The ISAF have disbanded the Sailing World Cup Management Group. In a statement issued this morning, Jerome Pels said
"The Executive Committee has agreed that in order to take the SWC forward the SWC MG will be disbanded as of now and the ISAF Secretariat will take over the responsibility for the ongoing management of the SWC. The ISAF Secretariat will continue to work closely with the event organisers to help build the consistency and quality of the SWC"
"The Executive Committee will continue to investigate the establishment of a new and smaller group than the SWC MG to become effective after the Mid-Year meeting; the Executive Committee will also work in the meantime to define the precise role and tasks of this new group."
This is welcome news. The ISAF Sailing World Cup was launched this year with the aim of building a property that would focus the eyes of the world and its sailing media on an annual series of events that would maintain their interest over the whole quadrennial between Olympic Regattas.
Whilst the idea is certainly a good one, the devil is in the detail.
The Sailing World Cup Management Group was made up of one representative of each regatta organisers, an ISAF technical officer and one representative of the Olympic Classes and was chaired by Bjorn Unger [ex chair of the ISAF Events Committee]. It was inevitable therefore that the event organisers had an overwhelming majority opinion in any discussions.
Naturally the organisers main aim was and is to protect their events which have been built up over some years and have their own momentum. Whereas the ISAF are coming at the issues with a different agenda. There was therefore some internal tension in the process.
Question:
Is the ISAF Sailing World Cup a series of events used to make a ranking list
OR
One event that includes a number of venues?
Until fundamental questions such as they are answered and communicated clearly, we will remain confused by the apparently lengthening list of 'World' titles. The path needs clearing so it is clear to all.
