Sail Training Scheme set to become regional sailing hub through SSL partnership

Seychelles is positioning itself to play a leading role in the development of sailing across Africa, with the National Sports Council’s (NSC) Sail Training Scheme (STS) selected to serve as a potential regional training hub through a collaboration with the Star Sailors League (SSL).

 

The initiative follows Seychelles’ successful participation in the SSL Gold Cup earlier this year and a subsequent visit by representatives of the Star Sailors League, during which discussions were held on the potential development of the STS into a regional sailing centre.

 

The collaboration is part of a broader effort to promote and develop sailing on the African continent, where the sport remains relatively small and opportunities for regular high-level training are limited in many countries.

 

With Seychelles having a long-standing association with sailing and possessing facilities capable of accommodating international-level activities, the country has been identified as an ideal location from which to support the development of sailors from across the continent.

 

Seychelles is considered, alongside South Africa, one of the few countries in Africa with the sailing infrastructure, experience and environment required to support such a regional initiative.

The first practical step in the collaboration is already taking place this week, with STS welcoming sailing delegations from different parts of Africa for a specialised training programme at its facilities at Roche Caiman.

 

Sailors began arriving in Seychelles earlier this week, with training getting underway under the guidance of local coaches and in collaboration with the SSL team.

 

The current programme involves delegations from Madagascar and Senegal, while further delegations from Namibia and Mauritius are expected to arrive shortly and join the initiative.

The visiting sailors are being accommodated at the NSC Games Village, providing them with convenient access to the STS facilities while also allowing Seychelles to demonstrate its capacity to accommodate visiting sporting delegations.

 

The Games Village was among the facilities visited by SSL representatives during their recent visit to Seychelles, when the organisation also expressed its support for the plans to develop STS into a regional sailing facility.

 

 

NSC’s Allen Julie is working closely with the SSL group during its stay in Seychelles and believes the initiative represents a major opportunity for the continued development of sailing locally.

Julie said the collaboration should be viewed as an important development for both the Sail Training Scheme and sailing in Seychelles more broadly.

He noted that SSL’s involvement already demonstrates its commitment to the project, with the organisation providing three catamarans for the current training programme.

 

The original plan was to have seven catamarans available, allowing the visiting sailors to participate in a more extensive training programme. However, Julie explained that local owners of similar boats, who had initially been expected to make their equipment available, withdrew at the last minute.

 

He described the development as unfortunate, particularly given the importance of the initiative and the potential long-term benefits it could bring to Seychelles. Julie remains hopeful that some of the local boat owners could reconsider their decision in the coming days and make their catamarans available to support the programme.

 

The shortage of equipment is particularly significant because the training is expected to move to Dubai if the required number of boats cannot be secured in Seychelles. For Julie, having the programme moved elsewhere would represent a missed opportunity for the country at a time when Seychelles is being considered for a much larger role in African sailing development.

 

 

Explaining why Seychelles was selected as a potential regional centre, Julie pointed to the country’s established sailing culture and its existing infrastructure.

 

He said that, apart from South Africa, Seychelles is considered one of the few countries in the region with the sailing expertise and facilities necessary to host an initiative of this scale.

 

The STS at Roche Caiman provides a suitable base for training, while the country’s geographical location and natural marine environment further enhance its potential to serve as a regional sailing destination. Julie also stressed that the facilities at STS have the required standard to accommodate large-scale training activities, making the current programme an opportunity to showcase what Seychelles can offer to the wider African sporting community.

 

The initiative is therefore not simply about hosting a group of visiting sailors for a training camp. It forms part of a wider vision to establish Seychelles as a centre from which sailing development programmes can be delivered to athletes from across Africa.

 

 

The proposed regional hub could eventually provide sailors from countries where sailing is still in its early stages with greater access to specialised coaching, modern equipment, structured training programmes and international expertise.

 

It could also create opportunities for knowledge exchange between local coaches and their counterparts from other African countries, while exposing Seychellois sailors to different training methods and experiences.

 

For STS, the collaboration could also contribute to the further development of its coaching and technical capacity, while strengthening its links with international sailing organisations. Julie believes that with the right level of support and funding, STS has the potential to become one of the most important sailing training centres on the African continent.

 

He said the current initiative could serve as the beginning of a much larger programme, provided Seychelles is able to maintain the confidence of SSL and other international partners and develop the resources required to support the project.

 

The need for adequate equipment remains one of the immediate challenges. The current situation involving the number of available catamarans has highlighted the importance of having sufficient equipment to accommodate the increasing number of athletes who could potentially train in Seychelles.

 

Nevertheless, the presence of SSL and the arrival of delegations from several African countries represent an important first step.

 

 

The current collaboration also builds on Seychelles’ participation in the SSL Gold Cup earlier this year, which provided local sailors with an opportunity to compete on an international platform and interact with some of the world’s leading sailing personalities.

 

That experience has helped raise the profile of Seychelles within the SSL network and contributed to discussions on how the country could become more actively involved in the organisation’s development initiatives.

 

The subsequent decision to use Seychelles as a base for African training demonstrates the confidence being placed in the country’s sailing capabilities and its sporting infrastructure.

For the NSC, the initiative also aligns with its broader objective of using sport not only for competition but as a platform for development, international cooperation and the exchange of knowledge.

 

 

With sailors from Madagascar and Senegal already participating and delegations from Namibia and Mauritius expected, the current programme provides an important opportunity to test the potential of STS as a regional training centre.

 

The presence of international coaches and athletes will also give local sailors and coaches an opportunity to learn, share experiences and establish connections that could prove valuable beyond the current training programme.

 

While the immediate challenge of securing sufficient boats remains, the long-term vision is clear: to develop Seychelles into a recognised regional base for sailing and contribute to the expansion of the sport across Africa.

 

For STS, the opportunity could mark the beginning of a new chapter. With continued collaboration from SSL, adequate funding, the necessary equipment and the support of local stakeholders, Seychelles could establish itself not only as a country with a proud sailing tradition, but as a regional centre for the training and development of the next generation of African sailors.