The racing at the Regional Finals is preceded by an ISAF Match Racing Clinic, aimed to help develop match racing skills and officiating in that region. The winners of the Regional Finals progress through to the Grand Final, where they will be joined by representatives from the defending champions, and the host nation, Brazil, to battle for the ISAF Nations Cup trophies in the open and women's events.

The aim of the event is to broaden the availability of match racing and provide international match racing competition for national authorities and sailors at a reasonable cost, whilst acting as an incentive for national match racing programmes.

Event History

The inaugural Nations Cup in 1991 saw six regional qualifiers in each of Denmark, Italy, Greece, Brazil, Bermuda and Japan, with the Grand Final in Barcelona, Spain. At that time only sailed in an Open division, the title was won by Ed Baird (USA). The 1991 Nations Cup Grand Final was the climax of over 1,000 races sailed by some 50 countries.

Moving onto 1993, preceding the Grand Final in Holland, the qualifiers were held in Finland, France, United Arab Emirates, Peru, USA and Singapore, with Roy Heiner (NED) taking the Open Title and Helena Strang (SWE) the women’s event.

The final holding of the Nations Cup in 1995 saw San Francisco, USA host the Grand Final, with the qualifying events in South Africa, Croatia, New Zealand, Ireland, Canada and Chile. The Open Event was won by South Africa’s Bruce Savage, with the women’s title claimed by Susan Walters (AUS).

Following on from earlier editions in 1991, 1993 and 1995, the ISAF Nations Cup was successfully re-launched in 2006 with over 50 nations competing. Eight Regional Finals decided the line up for the Grand Final at the Royal Cork Yacht Club, where France completed a double triumph in the open and women's events with teams led by skippers Mathieu Richard and Claire Leroy. Along with the racing, each Regional Final was preceded by an ISAF Match Racing Clinic, giving both the sailors and officials a chance to learn from some of the world's leading Race Officials and coaches.

The ISAF Nations Cup 2009 was a successful event with competitors from more than 40 nations all around the globe. The Regional Finals were organised in Antibes, Auckland, Brindisi, Buenos Aires, Charleston, Kinsale, and Mumbai, whilst Porto Alegre in Brazil played the host of the Grand Final.

Brazil saw some of the world’s best match racers representing their home country in the battle for the Nation Cup trophies. Claire Leroy, ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year 2007 and 2007 and 2008 World Champion and Damien Iehl, the world’s #5 Ranked skipper won the Nations Cup 2009 for France.