4th SSL Finals – 25 Teams, 50 top sailors, 17 countries
The Star Sailors League Finals 2016 will take place in Nassau, Bahamas from November 28th to December 4th. For the fourth edition of the event, the top 12 Star teams of the SSL Ranking 2016, and 13 VIPs from the world of sailing, will race in the clear blue water in front of Nassau Yacht Club. 50 of the world’s best will be battling to win the SSL Trophy and the biggest share of the $200,000 prize pot.
The list of competitors is astounding and SSL is proud to finally announce it. Among them are three of the six most medalled sailors of all time; a total of 16 Olympic medallists with six Olympic champions, two America’s Cup winners, two Volvo Ocean Race Winners, two Louis Vuitton Cup winners and one match race world champion. The complete Rio 2016 Laser Men podium will race together along with four other medallists from Rio.
25 teams representing 17 countries will battle it out for five days in the stunning location of Nassau, Bahamas. Star Sailors League developed in cooperation with some of the most experienced sailors of the world a new racing format; the main goal of the format is to build the tension and excitement of the racing fans. The athletes truly believe that the SSL racing format completely fulfils this objective, without spoiling the nature of sailing as a sport. The introduction of a knockout system inspired by the “play-offs” helps to increase the pressure and ends in the ultimate climax, a “winner-takes-all” final day.
1 | George Szabo | USA | Edoardo Natucci | ITA |
2 | Diego Negri | ITA | Sergio Lambertenghi | ITA |
3 | Xavier Rohart | FRA | Pierre-Alexis Ponsot | FRA |
4 | Augie Diaz | USA | Arnis Baltins | USA |
5 | Mateusz Kusznierewicz | POL | Dominik Zycki | POL |
6 | Johannes Polgar | GER | Markus Koy | GER |
7 | Torben Grael | BRA | Guilherme de Almeida | BRA |
8 | Robert Stanjek | GER | Frithjof Kleen | GER |
9 | Hubert Merkelbach | GER | Claus Olesen | DEN |
10 | Paul Cayard | USA | Josh Revkin | USA |
11 | Jochen Schümann | GER | Ingo Borkowski | GER |
12 | Caleb Paine | USA | Ian Coleman | USA |
13 | Vasilij Zbogar | SLO | Zsombor Bercez | HUN |
14 | Sime Fantela | CRO | Antonio Arapovic | CRO |
15 | Tonci Stipanovic | CRO | Ante Sitic | CRO |
16 | Tom Burton | AUS | Andrew Palfrey | AUS |
17 | Jonas Høgh-Christensen | DEN | Steve Milne | GBR |
18 | Sam Meech | NZL | Craig Monk | NZL |
19 | Robert Scheidt | BRA | Henry Boening | BRA |
20 | Mark Mendelblatt | USA | Brian Fatih | USA |
21 | Eric Monnin | SUI | Pascal Rambeau | FRA |
22 | Facundo Olezza | ARG | Frederico Melo | POR |
23 | Jorge Zarif | BRA | Bruno Prada | BRA |
24 | Nick Thompson | GBR | Steve Mitchell | GBR |
25 | Taylor Canfield | ISV | Mark Strube | USA |
The regatta will start with the Opening Ceremony held at the Government House of Bahamas on Monday November 28th and on Tuesday morning the 25 teams will leave the docks of Nassau Yacht Club and head out to the racecourse for the Qualifying Series.
SSL QUALIFYING SERIES
25 teams will take part in multiple races over four days with only the Top 10 will make the SSL Final Day and no points are carried through but the winner and runner up get a just reward. For the SSL Final Day, the winner of the Qualifying Series gets a double bye, the runner-up in the Qualifying Series gets a single bye.
SSL FINAL DAY
SSL Quarter Final – Teams ranked 3rd -10th from the Qualifying Series contest a single race. Only the top 5 survive.
SSL Semi Final – The remaining 5 survivors are joined by the runner up from the Qualifying Series to contest a single race. Only the top 3 survive.
The SSL Final – The remaining 3 survivors are joined by the winner from the Qualifying Series to contest a single race. The first to correctly cross the line is the winner.
(See the diagram below)
The winner will be crowned as winner of the 2016 SSL Finals, together with the biggest share of the prize fund.
LIVE COVERAGE
Since our audience is present in all parts of the globe, Internet will be our stadium. From November 29th to December 4th, regattas will be streamed live and free on http://d40hnzgvx.preview.infomaniak.website. A complete live video stream of the races as well as additional insights provided by the state-of-the-art tracking system developed by Virtual Eyewill allow people from over the world to follow their favourites and cheer for them. Many prestigious sailing websites around the globe will also share our live broadcast on their homepage.
Armchair sailors can also race the course with Virtual Regatta.
WHAT’S NEW
For the first time the SSL Finals will have 25 teams instead of 20. On Sunday, December 4th, the day after the final day and the SSL Official Prize Giving Ceremony on Saturday evening at Nassau Yacht Club, some SSL sailors will join the local sailors in their annual Sloop regatta in Montagu Bay, for a never seen before challenge.