September 6, 2023
1 minute reading time
Star Sailors League: First 'Football World Cup' in sailing heads to Gran Canaria
The SSL GOLD CUP, the 1st “FOOTBALL WORLD CUP” in sailing will be held at the stunning Island of Gran Canaria from 10 November and 3 December 2023 in collaboration with the Real Federación Canaria de Vela.
By Sailors for Sailors
Inspired by the Football World Cup, the SSL GOLD CUP offers the ultimate challenge for sailors by officially designating and crowning the World Champion of Sailing Nations.
The first ‘Mundial’ in sailing
So, after football in 1930, and rugby in 1987, sailing is ready to launch its “Mundial” in 2023 with the SSL Gold Cup in a 25 day long competition among nations. Like the Football World Cup, the SSL Gold Cup aims to make national pride resonate in a sporting and friendly manner and is ready to become one huge media showcase for the sport of sailing every 4 years.
Rewarding sporting skills
Like the major World Cups in other sports, the SSL Gold Cup will be an equal opportunity event with no social, geographical, financial, or cultural discrimination. The conditions will be the same for all teams, with identical big racing boats (the SSL47) and training made available free of charge to all teams.
40 nations and 25 Olympic medallists
In Gran Canaria, 40 teams will compete in the SSL Gold Cup Finals, including the world’s top 24 sailing nations in the SSL Ranking, plus 16 teams who came through the Qualifying Series, held from May to July 2022. Just as with the pinnacle event in football, each team will be wearing the colours of their nation and their emblems. Each team includes 11 athletes which means more than 400 sailors, counting amongst their crews’ Olympic medalists and World Champions multiple inshore sailing classes.
Read more at starsailors.com.
Text and images courtesy of Star Sailors League.