Perth 2011 Director of Commercial Operations Darren Beazley today thanked Jason Mazda Dealer Principal Paul Lawrence and his staff for their support of the Emerging Nations Programme, the first initiative Perth 2011 will co-ordinate ahead of the ISAF Sailing World Championships in Fremantle in December 2011.
"The Emerging Nations Programme will see 30 nations who were not represented at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in any sailing discipline invited to Perth for a series of intensive training courses (ITCs) designed to improve their chances of earning a place in the 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships and 2012 Olympic Games in London," Mr Beazley said.
"Following on from July's ITC, the Emerging Nations Programme will see an additional six ITCs and a test event held in the waters off Fremantle between July 2009 and the 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships."
The list of nations invited to the Emerging Nations Programme will be finalised and announced in June.
Mr Lawrence said he and Jason Mazda were proud to be supporting the Perth 2011 Emerging Nations Programme.
"I have no doubt that the Emerging Nations Programme will be an exciting precursor to the highly anticipated Perth 2011 Sailing World Championships and Jason Mazda is proud to be supporting this initiative," Mr Lawrence said
Perth 2011 Event Director John Longley AM said the Emerging Nations Programme was conceived as an additional benefit that Perth 2011 offered the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) as a part of its bid to secure the Perth 2011 Sailing World Championships.
"After the announcement of Perth's successful bid, ISAF, Perth 2011 and Yachting Australia worked to establish the modus operandi for this project," Mr Longley said of the ENP.
"The overriding objectives are to encourage and assist developing and emerging sailing nations to participate in the Olympic Sailing Competition and to increase the number of participating nations and their competitors at the Perth 2011 World Championships.
"To achieve these objectives, Perth 2011 plans to conduct a number of intensive coaching camps in Western Australia that will be attended by athletes that meet criteria agreed by Perth 2011 and ISAF and from countries identified by ISAF.
"The ENP will focus on Laser and RSX Windsurfers for both men and women, being one person classes that have global representation and that have been identified by the ISAF Events Committee as the best route to bring more nations to the Olympics."
