The Nassau Yacht Club this weekend, as in the years past hosted the 2004 Bahamas National Sunfish Championship. Seventeen sailors from the ages of 14 to 70 participated, girls and guys, locals and expatriates. The sailors came from different areas of New Providenceand we had a young lady Miss Nioshi Rolle from Staniel Cay who now lives here as a student join in the fun as did a member of the Bahamas Defence Force, Mr. William Charlton (finishing 12^th). It was the perfect weekend for sailing and everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves. This event brought out some of the sailors we haven’t seen in some time like George Damianos, Gavin McKinney, Richard Farrington, Pedro Wassitsch and Peter Bruce Wassitsch.

The race series consisted of six races (with one drop race) during Saturday and Sunday. Winds on Saturday were light and on Sunday moderate to heavy. With these conditions and a very “professional” race committee one couldn’t ask for fairer sailing. In the stronger winds Race Committee made it mandatory to wear life jackets and ensured we got all races in and were safe on shore before the nasty weather which was forecasted blew in. Now that is what we call “professional”.

Donny Martinborough, as he has for the past number of years, dominated the event. In the six races sailed he was first in five of them. The third place he took in one of the races ended up being his drop race. He was particularly well “tuned-in” to sailing his Sunfish as he had just recently returned from the Sunfish World Championships where he finished 7^th out of 100 boats. Jimmie Lowe was second and was the only one who was a threat to Donny in the series. Gavin McKinney was third overall having beaten Robert Dunkley in the last race to break their tied position.  Alyson Myers, our young shining star, won the junior division as well as the ladies division. Richard Farrington took the honour of being the oldest sailor (at a young 50 something) to sail the entire series. Pedro Wassitsch at seventy was also out on the course the first day giving all the hot-shots a run for their money.

Our host club, the Nassau Yacht Club and its commodore Ian Mabon along with the Race Committee Chairman, Thierry Huguenin and assistants Debra Myers, Brent Burrows and Peter Phillips are to be congratulated for running such a great regatta. Having the presentation in the boat park immediately after the event made it special. 

The word is that next year this event will be held at Staniel Cay in the Exumas.  We are all looking forward to this and even more boats participating.

Results

In a packed room at the Marriott hotel here in Copenhagen, the ISAF Council has voted on the equipment to be used in the 2008 Olympic Sailing Regatta in Qingdao.

Most classes remained as used earlier this year in Athens but the major opportunities for change were in the two windsurfing events and the single-handed women.

Recommendations from the committees, who met earlier in the week, were looked at in numerical order.

Selection of the Olympic classes for 2008 was reserved for a period before lunchtime. ISAF President Paul HENDERSON brought to the table a motion that proposed voting for the eight non-contentious classes to be voted as a block, followed by debate and selection of the remaining two events, namely windsurfing and the single-handed dinghy women.

These eight classes were agreed on immediately and shall remain as follows for the 2008 Olympic Games:

1. Multihull Open: Tornado
2. Keelboat Women: Yngling
3. Keelboat Men: Star
4. Double-handed Dinghy Open: 49er
5. Double-handed Dinghy Women: 470
6. Double-handed Dinghy Men: 470
7. Single-handed Dinghy Open: Finn
8. Single-handed Dinghy Men: Laser

The event titles for these events are scheduled to be reviewed in 2005, to fit within the more usual event definitions used across the other sports on the Olympic programme, ie doubles men, singles women

Discussion then moved towards the windsurfing event, for which two options were brought to the table: The Mistral One-design and the Neil Pryde RS:X. The Neil Pryde RS:X was the recommended board by the ISAF Windsurfing Equipment evaluation panel and was also recommended by the Events, Women's Sailing and Executive Committees earlier in the week.

Rich JEFFRIES, chairman of the evaluation panel, was invited to answer questions from the Council and it was clarified that the Neil Pryde RS:X board was being proposed with one sail. The President also clarified that the building of the new board would be handled solely by Cobra in Thailand and distribution would be handled via six worldwide distribution centres.

After debate that revolved around the clarification to MNA’s that ISAF would have a high level of control over the pricing and level of availablility of the board, as well as reassurance over the class contract, which will be negotiated by the Executive Committee and the board manufacturers, Council voted 26:12 in favour of the Neil Pryde RS:X board.

Following a short break for lunch, the tougher decision of choosing the Single-handed Dinghy Women got underway. Initially discussion was all about the ostensible facts that the ideal weight range for the laser radial was heavier than that required for the Europe.

Following this discussion, it was highlighted that if the aim of the Federation was to increase the participation of emerging nations in the Olympic games by right, then the availablilty of the Laser Radial in these nations was a huge boost to achieving that goal. Cory SERTL (USA), in supporting the Laser Radial represented the point of view of the Women’s Sailing Committee and noted that coming from an established nation, she acknowledges that sailors at the top level automatically gravitate towards whatever is selected, and that "ISAF is making this decision for the sailors around the world who haven't had the opportunity to participate in the Olympics. We are doing this for the best of the sport."

Quanhai Li (CHN), representing the Beijing Olympic Committee spoke extensively about the regatta organization and facilities proposed for the Olympic Games in quingdao. In highlighting the work currently being done in Asia, he spoke of the support for the Europe class. His view was shared by Teo Ping LOW (SIN).

There then proceeded a motion proposed by Ken RYAN (IRL) that the remaining three classes that were brought to the table not be considered any further and after a unanimous vote the Europe and the Laser Radial were voted for. The Result - 24-12 in favour of the Laser Radial, with two abstentions. The sport will now look forward to a new Olympic Class at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Paul HENDERSON paid tribute to the Europe Class. "I am sorry to see the Europe leave. The Class has been a great supporter."

The meeting is continuing in Copenhagen and this report will be updated on conclusion of the Council meetings will all the other important decisions of the day.

In Star, Steven Kelly and Billy Holowesko finished in 5th position at the Schoonmaker Cup Regatta in Miami this weekend and Andrew Higgs crewing for Kevin McNeil took the 3rd place.

Results

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