On the eve of a New Year it is time to reflect on past achievements and future wishes.
The achievements we have seen in 2010 include – [more]
The confirmation of windsurfing renewal with the success of the Bic Techno 293 OD. 12 countries have become new class members. Participation in the World Championships was a record for the class, with numbers that we had not seen for a long time: 350 competitors, 30 countries and 4 continents. A very rapid development, rarely seen in windsurfing, or in sailing!
Funboard, Speed and Formula are doing well and are always very attractive, even though we live in difficult times, and to find organizers we are struggling because of the financial crisis.
Formula Experience continues to grow in South America, and at its last AGM, voted to become fully One Design from the 1 January 2012. It will be even more attractive and less expensive. This decision should facilitate the access of new young people in Formula and have significant effect on the Formula development and on the FE return to Europe.
Raceboard continues its road especially among seniors and veterans. New life was breathed into IMCO with the restart of board production and a new sail & rig, MOD featured as an event in the 2010 Asian Games.
This year also marked the 10th anniversary of IWA. At the IWA setting up, many people thought that was a utopian approach, doomed to failure. 10 years after, we are obliged to accept that it is simply the opposite. This administrative structure, where the majority of the windsurfing classes have joined their small economic means to be more efficient while reducing costs, has greatly exceeded its targets. The fact to have to work together, to prepare budgets, to discuss expenses, functioning, events organization, in this common “secretariat” has permitted the windsurfing classes to know each other better and work better together for the greater good of windsurfing and windsurfers. For many people, IWA has become a serious and recognized representative of its member classes.
About my wishes at the dawn of my year of Presidency?
My first objective is to continue its work to ensure that all windsurfing classes continue to work together in the best interests of all.
The second point which seems to me very important now is – what comes after the 293? The 293 class trains many young windsurfers who leave the class – having reached the limit age or for morphological problems – and we find only a low numbers of them in senior practices. All the windsurfing classes should work together to find and organize the progression of young people of the 293 class to a senior practice.
And the third, but not the least, to do the maximum to keep its Olympic status to Windsurfing even if Kiteboarding would become Olympic.
Happy New Year to all, good wind and have fun in windsurfing.
Marc Cardon
IWA President for 2011.
