Sailing is one of the oldest and most respected sports in the world, known for requiring not only exceptional technical skills from its athletes, but also a great understanding of the forces of nature. Over the years, many sportsmen and women have made a name for themselves on this stage, both for their ability to overcome extreme challenges and for their dexterity.
In order to bring recognition to these athletes, we have created a special list of the 20 best sailing athletes in the world today that you need to know about. In this content, you’ll learn all about their life stories, curiosities, titles and much more.
So check out our list of the 20 best sailing athletes in the world today!
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The 20 best sailing athletes in the world today: complete list
- Ben Ainslie
- Marit Bouwmeester
- Peter Burling
- Hannah Mills
- Santiago Lange
- Mat Belcher
- Anne-Marie Rindom
- Tom Slingsby
- Robert Scheidt
- Martine Grael
- Blair Tuke
- Giles Scott
- Camille Lecointre
- Paul Goodison
- Sarah-Quita Offringa
- Eilidh McIntyre
- Nathan Outteridge
- Lauren Jeffrey
- Kyle Langford
- Lisa Charles
The 20 best sailing athletes in the world today: find out more
1. Ben Ainslie (United Kingdom)
- Titles: Four gold medals and one silver medal at the Olympics (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012).
- Records: Most decorated sailing athlete in Olympic history.
- Teams: Team INEOS UK in the America’s Cup.
- History: Ainslie started sailing at the age of 8, inspired by his father, a Whitbread Race sailor. He is considered a living sailing legend.
- Fun facts: He was knighted by Prince Charles in 2013.
2. Marit Bouwmeester (Netherlands)
- Titles: Gold at the 2016 Olympics, silver in 2012, multiple times world champion in the Laser Radial class.
- Records: First Dutch woman to win gold in Olympic sailing.
- Teams: Competes for the Dutch national team.
- History: Marit started sailing at the age of 6 and quickly stood out for her technical precision.
- Fun facts: She is known for her meticulous preparation before competitions.
3. Peter Burling (New Zealand)
- Titles: Gold at the 2016 Olympics, silver in 2012, America’s Cup champion in 2017 and 2021.
- Records: Youngest skipper to win the America’s Cup.
- Teams: Emirates Team New Zealand.
- History: Burling started sailing as a child and soon showed his talent, dominating youth competitions.
- Funfacts: He is a marine engineer and applies his technical knowledge to optimize the boat’s performance.
4. Hannah Mills (United Kingdom)
- Titles: Gold at the 2016 and 2021 Olympics, silver in 2012, world champion several times.
- Records: Britain’s most decorated Olympic sailor.
- Teams: Competes with partner Eilidh McIntyre.
- History: Mills started sailing at the age of 8 and quickly rose through the ranks to Olympic level.
- Fun facts: She is an ambassador for an NGO that promotes sustainability in the oceans.
5. Santiago Lange (Argentina)
- Titles: Gold at the 2016 Olympics, two bronzes in 2004 and 2008.
- Records: Oldest Olympic sailing champion (54 in 2016).
- Teams: Argentine sailing in the Nacra 17 class.
- History: Lange is one of the most experienced sailors in the sport, with a career spanning more than three decades.
- Funfacts: He survived lung cancer shortly before winning gold in 2016.
6. Mat Belcher (Australia)
- Titles: Gold at the 2012 and 2021 Olympics, silver in 2016, multiple world titles in the 470 class.
- Records: Biggest winner of the 470 class in history.
- Teams: Competes with partner Will Ryan.
- History: Belcher started sailing at the age of 7, influenced by his family, and quickly became one of the biggest names in Australian sailing.
- Fun facts: He mentors young sailors in Australia.
7. Anne-Marie Rindom (Denmark)
- Titles: Gold at the 2020 Olympics, bronze in 2016, multiple world champion.
- Records: First Danish woman to win gold in the Laser Radial class.
- Teams: Competes for the Danish national team.
- History: Rindom began her career in sport at a young age and quickly made a name for herself in youth competitions.
- Fun facts: He is a medical student and combines his academic career with sport.
8. Tom Slingsby (Australia)
- Titles: Gold at the 2012 Olympics, world champion in the Laser and SailGP.
- Records: First sailor to win the SailGP twice in a row.
- Teams: Skipper of the Australian SailGP team.
- History: Slingsby started out in the Laser, where he dominated for years, before venturing into other classes.
- Funfacts: He’s a big fan of surfing and often takes part in amateur competitions.
9. Robert Scheidt (Brazil)
- Titles: Two Olympic gold medals, two silver and one bronze.
- Records: Brazil’s greatest Olympic sailing medalist.
- Teams: Competes in the Star and Laser classes.
- History: Scheidt is a legend of Brazilian and world sailing, with a career spanning more than two decades.
- Fun facts: In addition to sailing, Scheidt is passionate about cycling and uses the sport as part of his training.
10. Martine Grael (Brazil)
- Titles: Gold at the 2016 and 2021 Olympics in the 49erFX class.
- Records: First Brazilian woman to win two consecutive Olympic golds in sailing.
- Teams: Competes with Kahena Kunze, forming one of the most successful pairs in world sailing.
- History: Daughter of famous sailor Torben Grael, Martine followed in her father’s footsteps and became a sailing star.
- Fun facts: Martine is committed to environmental causes, especially the preservation of the oceans.
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11. Blair Tuke (New Zealand)
- Titles: Gold at the 2016 Olympics, silver in 2012, two-time America’s Cup champion.
- Records: One of the few to win both the Olympics and the America’s Cup.
- Teams: Emirates Team New Zealand.
- History: Tuke began his career as a youth and soon partnered Peter Burling, with whom he achieved great success.
- Fun facts: Ambassador for various marine conservation initiatives.
12. Giles Scott (United Kingdom)
- Titles: Gold at the 2016 and 2021 Olympics, multiple world titles in the Finn class.
- Records: Dominated the Finn class for almost a decade.
- Teams: Member of Team INEOS UK.
- History: Scott followed in Ben Ainslie’s footsteps in the Finn and established himself as the best in the world in his class.
- Funfacts: He is a marine engineer, and his technical skills directly influence his sailing performance.
13. Camille Lecointre (France)
- Titles: Bronze medalist at the 2016 and 2021 Olympics, multiple European titles in the 470 class.
- Records: First French woman to win two consecutive Olympic medals in sailing.
- Teams: Competes with Aloïse Retornaz.
- History: Lecointre is one of France’s most experienced sailors and continues to compete at a high level.
- Fun facts: Lecointre is known for her team spirit and leadership on and off the water.
14. Paul Goodison (United Kingdom)
- Titles: Gold at the 2008 Olympics, multiple world titles in the Laser and Moth.
- Records: First sailor to win world titles in both the Laser and the Moth.
- Teams: Competes in the Moth class and takes part in the America’s Cup.
- History: Goodison started out in Olympic sailing before venturing into other classes and continuing his success.
- Fun facts: Paul is an innovator in boat technology, especially in Moth design.
15. Sarah-Quita Offringa (Aruba)
- Titles: Multiple times Windsurfing World Champion in various categories.
- Records: Aruba’s first Windsurfing World Champion.
- Teams: Competes with Aruba’s national team and in international events.
- History: Offringa started sailing as a teenager and quickly made a name for herself in windsurfing.
- Fun facts: She is an active advocate of sport in Caribbean communities and promotes youth sailing.
16. Eilidh McIntyre (United Kingdom)
- Titles: Gold at the 2021 Olympics in the 470 class, European champion.
- Records: Britain’s first Olympic 470 champion.
- Teams: Competes with Hannah Mills.
- History: McIntyre began her sailing career at a young age and joined Mills to form a winning team.
- Funfacts: Engineering student and part of a new generation of technical and innovative sailors.
17. Nathan Outteridge (Australia)
- Titles: Gold at the 2012 Olympics, America’s Cup and SailGP champion.
- Records: Dominated the 49er class and had continuous success in the America’s Cup.
- Teams: Emirates Team New Zealand.
- History: Outteridge started sailing young and formed a successful partnership with Iain Jensen.
- Fun facts: Nathan is known for his leadership skills and innovative technical style.
18. Lauren Jeffrey (United States)
- Titles: Multiple national and continental titles in the Laser Radial class.
- Records: Youngest national champion in the Laser Radial class.
- Teams: Competes with the US national team.
- History: Jeffrey stood out on the youth scene and quickly became a promise in the sport.
- Fun facts: She is an advocate of developing sport for young talent.
19. Kyle Langford (Australia)
- Titles: Multiple world titles in the Laser class.
- Records: Youngest sailor to win the world championship in the Laser class.
- Teams: Competes with the Australian national team.
- History: Langford started his career young and quickly became one of the best of his generation.
- Fun facts: He is an athlete dedicated to intense training and developing new techniques.
20. Lisa Charles (France)
- Titles: Gold at the Pan American Games, European champion in the J/70 class.
- Records: First French woman to win gold at the Pan American Games.
- Teams: Competes with the French national team.
- History: Charles started sailing at a young age and has become a benchmark in the J/70 class.
- Fun facts: Lisa is known for her technical and strategic approach to competition.
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The 20 best sailing athletes in the world today: complete list
- Ben Ainslie
- Marit Bouwmeester
- Peter Burling
- Hannah Mills
- Santiago Lange
- Mat Belcher
- Anne-Marie Rindom
- Tom Slingsby
- Robert Scheidt
- Martine Grael
- Blair Tuke
- Giles Scott
- Camille Lecointre
- Paul Goodison
- Sarah-Quita Offringa
- Eilidh McIntyre
- Nathan Outteridge
- Lauren Jeffrey
- Kyle Langford
- Lisa Charles
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