SSL Team Serbia is not a newcomer to the world stage. The team has already competed in Grandson during the 2021 and 2022 SSL Gold Cup qualification events. In 2022, during the Test Event, Serbia narrowly missed qualification for the Finals in Gran Canaria. Now, with the second edition of the Football World Cup in Sailing approaching, they have another chance. Their decisive qualifier will take place in June 2025 in Switzerland, five months before the Grand Final in 2026.
The core of the team
At the helm stands Goran Stevanović, captain and driving force of SSL Team Serbia. With a background in IT and years of experience as a helmsman, Goran has won numerous national and international regattas in small keelboats such as the Micro class and Seascape 18. Beyond racing, he designs and produces new generations of Micro boats, contributing to the sport both on and off the water.
Beside him, Aleksandar Jovanović brings Olympic and world-level experience. A Laser sailor who represented Serbia at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he later earned a silver medal at the 2016 J/24 World Championship, confirming his status as one of Serbia’s finest.
Nikola Marjanović, a four-time Serbian national champion in the Laser class and a sailor with a strong academic background in aerodynamics, is another key part of the line-up. Together with Stevanović, he has stood on podiums across Europe in small keelboats over the past six years.
The younger generation is led by Luka Minić, a multiple-time national champion who started his career on the rivers Danube and Sava, before moving on to European competitions. He now sails ILCA 7 (Laser Standard) and represents the team’s competitive future.
Other experienced names, such as Vladimir Švab with a career ranging from Optimist and Laser to big boats like Volvo 70 and Dragan Petrović, who has raced everything from Lasers to Rolex Cup and Barcolana regattas, add depth and international pedigree to the crew.
SSL Team Serbia also relies on sailors with varied experiences and backgrounds, from national champions in dinghies like Miloš Dobrosavljev and Tihomir Zakić, to promising young athletes such as Aleksandra Vujosević and Nadja Mihajlov, both already multiple-time winners of ILCA national titles. Veterans like Stevan Sedlak and Srđan Skala bring decades of racing experience and multiple national titles, proving that Serbia’s sailing talent spans generations.
With a full training session in Grandson, Switzerland, already behind them, the Serbian sailors are focused on their next milestone – the European qualifiers in June 2025. After missing out in 2022, Team Serbia is determined to seize this new opportunity and earn a place in the SSL Gold Cup 2026 Grand Final.
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