The world of competitive sailing is entering a new era. Between 20 and 22 December 2025, Thailand will host the first SSL Gold Cup qualifiers for Asian national teams. This landmark event opens the road to the final series, which in 2026 will crown the “Football World Cup in Sailing” in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The winning team will officially be crowned World Champions of Nations.
The event is being organized in collaboration with the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand, with all races taking place in Chonburi at the Ocean Marina Yacht Club.
COMPETITION FORMAT AND HOW TO QUALIFY?
The SSL Gold Cup 2026 will consist of two series: a qualifying series in 2025/2026 and a final series in the second half of 2026. Sixty-five nations will compete for a place in the SSL Gold Cup, with 40 advancing to the final series. The host country is automatically qualified, and 39 other teams will qualify through the SSL Nations Rankings and the qualifying series, with selections made by continent to protect emerging nations.
QUALIFYING FROM THE SSL NATIONS RANKING
To ensure the representation of all regions of the world, the best teams from each continent will secure qualification based on the nation's ranking, with the following quotas for a total of 30 spots in the final series: 2 - Africa, 2 - Oceania, 12 - Europe, 6 - Asia, and 7 - Pan America (with one additional spot reserved for the host nation, Brazil).
QUALIFYING SERIES
Additionally, 40 more nations will compete for 10 spots in a qualifying series (2025-2026). The 10 qualifying groups will be organized by continent, with the winning team from each group advancing to the final series: 0.5 - Africa, 0.5 - Oceania (Africa and Oceania share one group, so the final allocation will depend on the results), 4 - Europe, 2 - Asia, 3 - Pan America.
From Asia, 14 teams are registered in SSL. Six of them are directly qualified for the 2026 SSL Gold Cup based on ranking statistics. The remaining eight teams will fight for the two remaining “tickets” to the final series in Thailand. The qualifiers will be split into two groups, with only one team from each group advancing to the SSL Gold Cup 2026 in Brazil.
Furthermore, the qualification regatta counts for 500 points in the SSL Ranking.
SSL 47 YACHTS
The races will be sailed on identical, state-of-the-art SSL 47 yachts, ensuring fair and competitive racing. Many teams have already trained in Grandson, Switzerland, to familiarize themselves with the boats.
Which teams have already secured their place in the SSL Gold Cup, and which will still need to fight for qualification? Stay tuned for more updates.
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