It’s been about a week since the official presentation of the SSL Nations Gold Cup in Lorient, France, at the Yacht Racing Forum, when Mateusz Kusznierewicz and the Star Sailors League team presented to the public and media the SSL NATIONS GOLD CUP, the last block of the Star Sailors League circuit, created in 2013, that received the World Sailing SPECIAL EVENT status in 2017.
By mixing the use of spectacular one design big boats provided by the Star Sailors League and exploiting the successful scenario of the football World Cup, the SSL NATIONS GOLD CUP will be a tool for the Star Sailors League to raise the national pride in sporting fans all over the world and finally put the spotlight on the sailors.
Since right after the announcement, dozens of message have been flocking to Mateusz and the SSL team, the feedback has overcome the expectations, with sailors from all around the world showing their interest to represent their country at the 2021 SSL NATIONS GOLD CUP. As announced in France last week, tomorrow, November the 1st, official online registration period will be open for all of the interested sailors to become Captains, Skippers (helmsman) or Crew, to be part of their National Team. Any interested sailor will be able to send an application that will be evaluated by the Star Sailors League.
http://nations-gold-cup.starsailors.com/registration-form/
Every National team will be lead by a Captain. He or she might also be the skipper or could be on the boat as one of the 8 - 11 crew members or might even prefer to stay off the racing boat. The Captains main responsibilities will be to select the best sailors in the Country, create a team (of about 11 athletes), organize the trainings sessions, manage therelations with sponsors and media and be the actual manager of their National team.
The selection of the Captains will take in consideration all of the above, they will necessarily be sailors, of course, but their sailing achievements won’t be the only criteria to be evaluated by the Star Sailors League Selection Board. They should prove to have management skills, to be well known in their country and to be able to work closely with sponsors and media. The SSL Selection Board will consist of five experienced sailors from different countries and continents.
The process of selection will follow two different approaches.
- The first one will begin with the Captains by completing an online application form which will be followed by an interview by the SSL Selection Board, the analysis of the candidate’s experience and potential. Then the different Captains that applied for one nation will be ranked - if that is the fortunate case.
- The SSL Selection Board might also contact a potential Captain directly, without their online application.
When a match is made, the Star Sailors League will support the Captains since their firsts steps in their crew selection, in the search of sponsors and with training sessions at the SSL Headquarters in Switzerland.
(The boats will be loaned free to the teams, the sponsors' support will be primarily intended to expand the audience and help the athletes)
By March 2019, if not sooner, the first Captains will be announced and in spring the first training sessions will take place with the support of professional coaches and ‘big boats’ specialists. The Selection Board will have its first meeting this month (November), then again at the sixth SSL Finals in December in Nassau, where they might also meet some of the potential Nations Captains.
http://nations-gold-cup.starsailors.com/registration-form/
WHAT IS THE STAR SAILORS LEAGUE NATIONS GOLD CUP?
A. SPORT OBJECTIVE
The Star Sailors League NATIONS GOLD CUP is a competition among nations and will become the SSL’s biennial grand finale. Its objective is to crown the top sailing nation.
B. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE
The SSL NATIONS GOLD CUP uses the same nationality principles as the Olympic Gamesto provide a country against country championship like the World Cup in football.
C. FEATURES
- FINANCE
To encourage the widest possible participation, the teams won’t have to invest to buy boats,they will be lent by the SSL.
- PARTICIPANT ATHLETES
The SSL NATIONS GOLD CUP aims to offer equal chances for all top athletes to participate, in full detachment from financial or political frontiers. Thus, the top ranked athletes in the SSL Ranking will automatically be selected
The national teams involved in the SSL NATIONS GOLD CUP will be comprised of 11 sailorsand will be made up of the best sailors from their respective countries. All the athletes will be selected based on the following rules:
- Every athlete of the team will have the same nationality, according to the Olympic rules
- 1 captain selected by the SSL Team
- 5 athletes selected according to the SSL Ranking of Skippers
- 1 athlete selected according to the SSL Ranking of Crews
- 4 athletes selected by the Captains
- PARTICIPANT NATIONS
The competition is open to 140 countries whose national federation is recognized by World Sailing. The top 36 teams in the ranking of nations (established by the Star Sailors League), will be qualified for the final phase; the others will participate in a qualification round.
- EVENT FORMAT
Like in football’s World Cup, teams must compete in round robins and keep on winning in the knockout round to qualify for the finale. The final runs in a single do-or-die race,giving the teams and the public proper fireworks.
- BOATS
The first edition of the SSL NATIONS GOLD CUP will take place in 2021, on fully crewedone-design 47 footers monohull. The 47 footers boats are big enough to offer an impressive TV image for spectators, but they can be managed by top sailors non specialists of big boats; they therefore allow the participation of all nations.
SSL - BY SAILORS FOR SAILORS
SSL Press Officer since 2015