International Formula 18 Catamaran Association
Newsletter No13.
January 2015.
New Years’ Greetings to all F18 sailors and families.
Financial Report
We thank all NCA’s who have responded so well and send their “subs” in on time. This has enabled Olivier and Eric (our Treasurer) to get the work done and DRAFT figures for 2014 are already produced. We were sorry to have to announce the postponement of the 24thJanuary Council due to only three NCA’s agreeing to attend, but it is so much better to work after 31st December when all the subscriptions have been received than to try and work with “expected figures”. We suggest that we hold the Winter Council in January in future.
Full financial results for 2014 and DRAFT budget for 2015 will be with Council very soon. Again we thank Olivier and Eric for their detailed and timely approach to these tasks.
Agenda for 24th January
I sent out final DRAFT on 20thDecember to all Council members, as well in Newsletter n°12. There are some items on the agenda that will need deciding in the next few weeks. We will leave as many as we can for decision to the Council Meeting in July, but we will adopt an electronic voting system for urgent items soon. We now have the complete list of subscriptions which determines the votes per NCA.
As in the past, I will give all Council members a detailed review of each subject so that they are clear and have time with their NCA members to get a clear voting position. Also there are proposals that some NCA’s might want to vote in favour but other points within the same subject that they wish to vote against. I will try and resolve this problem. I will inform Council of clear voting proposals in due course, and if there are any amendments to the proposals I will publish those as well.
The Agenda items that require a Council decision in near future are :
No4. Approval of Financial results and proposed 2015 budget.
No5 The F18 Future Strategy.
No6 F18 Class Rules 2015.
No7 F18 Cloth List 2015.
No10. Constitutional change, proposal Australia
No11. Two Piece mast, proposal Australia
No12. Increase in annual subscription fee by NCA’s, proposal Australia
No 13. Introduction of quarterly cash position statement to Council, proposal Australia.
No 18. Marketing future and expenditure.
No 20. Retention of Rule C.5.2 a 1, relating to tow line, as we want this item included in the January F18 rules if passed by Council.
Worlds 2015
Olivier and I are meeting Jens and our German friends later this month, at Dusseldorf Boat Show. (Saturday 24thJanuary). Numbers wishing to attend the Worlds 2015 are very good, 150+ pre-entered, and now we have published the allocations per NCA as we have received all the IF18CA subscriptions from the National Class Associations. There are just one or two subscriptions outstanding, these are simply due to holiday period and change of personnel in their NCA and not any deliberate act, and we can manage any requests from them under our Wild Card system, as they are smaller NCA’s. Full regatta details for the World Championship 2015 will be published later this month after 24thmeeting. You have all received notes from Olivier regarding allocations.
Worlds 2016
We are in detailed discussions with the host Club in Argentina and we will be able to settle final dates soon. Moving to Argentina is a major step for the Class, the first time we have held a World Championship in South America. We thank Martin Vanzulli who has stepped in to replace Ian Rodger who couldn’t manage the time that was required. We thank Ian for his work and look forward to working with our “old friend” Martin again. Further details soon.
Europeans 2016
Olivier and I were invited to the USAM Sailing Club, Brest, for detailed discussions. We attended a most cordial meeting on Saturday 10th January, where we met their team that will form most the Organising Committee. Our hopes and plans fitted entirely with theirs and we quickly developed good relationships so essential in such discussions. They showed us all their facilities, which are excellent and we walked to see the sailing areas. We plan to have the Organising Committee established when the Brest City Council make their nominations as they are the major sponsor. We will also be asking the French NCA to provide a delegate for the Committee. Contact will be made during the Spring and Summer with plans to get the NoR in DRAFT by Mid November and major marketing launch on the Brittany Stand at Paris Boat Show on 12th December. In the next day or so, I will write to USAM Sailing Club thanking them for their hospitality and confirming our desire to hold the F18 European Championship in 2016. In next few days, I will also write minutes of our meeting for the six Brest members present, and then distribute these to Council.
Worlds and Europe 2017 and 2018
As I have said before we are very fortunate in having NCA’s and Club support wishing to host major F18 Championships. We have had a detailed prospectus from our US F18 colleagues and a request to hold the F18 Worlds at the Sarasota Sailing Squadron in Florida, and we thank them for all their preliminary work. Finland NCA are requesting that they host a major Championship and we look forward to their prospectus in due course. Australia was also seeking permission to host a Championship and no doubt they will provide details in the future. We have had discussions with our Spanish friends during the winter and they have provided a detailed prospectus before and their requests to host are still “on the table.” To summarise, we have US, Spain, (prospectuses received), Finland and Australia seeking to be involved in staging a major F18 regatta in 2017, 2018 and 2019. I ask Council Members to consider the implications of more regattas outside Europe, after Council have voted on this matter previously.
Time scale: To give a TWO year preparation time, the decision on 2017 needs to be taken in July 2015 when we hope that we will be able to hold a quorate World Council meeting. We will provide as much information as possible before July 2015 so that NCA’s can discuss with their members.
www.f18merchandise.com
Calendars: We had just a few spares printed that we can give to Championship hosting clubs for promotional activity, and we do a have a very limited number for any NCA that wishes to buy a few more. One or two NCA’s have already done this and one NCA thought that they were so good and such good value that they want even more activity from me for sales promotion for the F18 2016 calendar. Calendars did make a small amount of money for the Class and enough to give me confidence to try again in 2016. However despite my disappointment at support from NCA’s, we have made almost twice the budgeted figure for 2014 from “the shop”. Those Council members that live in the commercial world will realise one thing, that means the budget will go up for 2015.
We will be working soon on the “Spring Range of f18 clothing”
Thanks to all for your continued support,
Don Findlay,
Secretary General IF18CA