ITA May Newsletter

Dear Tornado sailors,

Here in the Northern hemisphere so far we have been very lucky, the spring has brought us some great sailing conditions. And summer is approaching fast. It’s time to get on the water again and enjoy the fast sailing. For those in the Southern hemisphere hopefully the weather is treating you well and you are still enjoying the sailing.

During the last couple of months the ITA has been busy helping to organize the upcoming major class events, the European Championship and World Championship. This has not been an easy task with our current class situation and the world economic crisis we have all been dealing with. We do have two beautiful venues lined up for the EC and WC and I hope to see many of the Tornado sailors there. Furthermore we have not been sitting still on the lobby front. Obviously it has been a more low profile behind the scenes approach, as we believe this is the best way forward to retain the 11th medal for Sailing for London2012.

ISAF Mid Years meeting - Warsaw, Poland

Darren Bundock and myself attended the ISAF Mid Years meeting that was held in Warsaw from the 7th until the 11th of May. I am glad to say it was a very positive meeting for Tornado.

At the Mid Years meeting only URGENT submissions are discussed. In March the ITA put in a submission that was deemed urgent by the ISAF Executive Committee which meant the matter would be discussed in May during the Mid years meeting. This was the first hurdle. In Warsaw hurdles two and three passed easily. Both the Equipment Committee and the Events Committee recommended that the ISAF Executive Committee be empowered to take the decision on which Event and Equipment should be used in the case that the IOC decides that sailing may keep the 11th Medal. Also was recommended to the Executive that due to the time constraints that known and proven equipment be used if the 11th Medal is retained. I.e. Tornado. I believe also the Athletes Commission and the Women's Forum have recommended the Multihull as the Event and the Tornado as the Equipment.

The next hurdle was the decision in Council. This is a delicate situation. Goran Petersson made it very clear that he thought, by empowering the Executive Committee, this was giving ISAF the best possible chance of getting the 11th medal back and not sending a message to IOC that we were anticipating receiving the medal and having this misinterpreted in the press. His statements were very clear and well thought through on his process to retain the 11th medal. He was also concerned this would create expectations to the sailors if it was decided today that ISAF could not live up to if ISAF does not get the 11th medal. I..e. He did not want us to all go out and buy equipment and start training before the IOC decision only to find out we do not get it. ISAF Council were happy that the Executive could make a correct choice and Goran stated it is not a hard choice as only Multihull is eligible for the Event and only Hobie Tiger and Tornado are eligible for the Equipment. He then went on to say “it is unthinkable that the Executive Committee will not accept the recommendations from the Equipment and Events Committees” (which both recommend Tornado). So matters evolved in a very careful manner during the meeting days in Warsaw, but the conclusion was very much in favor of the Tornado. We have jumped a couple of important hurdles, but the biggest hurdle is still to come and that is the IOC decision in august.

This time we left the ISAF meeting pleased and have seen this as a positive direction for Tornado and regaining our Olympic spot. I am happy to give you all this information but I do ask you to keep it out of the press as the ITA still believes this is the best way forward.

Tornado One Design

The Tornado One design issue was briefly raised at the ISAF Mid Years meeting. I spoke about what the ITA had done in preparation for One Design. However it was very clear that the momentum during the meeting was for known and proven equipment. Therefore the ITA submission to ISAF was for Status Quo (current Tornado). We will discuss this further at the AGM during the WC at Lake Garda.

European Championship 4-9 July Weymouth, GBR

The NOR has been posted and online entry opened for the Tornado Europeans at the following address:

http://www.wpnsa.org.uk/calendar.htm

The EC will be held at the venue for the London2012 Olympic Games. This will be a fantastic opportunity to sail on the Olympic waters. The WPNSA has a very advanced website providing all the information you need for the EC. There is a wide range of accommodation around the WPNSA area. The UK is famous for its B&Bs and guest houses but there are also hotels and hostel style accommodation. Please visit the WPNSA website and click on Facilities/Accomodation.

I hope to see you all there!

World Championship 28 August – 4 September Lake Garda, ITA

“Will the Tornado catamaran celebrate the participation in the London Olympic Games on Lake Garda? The decision will be taken in August, a couple of weeks before the World Championship 2009, which will be raced at the beginning of September, into the waters surrounding the villages of Gargnano and Toscolano-Maderno. Nevertheless it will be the return of a great sport event along the shores of the Riviera dei Limoni, the Lombardy side of Benaco. The last World Championship in this area took place in Gargnano during the 2002, an event reserved to the Federation of blind sailors "Blind Sailing International", while we should go back to 1985 to find an Olympic class with the World Flying Dutchman. On this occasion more than 50 crews will participate in the event. It will be co-organized by two Sailing Clubs: Circolo Vela Gargnano and Circolo Vela Toscolano Maderno, who will give hospitality to the competitors. The same crews will have the opportunity to participate in the 50th edition of the Gorla Trophy (30 August) and 59th Centomiglia-MultiCento (5-6 September). The first Tornado appearance in Italy has been 40 years ago when it won the Centomiglia del Garda in 1969 with the crew composed by Fabio Albarelli, from Torri del Benaco, (bronze at the Mexico Olympics in 1968 with the single Finn) and Gianfranco Oradini, from Arco (who was with Albarelli at the Olympic Games in Canada in 1976). This race is related to another skipper, from the near Lake Iseo, Giorgio Zuccoli, who took part in the Olympic Games in Seoul in 1988 with the Tuscan Luca Santella, and in Barcelona in 1992 with Angelo Glisoni.The crew Zuccoli-Glisoni won the world title in Cagliari in 1991. The World race has, right now, the support of the Council of the Regione Lombardia, the Province of Brescia, the Riviera dei Limoni, the Municipality of Toscolano-Maderno. Among the partners there are already "GreenComm Challenge" Lake Garda challenge for America's Cup, "Aria" wi max in Italy”, the griffe "Marina Yachting", "Green Wave" technology district Lombard co sponsored by “Wave Group”. “By Circolo Vela Gargnano

On the website www.centomiglia.it under TORNADO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP you will find the programme, information on accommodation, rental boats and the boat park. On the website under CALENDARIO REGATE you will find the Notice of Race.

In march I visited the Worlds venue in Toscolano Maderno. Like the rest of Lake Garda it is a beautiful area not just for sailing. The sailing club is nearby the town filled with hotels and restaurants along the waterfront. There is plenty of space for all the Tornados on a grass field area with a small pebble beach alongside to launch the boats.

The AGM will also be held during the Worlds in Italy. Hopefully by then we will know the IOC decision and we can discuss the “new” future of the Tornado class.

Due to problems with the ITA website we have been doing our best to inform the sailors via this newsletter and email. There is always a possibility that the ITA database is not entirely up to date, so please feel free to spread this newsletter to as many Tornado sailors as possible. The ITA apologizes for any inconvenience.

I look forward to meeting you all at the championships this year! Enjoy the sailing season!

Carolijn Brouwer, ITA President