International Sailing Conference

I’ve just arrived in Helsinki for the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Conference www.sailing.org I sit on two committees at the current time – I’ve given my bit back to sailing for many years through this organisation.

The Youth Development Committee agenda seems thin compared to my other committee, the Women’s Sailing Committee. However I’m happy about that since it will give us more chance to work out ways to be effective across the diversity of the world while promoting the growth of a single sport. The ‘Connect to Sailing’ linkage is very important to our sport, both in the UK via the RYA www.rya.org.uk and in the rest of the world, linking as it does youth and the sailing industry.

The Women’s Sailing committee agenda is much thicker, dealing with a number of ongoing ‘hot’ issues. Women’s representation in the decision making layers of our sport, and the first flurries of submissions leading up to the choice of boats for the Olympic Classes for London 2012.

Key to our work is developing strategies, and I am particularly interested in progressing both women’s development worldwide and the women’s area of the ISAF website. For many years I was the moderator of the Women’s Website Forum until finally defeated by software issues.

I missed last year’s Conference due to breaking my leg 2 days before flying out. Since last year was the first time the newly elected committees met, I’m catch-up mode this year. I was instrumental in putting a Buddy scheme in place last year, which worked so well we were asked to repeat it this year. I’m looking forward to meeting my Buddies from Brazil, Italy and Turkey.