President’s 30th letter – 31/01/2023

Dear friends,

2023 begins with still a gaping hole in our collective hull. It is difficult to look beyond the war in Ukraine and the pain inflicted on so many people: it may well sink the boat. EUROSAF remains committed to helping the Ukrainian Sailing Federation and its sailors while acting in line with the sports community.

2023 Race Officials Exchange Programme meeting

The ROEP meeting took place on 14 January in Amsterdam (The Netherlands). Thanks to the professional organization by Rob Hoogstra and his team and the support of the Royal Dutch Watersports Federation, delegates from 23 EUROSAF Members attended the meeting and allocated places for race officials at sailing events on the Continent for 2023. The allocation was as usual sovereignly led by Anastasia Weinberger (AUT).

127 events in 24 member countries were put on the meeting table, including national and Continental championships and some major European sailing events. More than 220 spots were offered; at the end of the meeting 153 were allocated and almost all the remaining ones have been allocated after the meeting. 

After the Race Officials exchange itself, delegates were treated to a presentation by Bart van Breemen about the Dutch e-learning platform for training and development and to an interactive session on psychology led by Milena Lachowicz from Poland. Delegates approved the proposal of guidelines for the Programme presented by the ROEP Guidelines WP, to be now confirmed by the Executive Board. The evening was rounded off with a wonderful diner at the invitation of the Royal Dutch Watersports Federation at the Royal Netherlands Yacht Club. 

The EUROSAF ROEP regularly receives shows of interest from non-member federations and enlarging the range of events and race officials outside EUROPE (e.g., to Mediterranean MNAs) appears as a natural and fruitful extension of the Programme that can be discussed and included, as deemed appropriate, in an extension of the guidelines.

EUROSAF thanks the Royal Dutch Watersports Federation, the Royal Netherlands Yacht Club, Rob and his team, Anastasia, the presenters, and all participants for this great meeting that marks the 25^th anniversary of the Programme.

The next ROEP meeting will take place on 13 January 2024 in Limassol (Cyprus). The venue for 2025 has not yet been decided, although an informal proposal surfaced. Please contact our secretary general to submit a formal proposal.

Executive Board meeting

During the ROEP meeting in Amsterdam, the Executive Board members took the opportunity to meet. Their work will be duly reported at the incoming OGA.

2023 Ordinary General Assembly

The meeting will take place on 11 March 2023 in Rome (Italy) thanks to the Italian Sailing Federation invitation. Notice of meeting and preliminary agenda, including the registration form, have been sent to the official address of all EUROSAF Members. The meeting’s programme will be completed with presentations and networking opportunities, as was usual before the pandemic. This physical meeting comes after two years where delegates have not been able to convene in person; it marks the 25^th anniversary of EUROSAF and will take place where our organization was founded. Let’s make it memorable!

EUROSAF Training Centre

The Executive Board is finalizing discussions about setting up a EUROSAF Training Centre in southern Europe to organize EUROSAF events and training opportunities for Members, sailors, coaches, and race officials and expects to present the full project at the next OGA.

Webinars

The following webinars took place this autumn:

• 20/10/2022: DigiSail Project by Grzegorz Botwina (POL), project chair.
• 07/12/2022: Meteorology by Alessandro Pezzoli (ITA), professor at Torino Polytechnic University.

Follow the links to view them.

2023 EUROSAF Events

The current status of EUROSAF Events in 2023 is the following:

• EUROSAF Match Racing, Youth European Championship: Nantes, France, from 28 April to 1 May;
• EUROSAF Match Racing, Women’s European Championship: Lago di Ledro, Italy, 29 June to 2 July.
• EUROSAF Inclusive European Championship: Los Alcázares, Spain, 26 September to 1 October.
• EUROSAF Mixed Offshore European Championship: the organizer has withdrawn and active conversations are being held to host it in the Mediterranean before summer; 
• EUROSAF Match Racing, Open European Championship: the organizer has withdrawn and a proposal will be welcome: contact the secretary general to host it!

2024 EUROSAF Events

Bids received for EUROSAF Events in 2024 are the following (place and dates TBC):

• EUROSAF Match Racing, Open European Championship: Ravenna, Italy, in June
• EUROSAF Match Racing, Women’s European Championship: Ravenna, Italy, in June

You can bid for the following 2024 EUROSAF Events:

• EUROSAF Match Racing, Youth European Championship
• EUROSAF Mixed Offshore European Championship
• EUROSAF Inclusive European Championship (multiclass)

Contact the secretary general to host any of them and forward this information to clubs and organizers within your Federation.

Secretariat

The Austrian Ministry of Sport has endorsed the funding report for 2021 and the report for 2022, in support of the funding received towards the working of the secretariat in Neusiedl am See, has been submitted. Thanks again to the Austrian Sailing Federation for their continued support in reaching the funding agreement with the Ministry and in fulfilling all technical requirements.

Para Sailing

The International Paralympic Committee has rejected sailing being included in the programme of Los Angeles 2028. It is frustrating to see our inclusive sport out of bounds of high-level competition. EUROSAF will of course continue to support inclusive sailing in Europe!

As 2023 starts, I wish for peace to return to Europe and everywhere immediately, for good health to you, your families, friends, and sailors, and for sailing to be a means for peace. I look forward to meeting you in Rome to celebrate EUROSAF’s 25^th anniversary in friendship and unity.

Best regards, J
Josep M. PLA
President
EUROSAF