Executive Committee Minutes Published

The minutes of the ISAF Executive Committee meeting of 15-17 February 2008 have been published on the ISAF website.

Discussions were wide ranging, including debate on the 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition, reports from the ISAF Commissions, Youth Olympics, Advertising Code, ISAF World Cup, track and trace technology, alongside many other issues.

Click here to view the Executive Committee minutes.

Olympic Events

The ISAF Executive Committee noted letters received from three ISAF MNAs regarding the selection of the events for the 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition. Whilst not formal submissions, the letters suggested that ISAF could reconsider the decision on the events at the forthcoming 2008 ISAF Mid-Year Meeting through the submission process.

The ISAF Regulations govern submissions which may be considered at the Mid-Year Meeting and state that only “urgent” submissions can be put forward and considered. The ISAF Executive Committee has the sole responsibility to determine whether a submission is “urgent” or otherwise.

The Executive Committee has decided that submissions for re-addressing the decisions on events for 2012 in the mid-year are not urgent and should be dealt with in November 2008.

The Executive Committee recognizes that some ISAF MNAs do not agree with the Council decision taken in November 2007 on the ten events for the 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition. This position, which has been formally notified to ISAF by a few ISAF MNAs, should not enable the valid Council decision to be reviewed at the 2008 Mid-Year Meeting.

The decision on the equipment to be used for each of the ten events will be made at the 2008 November Conference. At the upcoming 2008 ISAF Mid-Year Meeting, the ISAF Council will make a list of the equipment it considers may possibly be appropriate for selection at the 2008 November Conference. ISAF has invited all ISAF Classes and MNAs to put forward submissions on equipment for the 2008 Mid-Year Meeting, which must be received by 15 March. The list Council makes at the 2008 Mid-Year Meeting shall include all equipment which has been the subject of a valid submission.

The Executive Committee has approved that ‘urgent’ submissions will be considered at the 2008 Mid-Year meeting dealing with the process of selecting equipment for the Women’s Keelboat (match racing) event at the 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition. Firstly, to consider whether the equipment selected should have achieved ISAF Class status before the 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition. The second, to allow ISAF to defer a decision on the equipment for the women’s match racing event until a date later than November 2008, in order that ISAF can select the most appropriate equipment for this new event and ensure that the timing of announcing the decision will be equitable for ISAF MNAs. This is in line with the current practice of match racing events.

Governance, Advertising Code, Youth Olympic Games

Moving to the governance of ISAF, the Executive Committee supported that as a result of the merging of the ISAF Women’s Forum with the ISAF Women’s Sailing Committee, that the Chair of the ISAF Women’s Forum should be given the right to make submissions to ISAF, similar to other Committee Chairs.

The work in progress to review the ISAF Advertising Code is scheduled to be submitted to the 2008 ISAF November Conference and, once approved, the revised Advertising Code will be implemented with effect from 1 January 2009. This is in line with the ISAF Racing Rules of Sailing 2009-2012 which will come into effect on the same date. In providing guidance to the Advertising Code working party, the Executive Committee agreed some fundamental principles. These range from affirming the principle that the owner of the boat is in control of the individual advertising area and should not be forced to carry advertising which is not of their choice in that area, to enabling the class to have advertising space.

In progressing the planning for the first IOC Youth Olympic Games which will be held in Singapore, the ISAF Executive Committee has appointed a working party to make recommendations on the format, equipment, qualification and other issues. ISAF will be seeking bids from manufacturers to supply suitable equipment for the Youth Olympic Games. ISAF is very excited to be working with Singapore to organize a fantastic event for the 15-16 year olds who will participate in the sailing event, and, equally importantly to utilize the Games to reach out to young people and use the platform to promote sailing.

Full details of all decisions taken at the Executive Committee meeting are available in the minutes.

Click here to view the Executive Committee minutes.

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