In November 2026, exactly before the grand final SSL Gold Cup, SSL Team El Salvador will enter their qualification series the last continent to fight for a place in the second edition of the World Championship of Nations, like the Football World Cup, but in Sailing.
After completing a full training session in Grandson, Switzerland, the team has returned home with valuable experience and the confidence that they can rise to the challenge.
At the helm and capitan of the SSL Team El Salvador stands Enrique José Arathoon Pacas, the country’s most accomplished sailor. An Olympian in the ILCA 7 (Laser Standard), he represented El Salvador at Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, and Paris 2024, as well as at Pan American and Central American & Caribbean Games. His international pedigree, discipline, and leadership make him the natural choice to lead his country on the path toward the SSL Gold Cup.
“It’s not just a one-man show – the whole team has to work together. If you want to turn fast or make an aggressive move, everybody has to be synchronized, and that’s something that we are,” says Arathoon.
Alongside him is Mauricio A. Gallardo Velásquez, jib trimmer. An economist working in international banking, Gallardo combines his professional career with a lifelong passion for sailing, from windsurfing to Hobie Cats and J/24 match racing.
“We came together as a group of 10 sailors who had never sailed together, and after seven days I think we are cohesive as a team. We won most of our races against SSL Team Mozambique, we were really coordinated. Enrique is a great athlete, improving every day on this big boat. I’m really excited – the team is growing, as the champagne we celebrated with yesterday,” Gallardo shared after training in Switzerland.
Behind Arathoon and Gallardo stands a diverse and determined squad – the best sailors from El Salvador, uniting experience, youth, and passion for the sport. Christian Andrés Steigelmann Urrutia brings his bowman skills and risk management mindset from his professional career. Henry Alexander Hernández Benítez, only 17, is already a national team sailor and FESA scholarship athlete. Darling Jazmín Alfaro Flores combines strong international results with academic achievements. Steven Adriano Sánchez Arévalo represents the next generation of Salvadoran sailors. Jorge Ernesto Guevara Castillo, former President of the national federation, contributes leadership and decades of experience. Roberto Antonio Quezada Abrego, Marta Roxana Chávez Crisonino, Javier Alejandro Chavarría Colorado, Hiram Portilla, Ana María Abrego Novoa and others form the backbone of a wide and versatile crew, all committed to sailing at the highest level.
Together, they embody the campaign for the Sailing World Cup of Nations 2026.
Looking ahead the qualification in November 2026
SSL Team El Salvador knows that the path to the final is narrow, but the spirit is strong. The captain, Mauricio Gallardo, sums it up clearly:
“I don’t think it’s about qualifying at all costs. If we don’t commit major mistakes, if we sail clean races – no drops with the spinnaker, the maneuvers done right – we’ll have a fair chance. If we play the game well, that will hopefully be enough to give us a spot at the finals.”
With one year to go until the decisive qualifiers, El Salvador’s sailors are focused, united, and ready to carry their country’s flag into the grand final of the SSL Gold Cup 2026.
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