SSL Lake Grand Slam - Stellar cast for premier

by Star Sailors on 26 Aug 2015 The Star Sailors League has attracted a stellar cast of Olympic, World and European Champions to the Cercle de la Voile de Grandson, Switzerland for the first ever SSL Lake Grand Slam.

Over 70 teams will be competing from 25 different countries. With an astounding 13 Olympic medallists, all on one race track, the action will be of the highest standard and incredibly close. All of the racing will be captured live using the latest media technology, delivering first class coverage, freely available, via the internet.

The SSL Lake Grand Slam in Grandson, Switzerland will decide the Swiss International Star Class Champion and as part of the Star Sailors League program, teams will be racing for prize money and points to gain a place at the Star Sailors League Finals in Nassau, Bahamas in December.

From Germany, the current International Star Class World Champions, Robert Stanjeck and Frithjof Kleen will be competing. From France, the current European Champion, Xavier Rohart who has won the Star World Championships twice. From Brazil, Torben Grael and Marcelo Ferreira, who have won nine Olympic medals between them, including four Gold. From the USA, Mark Mendelblatt and Brian Fatih, winners of the 2014 Star Sailors League Final and Mark Reynolds winner of two Olympic Gold medals and two World Championships in the Star. From Poland, Mateusz Kusznierewicz and Dominik Zycki, World and European Star Champions.

8 September - The Olympic Museum in Lausanne will host the Opening Ceremony prior to the regatta. The first special exhibition at the Olympic Museum dedicated to sailing will be opened in the presence of athletes, journalists and VIPs. Wax statues of Olympic Champions will be unveiled, marking the official start of the Star Sailors League Lake Grand Slam.

9 - 11 September - Three days of racing for all competitors, with up to four races per day. The top 11 teams qualify for the SSL Lake Grand Slam Final Rounds, which will be raced in a knock-out format. All the action will be streamed live via the internet and include TV interviews with competitors in the Port Village and Lamborghini Expo.

12 September - 10 teams contest the quarter final in a single race between teams ranked from second to eleventh in the qualifications rounds (the winner of the qualification rounds receives a bye). The semi-final is another single race between the top six from the quarter finals, plus the winner of the qualification rounds. The final features the top four teams from the semi-final in a single race. The winner will be crowned as Swiss International Star Class Champion, together with the biggest share of the prize fund and bonus points for the Star Sailors League Finals.