Torben Schmidt Grael is one of the most well known Brazilian sailors, renowned in international competitions. A descendant of Danes, he was taken sailing by his grandfather at the age of five years on the sailboat Aileen, of the 6 Metre class, which was the boat used by the silver medal-winning 1912 Summer Olympics Danish sailing team. Once he moved to Niterói, he started sailing with his brother, Lars Grael, also an Olympic medal winner, on the Bay of Guanabara. Another brother, Axel Grael, is the current mayor of Niterói. He is father of Olympic champion Martine Grael and sailor Marco Grael.
William Ryan is an Australian sailor and an Olympic champion and five time World champion in the men's 470 event with Mathew Belcher.
Brazil was the host nation of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro from 5 to 21 August 2016. This was the nation's twenty-second appearance at the Summer Olympics, having competed in all editions in the modern era from 1920 onwards, except the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. Setting a milestone in Olympic history, Brazil became the first South American country to host the Summer Olympics, and the second Latin American host following the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico.
Hannah Louise Mills, is a British competitive sailor and two-time world champion in the Women's 470 class, having won in 2012 and 2019. Mills won a silver medal for Team GB with her crew Saskia Clark in the 2012 Olympics, she followed this up with a gold in the same event at both the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and, partnered by Eilidh McIntyre, the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Mills is currently the on-board Strategist for the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team, competing at events around the world. In 2022, Mills and Sir Ben Ainslie launched Athena Pathway, a programme to help fast-track development for female and youth sailors. Athena Pathway has a team competing in the first ever Women’s America’s Cup, helmed by Mills, and has also put together the British Youth Team that will battle to retain the Youth America’s Cup after winning it at the last event in Bermuda in 2017.
Luke Patience is a British Olympic sailor. He competed with Stuart Bithell at the 2012 Summer Olympics, and the team won a silver medal.
Ana Luiza Busato Barbachan is a Brazilian sports sailor. She was chosen by Olympic medalist Fernanda Oliveira to be her new partner in the 470 class after Oliveira's 2009 split with Isabel Swan. Barbachan has since competed with Oliveira at three Olympic Games, London 2012, Rio 2016. and Tokyo 2020 (9th).
Martine Soffiatti Grael is a Brazilian sailor in the 49er FX class. Together with Kahena Kunze she won the 49er FX class at the 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships and at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Kahena Kunze is a Brazilian sailor in the 49er FX class. Together with Martine Grael she won the 49er FX class at the 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships and a gold medal in the inaugural 49er FX race, during the 2016 Rio Olympics, a feat both repeated at Tokyo 2020.
Bruno Bethlem de Amorim, also known as "Bebum", is a Brazilian sailor gold medallist in the Pan American Games, the South American Games, and the Snipe World Championships.
Samuel Albrecht is a Brazilian sailor who specializes in both two-person dinghy (470) and mixed multihull classes. He has been selected to compete for the Brazilian sailing team at the 2008 Summer Olympics, finishing seventeenth along with his partner Fabio Pillar in the 470 regatta. After missing out on the Olympic selection in 2012, Albrecht decided to turn his attention and eventually teamed up with Olympic bronze medalist Isabel Swan on the newly instated Nacra 17 catamaran for a chance to compete at his possible second Games in Rio de Janeiro. As of April 2015, Albrecht is ranked forty-fourth in the world for the mixed multihull class by the International Sailing Federation.
Fábio Silva Pillar, also known as Fábio Dutra Pillar e Silva, is a Brazilian sailor who competes in the two-person dinghy (470) class. He was a member of the Brazilian sailing team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, finishing seventeenth along with his partner Samuel Albrecht in the 470 regatta. Throughout his sailing career, Pillar trains full-time at Clube dos Jangadeiros in his native Pôrto Alegre under the tutelage of head coach Paulo Ribeiro.
Christian Grube is a British sailor who competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
Sophie Claire Ainsworth is a British sailor who qualified to compete at the 2016 Summer Olympics being held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Nicola Groves is a British competitive sailor. She competed for Great Britain at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Marco Soffiatti Grael is a Brazilian sailor. He competes in the 49er class alongside Gabriel Borges, finishing 11th at the 2016 Summer Olympics, 16th in the 2020 Summer Olympics. Both also won the gold at the 2019 Pan American Games. He is the son of Olympic champion Torben Grael, and brother of Martine Grael.
The following are the scheduled events of sailing for the year 2019 throughout the world.
Brazil competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Originally scheduled to take place from 24 July to 9 August 2020, the Games were postponed to 23 July to 8 August 2021, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the nation's twenty-third appearance at the Summer Olympics, having competed in all editions of the modern era from 1920 onwards, except the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam.
Stephanie Roble is an American sailor who is a Pan American Games medalist and a multi-medalist in the World Championships. She was named 2014 US Sailing Rolex Yachtswoman of Year.
Margaret Shea is an American sailor who is a Pan American Games medallist and a two-time medallist in the World Championships.
Axel Schmidt Grael is a Brazilian forester, environmentalist, sailor, and politician who has been the mayor of the city of Niterói since 2021. He is currently affiliated with the Democratic Labour Party (PDT). He had previously served as, among other positions, secretary of planning and vice-mayor. He comes from a prominent family of sailors, including his brothers Torben and Lars Grael, and his nephew and niece Marco and Martine Grael.
