SSL Team SUI – By Sailors for Sailors

THE FOOTBALL WORLD CUP... IN SAILING

15 NOV - 13 DEC 2026 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Events

Upcoming

1/8 FINALS

G1 - Race 1

11:00

02 December 2026

BRAZIL

Participants

DEN

SUI

R2B1

R2A2

Results

Upcoming

1/8 FINALS

G1 - Race 2

12:30

03 December 2026

BRAZIL

Participants

DEN

SUI

R2B1

R2A2

Results

Upcoming

1/8 FINALS

G1 - Race 3

14:00

04 December 2026

BRAZIL

Participants

DEN

SUI

R2B1

R2A2

Results

Upcoming

1/8 FINALS

G1 - Race 4

15:30

05 December 2026

BRAZIL

Participants

DEN

SUI

R2B1

R2A2

Results

See All Races

News

Understanding the SSL System: PART 2

In this second Q&A cycle, we take a closer look at the structure behind team composition, race dynamics, and eligibility within the Star Sailors League. From how national squads are…

DateYesterday at 17:55

We are getting closer!

The countdown to the next qualification event in Grandson, Switzerland, has officially begun. From June 2–4, teams from Tahiti, Seychelles, Morocco, and Mozambique will go head-to-head on the water, bringing…

DateWednesday at 17:50

SSL Ranking Shifts After a Busy Start to the 2026 Season

After a series of major events at the start of the 2026 sailing season, the SSL Ranking has seen some notable changes. Key regattas included the 55th Trofeo S.A.R. Princesa…

DateTuesday at 17:43

The Helvetic Lakers

Nowhere as strong as on their home waters

When a nation without sea surprises all

The home team means business in the SSL Gold Cup, will use all of its local knowledge to be faster than the challengers from abroad, and holds the trophy right in the first edition.

Located in the middle of Europe, Switzerland has a strong tradition in sailing on its various lakes and on the seas of the world. After the Whitbread Round the World Race in the eighties and early nineties, with a win in elapsed time for UBS Switzerland, Swiss sailors are also present in Ocean races like the Vendée Globe, Around Alone, with Bernard Stamm winning in 2002, as well as the Route du Rhum and Transat Jaques Vabre.

The perception of Switzerland as a sailing nation radically changed after Alinghi’s win in the America’s Cup, who went on to successfully defend the Cup in Valencia. Switzerland became the first European country to win the America’s Cup, increasing the popularity of sailing and giving the sailing community a strong boost.

Switzerland is also famous for its technological leadership, with many innovations in sailing having their origin around Lake Geneva, namely sail production technologies like 3DL and 3Di.

Statistics

THE COUNTRY

250’000 sailors
17’000 licenced sailors
148 sailing clubs
54 sailing schools
1500 lakes with a total surface of 1500 Km2

ACHIEVEMENTS

2 America’s Cup victories
1 Olympic gold medals
2 Olympic silver medals
1 Olympic bronze medals

SSL RANKING

SSL best ranked woman: Maud Jayet 43 "
SSL best ranked man: Axel Grandjean 36
SSL nations ranking: 13

MAIN EVENTS

Bol d’Or (with over 500 Boats)

Not a big number, but not many nations have the honor of winning two America’s Cups in a row.

The Captain

Eric Monnin

Self made talent and allrounder, the captain of SSL Team Switzerland has climbed up the Match Racing world rankings to become number one, and being twice European champion. After getting into sailing competition on the Surprise yacht of the family, Eric Monnin sailed on many monohull classes, having won the Platu 25 World championship, as well as on the D35 catamaran fleet on Lake Geneva, twice winning the Bol d’Or.

THE LEADERS

Sebastien Schneiter

One of the best Swiss helmsman of his generation with multiple National, European and World titles in different classes from Laser to the multihull foiling GC32. As an Olympic sailor he participated at the 2016 Olympics and the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in the 49er class. He is the skipper the Swiss SailGP team.

Kilian Wagen

Kilian started sailing at the age of 6, in Opti and then Laser 4.7, 420, and finally 470 where he campaigned for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics unfortunately without qualifying. He is currently learning to be a sail make and he is the current J70 World champion.

Simon Brügger

He grew up in the 420 and 470 and sailed at the olympics in Sydney and Athens. As a member of the Swiss Match Race Team he won 3 European titles. Simon is known as an experienced and successful Tactician and trimmer on different classes.

The Youth Factor

Switzerland has a very strong young generation of sailors, claiming Optimist World Champion titles in 2014 and 2016. The 2018 Finn Junior European, the 2019 World Champion and 2020 European Champion in the Women’s Laser 4.7 and Finn European classes confirmed these results for Maude Jayet and Nils Theuninck. Many youth sailors got the opportunity to prove their talent in the Youth America’s Cup, including a podium finish with Team Tilt. This has been crowned with a 4th place at the Tokyo Olympic Games in the 470 for Linda Fahrni and Maja Siegenthaler.

Confirmed Athletes

Captain | 10

#2 SAILOR | -

Helm | 8

- | -

Trimmer | -

Bow | 1

- | -

- | -

- | -

Grinder | -

Pit | 12

Main Trimmer | 9

- | -

Midbow | 33

- | -

- | -

Helm | -

Trimmer | -

- | -

- | -

Theoretical Team Position

1 Captain Eric Monnin	2 Helm Sebastien Schneiter
3 Trimmer Simon Brügger	4 Bow Alexis Rochat
5 Grinder Nelson Mettraux	6 Trimmer Nick Zeltner
7 Pit Guillaume Girod	8 Main Trimmer Kilian Wagen
9 Bow Marc Monnin	10 Midbow Lukas Gerig
11 Helm Jean Marc Monnard

Captain

Eric Monnin

Helm

Sebastien Schneiter

Trimmer

Simon Brügger

Bow

Alexis Rochat

Grinder

Nelson Mettraux

Trimmer

Nick Zeltner

Pit

Guillaume Girod

Main Trimmer

Kilian Wagen

Bow

Marc Monnin

Midbow

Lukas Gerig

Helm

Jean Marc Monnard

Running for the selection

Eric Monnin	Sebastien Schneiter
Simon Brügger	Alexis Rochat
Nelson Mettraux	Nick Zeltner
Guillaume Girod	Kilian Wagen
Marc Monnin	Lukas Gerig
Jean Marc Monnard	Bryan Mettraux
Nils Theuninck	Jann Schüpbach
Arnaud Psarofaghis	Mathieu Ravussin
Morgan Lauber	Axel Grandjean
Eliot Merceron	Maja Siegenthaler
Linda Fahrni	Gregoire Siegwart