sharing the venue and dates with this international tournament, the SSL Snipe Challenge will benefit from the event’s existing media infrastructure, social media coverage, and public attendance.

Perfect Timing and Elite Invitations

The event is an invitation-only regatta featuring both an Open fleet and a Women’s fleet. The selection criteria established by the Event’s Committee—composed of SCIRA Past Commodores Ricardo Lobato and Pietro Fantoni—aims for the widest possible representation of nations, world-class sailing careers, and high-profile legends.

The timing is designed to maximize synergy: scheduled alongside the SSL Gold Cup phases and the Snipe Women’s Hemisphere Cup, the event seamlessly blends international talent with top local qualifiers coming from the Campeonato Carioca de Snipe.

The SSL Knockout Format

True to the signature Star Sailors League style, the SSL Snipe Challenge replaces traditional high-point math with a thrilling, spectator-friendly “sudden death” knockout format where prior points are completely discarded in the final stages:

Day 1: Qualifying Series (November 24): Up to 4 back-to-back fleet races for both fleets. Maximum consistency is heavily rewarded here to protect top performers. Only the top 10 boats survive the cut to advance to the Knockout Stage.

The “Fast Track” Advantage: * 1st Place: Skips the Quarter-finals and Semi-finals, advancing directly to the Grand Final (guaranteeing a top 4 finish).

2nd Place: Skips the Quarter-finals and advances straight to the Semi-final.
3rd to 10th Place: Must fight their way through every single knockout round.

Day 2: Knockout Series (November 25): A pure test of nerves where only your crossing position in that specific race matters.

Quarter-final (1 Race): Boats ranked 3rd to 10th compete. The top 5 advance; the bottom 3 are eliminated.
Semi-final (1 Race): The top 5 from the Quarters join the 2nd seed from the qualifiers. The top 3 advance.
The Grand Final (Final 4 – 1 Race): A winner-takes-all showdown featuring just 4 boats on the starting line: the top 3 from the Semi-final plus the 1st seed from the qualifiers. No complex math, no discards—the first boat to cross the finish line wins the entire event.

Phase	Participants	Who Advances
Quarter-Finals	Teams ranked 3rd to 10th (8 boats)	Top 5 advance to Semi-Final
Semi-Final	5 qualifiers + 2nd ranked from Day 1 (6-7 boats)	Top 3 advance to Final
Final	3 qualifiers + 1st ranked from Day 1 (4 boats)	Winner-takes-all

Notice of Race Download

Venue Infrastructure and Media Coverage

On the water, races will be held in Guanabara Bay using World Sailing’s Umpired Fleet Racing Rules (Appendix UF) . A limited number of charter boats will be provided by the OA free of charge, with priority given to international teams. Competitors will be required to wear official national jerseys during racing, dock-out, and media windows. On the final day, the media coverage aims to include GPS tracking, onboard cameras, and live broadcasting.

Ashore, the event will be hosted entirely within the Marina da Glória, the official venue for the SSL Gold Cup. This setup allows Snipe sailors and spectators to directly share the event village infrastructure, including the main stage, official social events, and the SSL Gold Cup’s overall atmosphere.

About the SSL Gold Cup

SAILING 2026 will be the year that hosts the second edition of the SSL Gold Cup, the Football World Cup… in sailing. This edition will feature the participation of 66nations, with 40 competing in the final series, and an expected audience of 10 million viewers.

Football has its World Cup, sailing now has its own: the SSL GOLD CUP, the ultimate challenge between nations to crown the Nations World Champion. Developed from an initiative by the best sailors on the planet and founders of the Star Sailors League (SSL), the SSL GOLD CUP will be raced in spectacular 14m yachts with a format modelled on the Football World Cup. Like that pinnacle event in football, national teams of 8-10 athletes will compete for the SSL Gold Cup, each wearing the colours of their country (affiliated with World Sailing: totalling 144 member national authorities).

Like the Football World Cup, the SSL GOLD CUP will bring together sailing’s best athletes who, thanks to the support of the event’s organizers, will enjoy the use of the boats and the training centre for regular scheduled training and the competition. In short, this represents a giant first for sailing!

The SSL Gold Cup is recognized by World Sailing as a World Sailing Special Event.

SSL Gold Cup event hub (World of Sailors): sslgoldcup.worldofsailors.com

Instagram: @starsailorsleague @sslgoldcup

Facebook: @StarSailorsLeague @SSLGoldCup

LinkedIn: @star-sailors-league