SSL at the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand - Day 1
by Star Sailors League 15 Dec 05:30 PST
15-18 December 2025
SSL at the SEA Games 2025 Day 1 © Martina Orsini
The SSL at the SEA Games officially kicked off on 15 December in Pattaya, Thailand. From early morning, the dock was alive with focus and anticipation. Sailors prepared their SSL47s under clear skies, while spectators gathered along the shoreline.
Regatta Director Paul Hutton Ashkenny underlined the significance of the moment.
"The SSL Gold Cup is a global event, and encouraging participation from emerging countries is a key priority. Bringing the SSL47 into the SEA Games sends a powerful message."
He also highlighted the impact of regional engagement.
"The whole region is engaged." Ashkenny added. "We are very excited to be on the water."
Three fleet races were sailed today, with all five nations competing head to head on a windward leeward course.
Race 1: SSL Team Thailand Sets the Benchmark
The opening race delivered near perfect sailing conditions, with a gentle breeze, small waves, and bright sunshine framing an arena between tropical islands and the Pattaya skyline.
SSL Team Philippines won the start from the leeward end, with SSL Team Thailand close behind. On the first upwind leg, Thailand moved into the lead while Malaysia and Myanmar stayed firmly in contention. Tight manoeuvres and raised voices marked the first real battles of the regatta.
Thailand rounded the windward mark first and quickly extended their lead downwind. Behind them, the fleet compressed. Vietnam struggled with a delayed gennaker hoist, while the Philippines sailed deep to the starboard side in search of pressure.
Thailand's execution stood out, with a sub-three-second gennaker drop at the leeward mark followed by another clean set on the second upwind leg to seal a commanding win.
Dylan Whitcraft, trimmer onboard SSL Team Thailand reflected on their approach.
"Her Majesty has done a really good job of bringing the whole team together," he said. "That helped us stay composed and focus on doing our jobs properly."
Race 2: Pressure Builds and Drama Unfolds
By the second race, the breeze had built to around 15 knots, with short breaking waves across the course. SSL Team Philippines led early, closely followed by SSL Team Thailand and SSL Team Malaysia.
Vietnam's race unravelled on the first downwind leg when their gennaker fell behind the boat, forcing the team to stop completely and ultimately retire.
Upwind, the remaining four teams stayed tightly grouped. SSL Team Thailand rounded first and kept the jibs up downwind as conditions intensified, with boat speeds climbing into planing mode. The final leg delivered another close duel between SSL Team Thailand and SSL Team Malaysia, with Thailand holding their nerve to secure a second consecutive win.
"As the breeze increased, it became a lot more fun," said Thailand trimmer Dylan Whitcraft. "It was about managing the team, adapting to the sail changes, taking a few minutes to get everything set, and then getting straight back into racing."
Race 3: SSL Team Myanmar Strikes Back in Heavy Air
The final race transformed the course into a wild and wet arena. With wind speeds reaching 18 knots, boat handling and teamwork became critical, where the smallest mistakes proved costly. SSL Team Thailand and SSL Team Malaysia struggled with gennaker drops on the final leg, with sails hitting the water and boats slowing dramatically. SSL Team Myanmar seized the opportunity. A flawless final drop allowed them to sail through and take a thrilling victory, edging SSL Team Malaysia by meters at the finish line. Their celebration echoed across the bay.
Sai Pyae Sone Hein credited teamwork for the result.
"It is teamwork," he said. "We practiced a lot, even without the boat, just working on communication. That helped us today."
Reflecting on the finish, he added, "Winning or losing is not the goal. Our aim is to make every race perfect. We are very happy and we had a lot of fun today."
Day 1 Standings and What Comes Next
After three races, SSL Team Thailand leads the overall standings, followed by SSL Team Malaysia in second, SSL Team Myanmar in third, SSL Team Philippines in fourth place, and SSL Team Vietnam fifth.
As Ashkenny summed up earlier in the day, "What we hope to see is good racing, fair racing, and competitive racing, without damage to the boats."
Day one delivered exactly that. With conditions building and margins tightening, the SSL at the SEA Games is set for more nation-against-nation high intensity racing in the days ahead.