With the first two events of the 2026 Sailing Grand Slam now complete, the favourites are beginning to establish themselves in the championship standings.
The 2026 Sailing Grand Slam rankings are beginning to take shape after the opening two events of the season, with the Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca by FERGUS Hotels and the 57th Semaine Olympique Française de Hyères – TPM setting the first major benchmark across the Olympic classes.
After two demanding regattas in two of Europe’s most established Olympic-class venues, four of the ten winners from Mallorca repeated their success in Hyères, consolidating their lead in their respective classes. At the same time, the early SGS standings underline the international depth of the circuit, with sailors and teams from nine different countries currently leading the ten classes.
The most emphatic starts to the season have come from the athletes who have converted both events into back-to-back victories. Spain’s Jordi Xammar and Marta Cardona lead the 470 Mixed ranking after winning in both Mallorca and Hyères, confirming their position as the team to beat in the early part of the season.
Australia’s Matt Wearn has also opened a commanding lead in ILCA 7, following consecutive victories at the first two SGS events. In the Formula Kite fleets, Singapore’s Max Maeder and France’s Lauriane Nolot have delivered equally dominant starts, each claiming two wins from two events to take control of the men’s and women’s rankings.
Beyond those repeat winners, the standings remain highly competitive. Ireland’s Eve McMahon leads the ILCA 6 ranking after combining her Palma victory with a strong performance in Hyères, while Italy’s Marta Maggetti heads the iQFOiL Women ranking following her win in France. In iQFOiL Men, Italy’s Nicolo Renna leads after two events, giving Italy a strong early presence in the SGS leaderboard.
The skiff and multihull classes also reflect the depth and unpredictability of the circuit. Nevin Snow and Ian MacDiarmid of the United States lead the 49er ranking, while Sweden’s Vilma Bobeck and Ebba Berntsson top the 49erFX standings. In Nacra 17, Argentina’s Mateo Majdalani and Eugenia Bosco lead the ranking after the first two events of the season.
With Mallorca and Hyères now complete, the SGS rankings already show two clear storylines: dominant early leaders in several classes, and wide-open battles in others where consistency across the full season will be decisive. The new finals format has also added extra weight to the closing stages of each regatta, making every race — and especially every final — capable of reshaping the leaderboard.
The Sailing Grand Slam now moves to its next stage at Dutch Water Week in Almere, the Netherlands, from 1 to 6 June, where the current leaders will aim to defend their advantage and the chasing fleets will have their next opportunity to close the gap.
2026 Sailing Grand Slam leaders after two regattas
470 Mixed - Jordi Xammar / Marta Cardona (ESP)
49er - Nevin Snow / Ian MacDiarmid (USA)
49erFX - Vilma Bobeck / Ebba Berntsson (SWE)
Formula Kite Men - Max Maeder (SGP)
Formula Kite Women - Lauriane Nolot (FRA)
ILCA 6 - Eve McMahon (IRL)
ILCA 7 - Matt Wearn (AUS)
iQFOiL Men - Nicolo Renna (ITA)
iQFOiL Women - Marta Maggetti (ITA)
Nacra 17 - Mateo Majdalani / Eugenia Bosco (ARG)
Sébastien Schneiter’s Explora Journeys Swiss SailGP team has not got off to a stellar start in Season 6. Four events in, they're at the bottom of the season leaderboard with just a single point to show for their efforts. I checked in with Schneiter to find out how they plan to turn things around.
An independent subscriber-supported website, newsletter, and podcast. Featuring exclusive stories and interviews about Grand Prix sailboat racing. Subscribe to receive our free email newsletter. Get full access with a paid subscription.
Subscribe for free to receive our email newsletter.
