
Eurosaf European eSailing Championships: French eSailors lead the way with 11 qualified players for semifinals
October 22, 2024
Season’s Greetings 2025
December 20, 2024President’s 35th Letter – 18/12/2024

Dear friends, Follows a quick update about EUROSAF advances. Sadly, some important situations that affect us all have not evolved significantly since my previous message and remain unsolved. EUROSAF Members’ Meeting in SingaporeIn 2017 in Singapore EUROSAF started organizing a regular meeting of Members’ delegates during World Sailing (WS) in person meetings. Last November delegates were back in Singapore for the WS Annual Conference and on the 7th they had the opportunity to come together again where it all started! Despite a disturbing schedule change, due to the availability of the meeting room, those attending the original meeting will surely recognize that conditions have improved dramatically! The Executive Board members present in Singapore addressed 37 delegates from 26 Members about the following topics, further developed below:
WS Development SymposiumTogether with the presidents of the Continental Associations of Africa, America, and Oceania, EUROSAF took part in the Development Symposium held in Singapore after the WS Annual Conference. The panel discussion Stronger Together: Leveraging Continental Sailing Associations allowed them to share their insights on what a role Continental Associations play in growing the sport of sailing. EUROSAF shared the experience of the Race Officials Exchange Programme and the ongoing project to include sailing in the next European Games. EUROSAF Sailing AcademyA high level Sailing Coaches Clinic took place in the Academy in Murcia from 18 to 24 November, tailored to national coaches wishing to substantially increase their technical level. Delivered mainly by Jon Emmet, expert in Olympic and elite sailors coaching, it included talks by Pınar Coşcuner Genç, principal race officer at the Paris 2024 Olympic games, Andrés Pérez, international judge, and Leo Sánchez, international measurer. 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 EventsThe following EUROSAF Events were organized in 2024:
2025 EUROSAF EventsThe EUROSAF Inclusive European Championship (multiclass) will be sailed in Trieste, Italy, alongside the Barcolana from 1 to 5 October 2025. The EUROSAF Match Racing, Open European Championship will take place at Union-Yacht-Club Traunsee, Austria, from 3 to 6 July 2025. You and your clubs can host the following 2025 EUROSAF Events:
Contact the secretary general to bid for 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 ROEP MeetingThe 2025 Race Officials Exchange Programme meeting will take place in London, UK, on 11 January 2025 at the invitation of the Royal Yachting Association. The meeting will be held at the London Corinthian Sailing Club Linden House. As usual, the allocation of spots at European events will be accompanied by interesting presentations on Race Officials matters. 2025 EUROSAF Sailing Academy ConferenceEUROSAF and the Constanza Maritime University in Romania have agreed to organize jointly the first EUROSAF Sailing Academy Conference on 14 and 15 February 2025. The programme includes talks and workshops around three main themes:
The conference will bring together researchers and practitioners to exchange and inform about the latest advances in these topics. As with all EUROSAF meetings, it will represent a huge potential for networking. Plan the arrival of your delegates on Thursday 13, to either Bucharest or Constanza, and departure on Sunday 16. More details will follow after New Year. Save the date! 2025 Ordinary General AssemblyAs you may know, last November I was elected vice-president of World Sailing. In accordance with the WS constitution, I must step down as president of EUROSAF before 9 February 2025. Before that, the Executive Board will call the meeting of the General Assembly and set up the election process that was already due in 2025. The meeting and elections will take place in Neusiedl am See, Austria, on 26 April 2025, at the invitation of the Austrian Sailing Federation. EUROSAF’s first vice-president, Pınar Coşcuner Genç, will take the helm of the Federation until the General Assembly. On behalf of the EUROSAF Executive Board, I take the opportunity to congratulate all the newly elected members of the WS Board, and a special mention to Özlem Akdurak (TUR), Tomasz Chamera (POL) –first vice-president of EUROSAF from 2017 to 2020–, and Line Markert (DEN), who come from EUROSAF Members, and wish them all a successful term. I look forward to an increased and fruitful cooperation between WS and Continental Associations for the greater good of our sport. 2027 European Games in IstanbulEUROSAF has been working with the Turkish Sailing Federation and its president, Özlem Akdurak, towards including sailing in the next European Games that will take place in Istanbul in 2027. As previously reported, vice-president Alexandru Micu attended the 53rd European Olympic Committees General Assembly in Bucharest, Romania, and met Istanbul mayor and the Games director, who steadily support including sailing in the Games. At the request of delegates during the Members’ meeting in Singapore, a survey was sent to all Members to get their views. All Members who responded indicated their support for the inclusion because it will bring greater visibility to our sport, together with more resources –expectedly–, while also securing our position as an Olympic sport. Potential drawbacks include basically cost and schedule issues. Suitable events range from 2 to 6, mainly in Olympic classes open to pre-Olympic and youth sailors –other possibilities are mentioned– and not being Olympic qualifiers, at least on the first edition. Two thirds think their National Olympic Committee (NOC) will support the inclusion –the rest do not know– and many recognize the need to lobby their NOC to make it happen. All consider cost an important issue that can be eased with supplied equipment. Finally, some envision a pinnacle, milestone event demonstrating that sailing is an indispensable building block of the sports community in Europe and mention the need to support small nations in search for universality, which is a core Olympic value. I wish the approaching Holiday Season will bring peace and happiness to you, your families, our extended sailing family, and our planet. Warm regards, Josep M. PLA |