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Friday, October 23, 2026
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Taylor-Nagel Offshore Veteran Steering Bermuda's Gold Cup Ambition
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Some sailors simply join a crew. Others help build it from the keel up.
For Emily Taylor-Nagel, SSL Team Bermuda was little more than an ambitious concept when she first got involved. Now, as the island ramps up preparations for the 2026 SSL Gold Cup in Rio de Janeiro, the seasoned offshore sailor finds herself at the very heart of the campaign.
Taylor-Nagel’s connection to the water began at the age of 10, when a family friend introduced her to an Optimist dinghy at Mangrove Bay. A quick affinity for the sport soon transitioned into competitive racing in RS Fevas while attending boarding school in the United Kingdom, laying the groundwork for an elite international career.
Her defining milestone arrived during the 2017–18 Volvo Ocean Race, where she navigated the treacherous waters around Cape Horn. Enduring a gruelling edition defined by immense physical toll and heartbreak, rounding the Horn alongside a close-knit crew fulfilled a lifelong ambition that, for Taylor-Nagel, surpassed any podium silverware.
That hard-won offshore pedigree is now being channelled directly into Bermuda’s national effort on the high-performance SSL47 yachts.
"We may be small, but we are mighty," Taylor-Nagel said. "Bermuda can compete with the best, even when many of our sailors are balancing full-time jobs with their passion for sailing."
The Gold Cup format demands razor-sharp coordination aboard the 47-foot monohulls—a steep learning curve for crews with restricted preparation windows. For Taylor-Nagel, the objective extends beyond results to mentorship: exposing local talent to grand-prix keelboats and watching the next generation of Bermudian sailors gain confidence at the international level.
With time on the water strictly limited ahead of the qualifying stages, Taylor-Nagel insists that securing dedicated coaching will be vital to bridging the gap against full-time professional outfits.
"A coach will be crucial to accelerating learning, providing an outside perspective and holding everyone accountable," she added. "There is always something new to learn, whatever your experience."
Bermuda has never lacked natural maritime talent or grit. Yet as the countdown to Rio quickens, the focus shifts to fine margins—maximising limited training slots, sharpening crew manoeuvres, and ensuring the island's punchy squad arrives in Brazil ready to ruffle feathers on the global stage.
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Thursday, October 22, 2026
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Dalhousie claim Québec Championship Honours
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Dalhousie University Sailing continued their fine form on the Canadian collegiate circuit, capturing the Québec Championship and McGill Invitational regional title after a composed regatta off the Pointe-Claire Yacht Club.
The Halifax-based university, featuring Bermudian sailors Nicole Stovell and Laura Hupman among its ranks, delivered a clinical showing across the weekend to top the fleet in tricky waters on Lake Saint-Louis.
Hosted by McGill Sailing, the regional regatta served as an early-season test of tactical precision and boat speed. Faced with shifting breeze and sharp chop off the Pointe-Claire shoreline, Dalhousie’s crews adapted quickest to the conditions, piecing together a remarkably consistent series to pull clear of host outfit McGill and a competitive collegiate field.
The triumph reinforces Dalhousie’s standing as one of the powerhouse programmes in the Canadian Intercollegiate Sailing Association (CICSA). Both Stovell and Hupman have established themselves as pivotal figures in the team’s recent championship campaigns, bringing valuable international pedigree to the collegiate racing stage.
With the regional silverware secured in Québec, Dalhousie now turn their attention to the upcoming national championship fixtures on the CICSA calendar, with momentum firmly on their side.
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Thursday, October 22, 2026
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Ocean Racing Veteran Brown Targets SSL Team Bermuda Stage
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From cutting his teeth in local dinghy fleets to braving Force 7 gales across the Atlantic, Ruairí Brown has spent a lifetime preparing for the ultimate test in international sailing.
Now, the versatile offshore specialist is back on the world stage as trimmer for SSL Team Bermuda, returning to the fold having previously played an integral role in steering the island to qualification for the 2023 SSL Gold Cup.
For Brown, the sea has always been second nature. With offshore racing woven deeply into his family pedigree, he first took the helm of an Optimist in Bermuda at the age of just four.
His craft was further refined on Irish waters, where he immersed himself in competitive one-design fleets, coached the next generation of young talent, and took on an increasingly demanding slate of offshore assignments.
His pedigree spans some of the most tactically demanding designs in the sport—including International One Designs (IODs), the Dragon Class, J/109s, and Bermuda’s storied Fitted Dinghies.
Yet it is the crucible of ocean racing that has most vividly shaped Brown's reputation as a cool head in high-stakes environments.
His resume includes standout performances in the Newport Bermuda Race, highlighted by a gritty third-in-class finish during the 2022 edition aboard a J/125.
Navigating through Force 7 conditions, Brown and his crew weathered an aggressive broach and emergency mid-ocean engine repairs before clawing their way onto the podium.
It is precisely that tenacity and tactical versatility that SSL Team Bermuda will lean on as they prepare to take on the world's sailing elite.
"It’s an honour, especially on an upcoming platform," Brown said of representing the island once more. "I'm honoured to be a part of the team and looking forward to sending it with my teammates."
Looking ahead to the campaign, Brown is relishing the prospect of stepping into a cauldron of rising competition, exploring the host venues, and testing the island's mettle against top-tier national squads.
However, the seasoned trimmer is equally candid about what it will take for Bermuda to transition from competitive underdogs to consistent contenders on the international circuit: dedicated, top-level coaching.
While the Bermudian squad boasts no shortage of individual sailing pedigree, Brown believes an experienced coach would prove pivotal in synthesising daily lessons, providing an objective tactical eye, and holding the crew to exacting standards.
"A dedicated coach would help bring everything together," Brown noted, pointing out that fine-tuning communication, race strategy, and synchronised boat handling could prove the difference between podium finishes and early exits.
As the SSL campaign gathers momentum, Brown and his crewmates stand ready to fly the flag, determined to turn a lifetime of hard-won sea miles into global silverware.
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Wednesday, October 21, 2026
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Brangman Returns to Bolster Bermuda’s SSL Gold Cup Campaign
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Experienced Bermudian sailor Dale Brangman has rejoined SSL Team Bermuda as the island gears up to push deeper onto the global stage in their upcoming SSL Gold Cup campaign.
Brangman was an integral part of the crew that secured qualification for the 2023 SSL Gold Cup Final Series, and his return injects proven international pedigree and technical nous into the national roster.
His affinity with competitive racing stretches back decades, beginning in Optimists at the age of nine before transitioning into the Comet class, where he remains a formidable competitor. Among his career highlights are winning the prestigious Bermuda Long Distance Comet Race for the Edward Cross Cup in 2019, campaigning on the World Match Racing Tour, and representing Bermuda at the inaugural 2023 Gold Cup.
"It’s always a privilege to represent your country on any level when called upon," Brangman said. "I will be sure to do my best to help the team."
While eager to reconnect with team-mates from previous campaigns, Brangman is targeting tangible progress on the water, aiming to steer Bermuda further through the tournament brackets this time around.
The veteran crew member also emphasised the pivotal role dedicated coaching plays in high-stakes fleet racing, noting that an outside perspective can identify critical tactical blind spots, sharpen split-second decision-making, and galvanise crew synergy when margins are razor-thin.
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Wednesday, October 21, 2026
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Bermuda Youth Contingent Head to Optimist South Americans
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A six-strong contingent of Bermuda’s most promising young sailors have set off for Uruguay to represent the island at the 2026 Optimist South American Championship.
The team—comprising Aaron Riker, Jesse Savage, Elaine Jones, Heath Meyers, Alfie Jansma, and Rex Henagulp—will test themselves against a world-class fleet featuring the top emerging talent from across South America and beyond.
The prestigious continental regatta will offer the Bermudian youngsters valuable international fleet-racing exposure, challenging them across demanding coastal conditions as they look to leave their mark on the international stage.
With preparations complete, the squad will take to the water this week aiming to sharpen their racecraft, gain vital championship experience, and fly the flag proudly for Bermuda.
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