President’s 26th Letter – 28/01/2022

Dear friends,

Happy 2022! I hope you had a wonderful start and wish all your projects will succeed. The top of the highest pandemic wave—up to now—seems to be passing without breaking on top of us, thanks to symptoms and lethality having decreased significantly with the latest variant. What may remain with us is the important social role of individual responsibility that the protection precautions have highlighted. Let’s continue with responsibly enjoying our common sailing passion!

2022 Race Officials Exchange Programme meeting

The ROEP meeting took place on 15 January in Palma de Mallorca (Spain). Thanks to the professional organization by Ferran Muniesa and his team at Club Nàutic S’Arenal and the support of the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation, delegates from 24 EUROSAF Members met physically to allocate places for Race Officials at sailing events on the Continent for 2022. 

Around 120 events in 26 member countries were put on the meeting table, including some of the major European sailing events and Continental championships. 235 spots were offered; at the end of the meeting 158 of them were allocated and almost all the remaining ones have been allocated afterwards. 

Following the Race Officials exchange, the ROEP Guidelines WP and the ROEP IT WP shared their thoughts with delegates; vice-president Alexandru Octavian Micu presented the Express Sailing project, a simplified regatta format to promote sailing to beginners and to the public. The evening was rounded off with an excellent diner thanks to the club’s generous hospitality. 

The next Race Officials Exchange Programme meeting will take place on 14 January 2023 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The venue for 2024 has not been decided yet; share your proposal with our secretary general.

Executive Board meeting

During the ROEP meeting in Palma, the Executive Board took the opportunity to meet and advance in many topics, especially strategic ones. Its work will be duly reported at the incoming OGA.

2022 Ordinary General Assembly

The meeting will take place on 12 March 2022 in Zagreb (Croatia) thanks to the Croatian Sailing Federation pre-pandemic invitation. Notice of meeting and preliminary agenda, including the link to the online registration system, have been sent to the official address of all EUROSAF Members. Note we are happy to include in the agenda welcoming a new Member! The meeting’s programme will be rounded off with presentations and networking opportunities, as usual. 

2022 EUROSAF Events

Scheduled EUROSAF Events in 2022 are the following:

• EUROSAF Inclusive European Championship (multiclass): Traunsee (Austria) from 2 to 6 June;
• EUROSAF Match Racing, Youth European Championship: Lago di Ledro (Italy) from 9 to 12 June;
• EUROSAF Match Racing, Open European Championship: Ravenna (Italy) from 22 to 26 June;
• EUROSAF Match Racing, Women’s European Championship: Corfu (Greece) from 12 to 16 October.

The EUROSAF Mixed Offshore European Championship needs to be relocated and we expect to announce location and dates shortly, most probably in May.

The EUROSAF Sailing Champions League (formerly the EUROSAF Club Sailing Championship) is still open for bids. Contact the secretary general to host it. First come first served!

The event lists of the EUROSAF 420 European Cup and the EUROSAF Inclusive Sailing European Cup sailed in 2.4mR boats are almost finalised; a new EUROSAF Mediterranean Mixed Offshore Series, encompassing all EUROSAF-supported mixed offshore events, is being set up.

The ranking that goes with EUROSAF Cups is a valuable service EUROSAF offers sailors who attend the events; it promotes participation and gives more value to sailors, classes, and organising authorities without adding events to the calendar. EUROSAF Cups are open to all classes wishing to link events spread throughout Europe.

2023 EUROSAF Events

The EUROSAF Sailing Champions League and the multiclass EUROSAF Inclusive European Championship are still open for bids. Contact the secretary general to host any of them. All other EUROSAF Events have received bids and most are scheduled (all places and dates TBC):

• EUROSAF Match Racing, Youth European Championship: Nantes (France) from 28 April to 1 May;
• EUROSAF Match Racing, Open European Championship: Corfu (Greece) from 10 to 14 May or from 4 to 8 October;
• EUROSAF Mixed Offshore European Championship: Den Haag (Netherlands) from 23 to 29 May;
• EUROSAF Match Racing, Women’s European Championship: location and dates to be decided by mid March.

Secretariat

The discussions with the Austrian Ministry of Sport were finalised by end 2021 and we are happy to report a very satisfactory agreement that will help EUROSAF reach a new level of service to its Members. Our thanks go to the Austrian Sailing Federation for their continued support towards reaching this important goal.

If you are not already sailing, get ready for it and take as much benefit as you can from current opportunities! I look forward to meeting you in Zagreb.

Best regards,

Josep M. PLA
President
EUROSAF