Three years after the SSL Gold Cup Final Series in Gran Canaria, familiar faces are returning to the SSL circuit, this time with new lineups, new energy and the same ambition to compete at the highest level.
Two more teams have arrived at the SSL Training Centre in Grandson, Switzerland, to prepare for the next chapter of the SSL Gold Cup.
First up is SSL Team Brazil, led by one of the biggest names in sailing, Robert Scheidt. The local hero is Brazil’s most successful Olympic medallist, with five Olympic medals and more than 120 titles to his name. A seven-time Olympian, World Champion in both Star and Laser and former Star Sailors League champion, Scheidt brings an incredible amount of experience to the Brazilian campaign.
After three years away from the SSL47, Brazil is back on the boat, with some changes to the crew and plenty of work ahead to rebuild their rhythm and teamwork.
Joining them in Grandson is SSL Team South Africa, bringing a new generation of sailors and plenty of experience of its own. The team is led by three-time Olympic Finn sailor Ian Ainslie, who has dedicated much of his career to developing sailing in South Africa. He founded the Izivunguvungu Sailing School and has also worked as a coach at the highest level of Olympic sailing.
Both teams are now using their time in Switzerland to train, reconnect and build the teamwork they will need when the competition gets underway.
There are plenty of great sailors in these teams, and plenty of memories from the last time they shared the SSL stage. But this time, they have a chance to create completely new ones.
The SSL Training Centre in Grandson once again becomes the meeting point for sailing nations from around the world, a place to train together, learn from each other and prepare for what lies ahead.