2010 ISAF Annual Conference

2010 ISAF Annual Conference comes to a close

We have reached the end of  2010 ISAF Annual Conference.

ISAF President, Göran Petersson, concluded the Council meeting by paying tribute to the host city, Athens, and  presented the host Member National Authority, the Hellenic Sailing Federation with a crystal decanter as a tribute and reminder of the 2010 ISAF Annual Conference.

It has been a great week with some really positive progress for the sport. The world wide sailing family has come together and shared their ideas and knowedge.

There have been issues that have been hotly debated and big decisions made.

We’ve enjoyed meeting up with old friends and making new one and have had some fun along the way.

We hope you have enjoyed the blog and felt part of the conference too

ISAF Class Status

Council have approved the Equipment Committee recommendation to grant ISAF Class Status subject to signing ISAF/Class agreement to:

Formula 16 Class

Viper Class

Hobie Wildcat Class

Nacra Infusion Class

International Maxi Association

Class 40

Portugal for the 2014 Youth Worlds

Council have agreed on the Youth World Championship Sub-committee recommendation to hold the 2014 Youth World Championships in Tavira, Portugal.

So work can now start on putting together contracts and working with the Tavira organisers to put everything in place to put on a great event.

Rolex World Sailor of the Year highlights

Highlights from the 2010 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards

Present from Panama

Yesterday the ISAF Council approved the application of Madagascar to join the ISAF world wide family. Here is Miguel Jaen from Panama (who has one of the biggest smiles in the conference) presenting President Göran Petersson with a painting by the Kunas indians.

Puerto Rico bound

Yesterday evening our hosts for the 2011 ISAF Annual Conference, Puerto Rico, held a cocktail party to get us in the mood for next year.

Vice-President Eric Tulla invited us to ‘come and enjoy the beauty of our Island’ and presented some the Puerto Rican delights that await delegates. With blue skies, turquoise seas and Puerto Rico’s rich and colourful culture it is sure to be a fantastic venue for the Conference.

The conference will be at the The Caribe Hilton and for those of you planning to go to the Conference please book early as it the prime tourist season in Puerto Rico so the hotel will sell out and we all want to be together.

Before the conference next year, there are opportunities to join two pre-conference excursions. Firstly there is a chance to sail around the stunning Spanish Virgin Islands, the Island of Vieques and on to Culebra. And for land lovers a Puerto Rican Paradores visiting some of the Islands many beautiful spots such as the El Yunque National Park (the Rainforest of Puerto Rico), Las Cuevas de Camuy National Park (The Caves of Camuy) the Mountains of Puerto Rico and more. It all looks very tempting.

The reaction from the ISAF Council and everyone else at the party certainly seem to suggest that it’s a popular choice as someone pointed out “never before have I heard a venue for the next conference to get whoops and cheers’.

Vice President Eric Tulla

Council vote in favour of athlete representation

The ISAF Council have voted in favour of a member of the Athletes’ Commission being on Council.  The Athletes Commission will appoint a member from their commission to sit on Council and it means the voice of the athletes will be included in the final decision making process of the sport. The decision is subject to ratification at the AGM next year.

2016 Olympic Qualifying

The ISAF Council have voted in favour of the 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championship being the first qualifying event for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

The bid process for selecting the venue is underway and the decisions will be made early next year. It is a big boost for which ever city wins that the event will be an Olympic qualifier.

50 years of dedication to ISAF

His Majesty King Constantine was last night presented with the Beppe Croce Trophy in recognition of his outstanding voluntary contribution to the sport of sailing.

In presenting the trophy, ISAF President Göran Petersson, “We are here tonight for a very special occasion.  The awarding of the ISAF Beppe Croce Trophy to His Majesty King Constantine is in recognition of his outstanding voluntary contribution and devotion to the sport of sailing and the Olympic Movement.

In recent years, it was never a question that His Majesty would not be a recipient of the Beppe Croce trophy; it was only a matter of when.  It is also fitting that we celebrate this Award here tonight in the very Club from where he started his involvement, training and competition in sailing.”

His Majesty King Constantine has worked with ISAF for over 50 years giving up his time to help and steer a sport that is so dear to his heart.

His Majesty shared some his fondest sailing and ISAF memories including how he was persuaded by his father King Paul to abandon a sporting career in horse-riding in favour of sailing. 

He concluded saying “I don’t think I deserve this award, it should be for all of you.”

The ISAF Beppe Croce Trophy is presented to an individual who has made an outstanding voluntary contribution to the sport of sailing. In memory of Beppe Croce, the ISAF President from 1969-1986, the Federazione Italiana Vela presented the Trophy to the ISAF and it was awarded for the first time in 1988.

The roll of honour is an impressive one, including multiple Olympic medallists, rules gurus and designers, and all have dedicated an outstanding amount of time to the sport of sailing.

HM King Constantine's Olympic winning Dragon

Multihulls, mixed sailing and more..

The ISAF council have voted in the Events Committees provisional events slate for the 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition, which is:

Men’s Board or kite board – evaluation

Women’s board or kite board – evaluation

Men’s one person dinghy – laser

Women’s one person dinghy – laser radial

Men’s 2^nd one person dinghy – Finn

Men’s skiff – 49er

Women’s skiff – evaluation

Women’s keelboat – Elliott 6m

Mixed multihull – evaluation

Mixed two person dinghy (spinnaker) – 470

This is a provisional list of event and subject to final confirmation in the ISAF mid year meeting next May