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2005 ISAF Conference
Report
The 2005 ISAF Conference was held in
Singapore from the 3rd to the 12th of November 2005.
Attendees from the Finn Class included IFA President Balazs Hajdu member
of the Constitution Committee, TC Chairman Richard Hart, member of the
Equipment Control Sub-Committee, and IFA Executive Director Corinne
McKenzie, representing the Finn in the ISAF Classes Committee and Olympic
classes Commission.
The Olympic Classes Commission
(reporting directly to the Executive Committee) was the first meeting on
the agenda. A representative of each Olympic class (except the RS:X) was
present. The meeting was chaired in the morning by ISAF Secretary General
Arve Sundheim and in the afternoon by ISAF Vice-President George Andreadis.
The main topic was the Olympic format. Arve Sundheim explained the
situation: the ISAF Executive met last month with the OBS (Olympic
Broadcast Services), they received indication at this meeting that OBS
would broadcast sailing at the Olympic games if the format was changed to
become more media friendly. This was the reason for the late submission 25
from the President of ISAF (see attached). The Olympic classes debated the
proposed format and recommended to adopt it with modifications:
-
1 drop after 10 races (the
original proposal had 1 drop after 5 races, no drop afterwards)
-
the 10 boats finals with NO
weighting (ISAF executives were suggesting that the weighting could allow
# 10 placed boat to win a medal)
-
direct judging on the last
race was agreed (aim to have a medal ceremony as soon as possible after
last race)
Our position was discussed at the Events
Committee (reporting Committee) to later be voted by the Council.
The Events Committee accepted our first
proposal to have a drop on 10 races but decided that the last (11th)
race shall be weighted. The original proposal to give the boat coming 10th
into the last race a chance to win a medal was judged too radical by the
Events Committee. However, they agreed that some sort of weighting was
necessary to increase the medals potentials, as only 10 boats on the
starting line would automatically advantage the leaders (DSQ,OCS...= 10+1
points).
Before Council, the classes decided that a
double points scoring on the last race would be the preferred option on
weighting. We were worried that if no decision were reached before the end
of the Conference, some more drastic decisions could be taken without us
knowing or our input.
It happened anyway that the solution of the
double points was the preferred options for many MNA’s (country
federations) and was voted by Council.
This format will be adopted by all Grade
1 events next year and IFA would like to adopt it for the Europeans.
All Olympic test events, 2007 ISAF Worlds and 2008 FGC (last Olympic
qualifier) will use the Olympic format. The Grade 1 organisers are working
together to provide the sailors with the best level of competition based
on the new system. They are having the help of ISAF, racing rules experts
and race officials to make sure this will work properly. The classes will
be contributing as well. The points that still need to be defined include
the target time for the last race (probably shorter between 30 and 40
minutes), the wind strength limit, the distance of the course (a small
course/ beat means more mark rounding, more excitements and corners less
far (for the “corner banging wanabes”!)
Direct judging
means that the judges on the last race will need to be umpires and have
extensive experience on direct judging. We are in a good position as most
of the judges we are working with are highly experienced in MR and direct
judging.
Other decisions affecting us include the
selection for the 2007 ISAF worlds.
The Finn class has 80 places. One place
will be allocated to each country. The remaining places will be
distributed based on the results of the 2005 and 2006 FGC. To have more
places, 2 different sailors (at least) shall place in the top 8, top 10…at
one or both worlds. For example, if GBR has sailors X, Y and Z placed at
the top 12 in 2005, it will give GBR 2 extra places. If in 2006 GBR has X,
Y and W in the top 10 or 12 places, it will give them 1 extra place. If
GBR has the same 3 sailors placing top 10 or top 12…in 2006, they will
have no extra places. The system is quite complicated and it took me quite
a while to understand it, but it should work fine.
Because 2006 is selective for 2007 and
there is a quota in 2007, IFA will be more flexible on entry quotas for
the 2006 FGC.
Messages sent across by all committees
recommend that classes look into cheaper equipment, developing sailing in
every part of the world. In this respect, it was voted at council that the
unallocated places at the Olympic are given to the Men and Women
windsurfing events and to the Men and Women single handed dinghy events.
This is excluding the Finn who had been using up to now a wild card at
each Olympic Games. This decision excludes every man over 80 kgs from a
wild card at the Olympics, and in my view this is discriminatory. IFA will
make a submission for the mid-year meeting to try to reverse the
situation. We will need the support from you and your countries if we want
to win the right for wild card at the Olympic Games.
Pre-selecting 40% of equipment:
despite the active lobbying of some classes, there was a strong influence
from Events Committee and Executive Committee not to select any equipment
in advance. The reason is that IOC is thinking about cutting back 1 event
(10 in total). There has been some active talk and push from various
committees to have equipment trials for a womens double handed skiff and
the keelboat events. Here the situation is unclear, as to whether this is
to replace the 470 women and the Yngling or Star (equipment), or to have
different events (skiff and Match Racing). If the ISAF Events Committees
and Council are going down this path, we should be quite secure for 2012
as IOC recommended not too many changes from one Olympic Games to another.
On a general note, it was encouraging to
notice that all the Olympic classes worked well together and when agree on
a common approach, ISAF is listening. Now the Olympic Classes Commission
has been transformed into an Olympic Classes sub-committee. As such
we can make submissions but more importantly report our positions on any
reporting committees (the commission was reporting only to the ISAF
Executive).
ISAF Strategic Plan:
as you will be able to see on the ISAF website in detail, a Strategic Plan
has been elaborated to encompass all the areas concerning sailing from
participation and development, to race officials and governance, events,
media…Richard and myself will be involved in a different area and will
communicate with you to have your ideas and ultimately contribute to the
positive evolution of our sport.
Richard Hart report on CLASS RULE matters:
Following the instructions of AGM, six items were included
in a Rule Change submission to the ISAF November Meeting.
The first was to reinstate the requirement
that the Centreboard Pin to pass through the sides of the Case. This had
been left out of the reformatted rules in the interests of brevity, but is
needed to prevent the development of expensive stirrup (sliding bracket)
arrangements adjusted from the top of the box (they have been used in
other classes).
The next four were minor editorial
corrections to the SCR.
The last item was withdrawn before the
meeting, because there had been insufficient time for proper consultation
with builders. It relates to specifying the position and dimensions of the
rudder hangings, in order to standardise, so that any new rudder should
fit any new boat. Although this is currently delayed, there is now a
rolling programme for submissions, so hopefully the item will be
resubmitted shortly.
From the Olympic Classes, the Tornado,
Yngling and Finn have adopted the Standard Class Rules, and the 470 are at
a late stage of the process. It seems that the Laser, Laser Radial and
Star are further back in the process and may change in 2009.
Richard Hart, TC Chairman
Now you are up to date with the latest
happening in the Finn class after the 2005 ISAF Conference. Please fell
free to contact me with your questions or feed-back concerning all the
above matters.
Corinne McKenzie
IFA Executive Director
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