From October 28th to November 20th 2022, the Kingdom of Bahrain will host the Final Series of SSL GOLD CUP 2022, the first Football World Cup… in Sailing! The SSL GOLD CUP, a World Sailing Special Event organized every four years by the Sailing Athletes Foundation (SAF), is the ultimate challenge between sailing nations to crown the World Champions, a first in the sport’s History.
The SSL GOLD CUP Final Series 2022 will be the first World Class Sailing event to take place in Bahrain! Like the World Cup in Football, the SSL GOLD CUP gives a singular equal opportunity challenge for all the 40 teams, who race on the exact same boat, the SSL47, a 14-meter performance racing boat, handed by the organization.
These 40 teams include the World’s Top 23 Sailing nations plus 16 teams coming from the Qualifying Series (organized from May to July 2022) and the host nation, SSL Team Bahrain. Local champion Abdullah Janachi is appointed Captain of the « Sharks », the nickname of the team.
Each team will be wearing the colours of their nation and their emblems and the team’s 11 athletes including Olympic Champions and Medalists, Olympians, and World Champions from all in-shore Sailing classes will battle it out in this one-of-a-kind sailing sport.