Dear friends,
I am happy to announce that EUROSAF’s Committees have been formed and have started their work. Find enclosed the list of members. This was the last remaining task left in order to set up all the administrative gear needed for EUROSAF to sail steady again. Now it is up to all of us on board to make it sail briskly towards the goals defined in the Key Priorities, especially towards the vision to “help create the conditions to bring more people to have fun sailing and to succeed as sailors and as persons.”
The Executive Board has been working on the short-term goals detailed in the Key Priorities; here is a summary of what has been achieved.
Secretariat
The new secretariat in Neusiedl am See (Austria) will be ready after the summer. In the meantime Roland Regnemer has fully taken up the baton from John Friend as Secretary General and is working to expand both the capabilities of the secretariat and EUROSAF resources.
Website and Social Media
Roland is finalising an agreement with a relevant IT services company to expand the communication infrastructure available to EUROSAF. The Executive Board and the Committees will benefit from state-of-the-art capabilities to collaborate; Members and stakeholders will have better channels of communication with EUROSAF.
The Marketing and Media Committee, under the helm of Patrik Pollák (SVK), shall develop effective strategies to increase the awareness of sailing in Europe.
Communication with Members
Both Roland and myself have been regularly informing you, the Members, of the actions taken. We have noticed that the line of communication has not always been direct with the persons in charge to liaise with EUROSAF within the MNAs. In several occasions our messages have not reached the relevant person. This is a clear hindrance for you to access projects of interest to you swiftly.
When the new IT capabilities are fully operational, Members will be able to add the contact details of key people to insure that no opportunity is lost to you, without disabling the general channel of communication open as of today.
Under the helm of Rob Franken (NED), the Contact and Cooperation Committee has started its work towards the vision stated in the Key Priorities and towards making an asset of what has formerly proved a hindrance: our differences. Attaining this most ambitious and crucial goal will consolidate collaboration and cooperation among Members and prove the strength of sailing in Europe.
Revision of the Constitution
Fulfilling the instruction of the General Assembly in Sofia to review the newly adopted Constitution shall be the main task of the Legal Committee. Under the helm of Ion Echave (ESP) they shall provide you, the MNAs, with relevant proposals in time for the next General Assembly in Vilamoura (Portugal).
Strengthening of the Race Officials Exchange Program
The first goal of the Race Officials Committee, under the helm of Nino Shmueli (ISR), is to strengthen and develop the most valued service offered by EUROSAF: the Race Officials Exchange Program. Many MNAs and many ROs benefit from it, and many more are interested in it. Its impact on the quality and scope of European sailing can be enormous, especially when it incorporates a training dimension.
Knowledge about sailing is constantly being created all over Europe in MNAs, in training institutions, and in research centres, to name a few. The European Sailing Academy Working Party shall undertake, under the helm of Vincent Hagin (SUI), to review and coordinate, develop, and distribute knowledge, training, and research about all matters related to sailing in Europe for the benefit of the sailing community.
Consolidation of Events
EUROSAF Events are a powerful tool in reaching the vision stated in the Key Priorities. Youth, Parasailing, and Match-Race have been targeted in 2017. Under the helm of Georg Fundak (AUT), the Events Committee shall delve into the value that EUROSAF Events bring to you, the Members, to sailors, and to European sailing. The Committee shall bring forth proposals to ensure that EUROSAF Events help reach EUROSAF goals also in other areas, such as training, development, increased participation in sailing, and cultural exchange, to name just a few, while increasing their value to organisers and sponsors.
Five EUROSAF Events were scheduled for 2017. Three of them have already taken place:
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EUROSAF Match Racing, Open European Championship in Ledro (Italy) from 28th June to 2nd July 2017.
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EUROSAF Para Sailing European Championships in Gdynia (Poland) from 18th to 22nd July.
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EUROSAF Match Racing, Youth European Championship in Świnoujście (Poland) from 17th to 20th August.
The fourth one, the EUROSAF Pirate European Championship, will take place in Röbel (GER) from 11th to 15th September.
The last one, the EUROSAF Youth European Championship, to be held in Murcia (Spain), has been postponed, probably to December when sailing conditions and weather are exceptional in Murcia. The revised Notice of Race will be sent at the beginning of September. Again we fondly request your support, via participation. A big effort is being made by the organisers to run a successful, memorable event and benefit as many young European sailors as possible. Pass this information to the person in charge of youth sailing and support the event by sending your teams and your sailors!
Under the initiative of the Secretary General, the Executive Board is considering ways to bring value to EUROSAF Events organisers, particularly in the field of communication.
The Youth and Development Committee, under the helm of Alexandru Micu (ROU) and with the support of the Events Committee, shall explore, among other topics fundamental to sailing’s development, the personal growth aspect of sailing: how sailors can become more successful and better persons through our sport. Continued participation in the sport in all phases of life is also a crucial topic the Committee shall work on.
World Sailing Relationship
We have maintained informal contacts with World Sailing President in Singapore and later by email, and Andy Hunt has been instrumental in putting EUROSAF in a position to play a significant role to strengthen Parasailing in Europe, in line with World Sailing goals. This collaboration needs to be expanded and more formal contacts must take place in the future.
For that reason Tomasz Chamera, Pınar Coşkuner Genç, Timo Hass and I will be in Puerto Vallarta (MEX) for World Sailing’s Annual Conference. There we will invite again the delegates of European MNAs to an informal meeting, as we did in Singapore during World Sailing’s Mid-Year Meeting, to keep you up-to-date personally and receive your direct feedback.
The crew is now in place; the tasks have been distributed. I anticipate a thrilling, demanding ride to reach EUROSAF’s ambitious goals; I expect team- and hard work from all, together with support from you, the Members.
I look forward to your comments, questions, proposals, and, above all, participation.
Best regards,
Josep M. PLA
President
EUROSAF