Two-time Olympic champions Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze top the SSL – Star Sailors League World Sailing Rankings. The athletes have just won the 49er FX European Championship for the second time in Aarhus, Denmark. It was the third podium in the best events of the old continent of the season, adding gold at Olympic Week in Hyères, France, and silver at the 51st edition of the SAR Princesa Sofía Trophy, in Palma de Mallorca , in Spain.
Martine Grael is currently considered the best sailor in the world, with 9188 points, ahead of Denmark’s Anne-Marie Rindon, with 8982, and Britain’s Hannah Mills, with 7650. The athlete was second in the previous evaluation, passing the competitor from Denmark.
By adding up the world ranking, that is to say men and women on the same list, Martine Grael occupies third place, behind Croatian Tonci Stepanovic and New Zealander Peter Burling. Kahena Kunze is second in the world rankings behind New Zealander Blair Tuke.
In the women’s proeira rankings, Kahena Kunze leads, followed by Anna Bunet of Great Britain. Martine and Kahena’s next challenge will be the 49erFX World Championship in Nova Scotia, Canada in August.
“Martine and Kahena’s 2022 season is sensational, they have maintained the high level since Tokyo 2022 by investing in training and competitions abroad. They are fundamental pieces for the Brazilian sailing team in the quest for the world title in November,” said Bruno Prada, CEO of SSL Team Brazil at the Gold Cup.
Among men, the best Brazilian among sailors is Mário Trindade in 57th position. Among coxswains, the highlight is Henrique Haddad, in 47th position. The sailor with two Olympic participations has just led the Mamão boat by winning the ClubSwan36 World Class in Valencia, Spain.
Besides Henrique Haddad, four other Brazilians were on board the Mamão, including Kiko Pelicanno, Olympic medalist in Atlanta 96 and member of Brasil 1 in The Ocean Race 2005-06. Another name at ClubSwan 36 was Pan American medalist and Tokyo 2020 coach Guilherme Hamelmann. The other Brazilians were Fernando Sesto and Alisson Santiago. Canadian Ross MacDonald and Norwegian Haakon Lorentzen were part of the team.
Henrique Haddad, Mário Trindade, Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze are part of SSL Team Brasil, a green and yellow team at the 2022 SSL Gold Cup. The sailors will be led by multi-champion Robert Scheidt, owner of five Olympic medals and captain of the team. The CEO of SSL Team Brazil is Bruno Prada, who has two Olympic medals alongside Scheidt in the Star category: a silver in Beijing 2008 and a bronze in London 2012.
Already qualified for the round of 16, Brazil will return to training in Switzerland in August with a full squad. The boat competed in one of the test events and took second place, only losing the last race to Croatia last year.
last selection
The final SSL Gold Finals qualifier, the Sailing World Cup, begins this Thursday (14) and will define the final four spots for the Bahrain 2022 Finals, which begin at the end of October. In group 7 are China, India, Malaysia and South Africa. Group 8 includes South Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Ukraine. Only two countries advance by key. The regattas will take place on Lake Neuchâtel, Switzerland, and will last until Sunday (17).
The SSL Gold Cup 2022 started on May 19 with the qualifications on the same lake of Neuchâtel. All nations ranked from the Top 25 to the Top 56 of the SSL Nations Ranking (based on January 2022 figures) will compete in eight groups of four teams each. There will be five stages, or heats, until July 17. The final series from October 28 to November 20, 2022 in Bahrain.
Like the FIFA World Cup, the SSL GOLD CUP offers a unique challenge with equal chances for all 40 teams, who race on exactly the same boat, the SSL 47, a 14-meter performance sailboat, delivered by the organization.
Besides the so-called Brazilian Storm, nickname given to the Brazilian team, the SSL Gold Cup will bring together the best sailors in the world such as Ian Williams and Sir Ben Ainslie (SSL Team GBR), Tom Slingsby (SSL Team Australia), Anne- Marie Rindom (Denmark), Xavier Rohart (SSL Team France), Taylor Canfield (SSL Team USA) and many others.
Unlike the Olympics, where the medal race rewards the most consistent boat based on the results of previous races, the SSL Gold Cup will be won by the team that runs the fastest at the time of the decision. Countries will be eliminated phase by phase until the Grand Final, with only four selections. The trophy will be organized every four years by the Sailing Athletes Foundation (SAF).
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