A first international camp for a first national team. The Malagasy national sailing team, named SSL Team Madagascar – Koera, is currently in the Seychelles to prepare for its participation in the SSL Gold Cup. Composed of ten sailors, including two women, the squad is conducting its training under the guidance of two coaches, one from the Seychelles and the other from the Netherlands.
This gathering marks the first step in the preparation of this national team, created to represent Madagascar in high-level international competitions. The Malagasy sailors must familiarize themselves with the technical, tactical, and collective requirements of the competition, as well as the operation of a crew on a one-design boat.
The SSL Gold Cup is one of the major events in international sailing. Organized in a format inspired by the FIFA World Cup, it pits national teams against each other to determine the best sailing nation. It is contested on SSL 47s, boats approximately 14 meters long designed for competition.
Since the boats are identical, crew performance relies primarily on technical mastery, strategy, communication, and coordination among members. For Koera, these sessions in the Seychelles allow them to work on maneuvers, adjustments, and collective crew functioning in conditions similar to those of the competition.
The Malagasy selection comes from several regions of the country, the Malagasy Sailing Federation notes. “From North to South, from East to West, this team brings together different profiles and territories around a single goal: to carry the colors of Madagascar together on the water,” the Federation emphasized, noting that the team is composed of athletes from Antsiranana, Mahajanga, Ambatolampy, Antsirabe, Fianarantsoa, Manakara, and Toliara.
This preparation is part of a project initiated in 2024, when the Malagasy Sailing Federation began working with the organizers of the SSL Gold Cup to establish a national team. The identification of sailors and the structuring of the selection have gradually led to this first international gathering. The current preparation is also intended to strengthen the skills of Malagasy sailors and lay the foundations for the development of more structured high-level sailing in Madagascar.
Captured & Published at: 2026-09-08 09:08:46 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.2424.mg/sport-nautique-lequipe-nationale-malgache-de-voile-koera-se-prepare-aux-seychelles-pour-la-ssl-gold-cup/