President’s 34th Letter – 28/06/2024

Dear friends,
The first half of the year has gone, we have all been very busy, many meetings have taken place, many projects have been launched and many goals attained… and yet two of the most pressing issues directly concerning our Members are unresolved and continue to inflict pain and death. When reviewing what we have accomplished, let us not forget what is important and pending.

2024 Ordinary General Assembly

The 2024 meeting of the General Assembly took place on13 April in Balatonfüred (Hungary) thanks to generous invitation of the Hungarian Sailing Federation. In addition to the recurring items in the agenda, Members were offered presentations of interest: about the European Games that shall take place in Istanbul in 2027 and where they can support the introduction of sailing by contacting their National Olympic Committees; about the activities in the first year of the EUROSAF Sailing Academy in Murcia, Spain; about the keelboat competition system in Hungary and the results of a comparative European survey; about the rapid development and activities in the Asian Sailing Federation and ongoing closer cooperation with EUROSAF in connection with the Race Officials Exchange Programme; and finally, about the project of the BioDesign Foundation to clean the seas and the planet and “The Custodian Plastic Race” project in partnership with EUROSAF. Thank you to all delegates and attendees and to the Hungarian Sailing Federation and its president, Csaba Haranghy, for a very successful meeting.

EUROSAF Sailing Academy

The 2024 Formula Kite European Championship took place between 16 and 24 March in Murcia under EUROSAF auspices, just after the Spanish National Championship. As the last official continental event before its start as an Olympic class at the Olympic Games in Marseille, the regatta attracted 140 top international athletes. Wind and weather conditions were excellent throughout the event and allowed sailors to try their 9s and even 7s smaller kites, while testing their abilities with different wind conditions. When your sailors need a place to train year-round, and especially in wonderful winter and spring conditions, check the EUROSAF Sailing Academy in Murcia!

2024 EUROSAF Events

The current status of EUROSAF Events in 2024 is the following:

• EUROSAF Bénéteau First 18 SE & Seascape18 European Championship: sailed on Lake Chiemsee, Germany, from 29 May to 2 June. 
• EUROSAF Match Racing, Open European Championship: sailed in Ravenna, Italy, from 4 to 9 June, and won by Ian Garreta again.
• EUROSAF Match Racing, Women’s European Championship: organized in Ravenna, Italy, at the same time as the Open EC and cancelled due to low participation; registered women’s teams took part in the Open EC.
• EUROSAF 69F Youth European Championship: will take place during the last act of the 69F Youth Foiling Gold Cup in Acquafresca, Italy, from 15 to 21 July. 
• EUROSAF 69F European Championship: will take place during the last Grand Prix of the 69F Cup in Malcesine, Italy, from 17 to 22 September. 
• EUROSAF eSailing European Championship: in individual and team categories 23 September to 30 October. 
• EUROSAF Mixed Offshore European Championship (6^th edition): from 29 September to 6 October in the Adriatic. It has been brought to EUROSAF’s attention that World Sailing has chosen the same dates for the new Double Mixed Offshore World Championship; a solution is being sought.
• EUROSAF Female Offshore European Championship: to be sailed following the EUROSAF Mixed Offshore European Championship. A unique opportunity for girl-only teams!
• EUROSAF Inclusive European Championship: Univela Garda, Italy, from 7 to 13 October, to be sailed in Hansa 303 boats.
• EUROSAF Match Racing, Youth European Championship: shows of interest received, and still open for bids; contact the secretary general to host it!

2025 EUROSAF Events

You and your clubs can bid for the following 2025 EUROSAF Events:

• EUROSAF Match Racing, Open European Championship.
• EUROSAF Match Racing, Women’s European Championship.
• 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 to help them come forward and host a EUROSAF Event.

2025 EUROSAF International Sailing Conference

EUROSAF and the Maritime University in Constanta, Romania, have agreed to organize jointly the first EUROSAF International Sailing Conference at the start of 2025. Discussions are continuing to set up the dates and the programme of this three-day meeting that aims to bring the latest research results related to our sport to the sailing community, and especially to EUROSAF Members, to increase our collective positive impact on the sport and on the planet.

2027 European Games in Istanbul

EUROSAF has been working with the Turkish Sailing Federation and its president, and also World Sailing vice-president, Özlem Akdurak, towards including sailing in the next European Games that will take place in Istanbul in 2027. On 6 and 7 June vice-president Alexandru Micu attended the 53 European Olympic Committees General Assembly in Bucharest and met Istanbul mayor and the Games director, who steadily support including sailing in the Games, and offered EUROSAF’s support to reach this goal. This will be a wonderful opportunity for your teams to sail an Olympic level regatta the year before the next Olympic Games, testing their level and the competition’s. Contact your National Olympic Committee and inform them of the proposal so that they support it in future EOC meetings.

I wish you, your families, and your sailors a wonderful summer sailing season and many successes, and, again, for peace to prevail.

Best regards,

Josep M. PLA
President
EUROSAF