SSL

STRONG WINDS, STRONGER TEAMS: SSL COMPLETES INTENSIVE NOVEMBER TRAINING BLOCK AHEAD OF THE SEA GAMES

Less than two weeks remain before the biggest regatta in Southeast Asia. For the first time, the SSL47 keelboats with full national teams will feature as an official class at the SEA Games, racing nation against nation — and just one day later, the fight for two coveted tickets to the 2026 SSL Gold Cup will begin.

To prepare for this milestone, seven national teams spent the entire month of November training in the Gulf of Thailand. The first two weeks were dedicated to Myanmar, Malaysia, and Thailand, while the second phase welcomed Vietnam, the Philippines, South Korea, and Kazakhstan.

This year marks a turning point for sailing at the Southeast Asian Games. For the first time in the event’s history, racing will receive full television broadcast coverage across Asia, dramatically expanding the sport’s regional reach. As part of this evolution, the SSL has provided national teams with larger boats, high-level coaching, and a unified team-racing structure. The mission is clear: elevate performance standards, strengthen national squads, and connect Asian sailors through a shared framework that supports long-term development — including the pathway toward the SSL Gold Cup in Rio.

SSL Team Philippines and SSL Team Vietnam Return to Thailand in December for the SEA Games and Asian Qualifiers

SSL Team Philippines: “We accomplished our mission to familiarize ourselves with the boat.”

For the Philippines, the training week began with a surprise. Expecting light winds, the team instead faced strong breezes from their very first outing. Captain Ridgely Balladares explained that this challenge forced the sailors to accelerate their learning curve on a boat they had never sailed before.

“I think it was on the third day that we slowly started getting used to it. And on our last day, even though it was still blowing hard, we managed to catch up on what we really needed to know about the boat. This is our first time on the SSL47, and I think we got it — we accomplished our mission to familiarize ourselves with the boat.”

After several days, the crew adapted quickly and began to master the boat’s technical demands. Their strong-wind experience in Pattaya is now a strategic advantage ahead of the SEA Games and the Asian Qualifiers. As Balladares noted, the team’s pace is “really, really quick,” and the sailors now feel prepared for whatever conditions December may bring.

SSL Team Vietnam: “A long-term journey, not just a short competition.”

Vietnam entered the training camp as one of the least experienced teams on larger performance boats, yet their progress was among the most impressive. Tran Thi Hong Nhung, known as Vicky, shared that the strong winds were initially overwhelming for the predominantly beginner crew. But with disciplined routines — including 8 a.m. dock-outs to maximize practice time — the team improved rapidly.

By the end of the week, Vietnam executed maneuvers, sail handling, and spinnaker work with confidence. For them, the goal goes beyond immediate results. They aim to build a united, joyful team capable of long-term development.

Vicky described the SSL program as an unprecedented opportunity for Asian sailors, calling it “a long-term journey, not just a short competition.”

Captain Tien Dung Le also highlighted the importance of working closely with SSL coaches under challenging conditions:

“What brings us together is that we are learning every day and trying to improve teamwork. Learning how to control this boat is a really big lesson for us at the moment. But by the end of the seven-day training — even with the strong Pattaya winds — we felt we had learned well and managed to control the boat.

We look forward to improving further, optimising what we haven’t done yet, and strengthening our teamwork to truly understand and own both the course and the boat.”

SSL Team Kazakhstan and SSL Team South Korea Prepare for Asian Qualifiers

The SSL Team Kazakhstan first sailed the SSL47 during the Summer Camp in Switzerland last August. After two training phases, they are now ready to line up at the start of the Asian Qualifiers.

“This week was exhausting and incredibly productive. We came together as a team and worked really well. Everybody understands what they need to do and when, and we help each other. The winds were very strong almost the entire week.”

Representing their country is a powerful motivation:

“To represent the nation means everything to us. We are really proud of the opportunity to participate and to show our best side.”

SSL Team South Korea: “We learned a lot — now we aim to do our best.”

For SSL Team South Korea, the training week in Pattaya was an essential step toward gaining confidence on the SSL47. While the team has limited experience on larger keelboats, the sailors embraced the challenge with determination.

According to the crew, each day brought clear progress:

“We learned a lot and improved a little bit. Every coach helped us get used to the boat, and so far, so good.”

Looking ahead to the Asian Qualifiers, the Koreans expect crew coordination to be their biggest challenge, as they continue to adapt to the demands of high-performance keelboat racing:

“Definitely crew work. We don’t have much keelboat experience, so we’re still getting used to it.”

When asked about their rivals in the group stage, the team remained humble but focused:

“We don’t really know how strong the other teams are. We’ll just try to do our best.”

Despite their limited background in big-boat racing, SSL Team South Korea arrives at the qualifiers motivated, united, and ready to seize every opportunity to improve.

A New Era for Asian Sailing

The November training camp confirmed that Southeast Asian sailing is entering a transformative era. The combination of larger boats, national team structures, and full broadcast coverage represents a major leap forward for the region.

As December’s competitions draw near, one thing is certain: the winds may have been strong, but the teams proved even stronger — and the SEA Games promise to deliver some of the most competitive and exciting sailing Southeast Asia has ever seen.

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