Welcome to Competitive Windsurfing in 2008

I begin with an apology – for the delay in circulating a 2008 calendar. Your executive committee considered it appropriate to publish a ”provisional” calendar, which despite its best intentions may have caused some confusion. However a final draft has now been published. I want my letter to focus on the changes, the improvements, to the structure of the competition programme. This is my summary, you will find the details published on the UKWA website.

The UKWA have risen to confront the challenges facing our sport by overhauling our event system. Inevitably that means changes- and the changes we have instigated apply to all disciplines.

Firstly, we have reverted to a National Championship for each discipline. A “stand alone” event for ukwa members competing for national titles. Our aim is to bring these prestigious events to the best, and most suitable, locations in the UK.
What better example than the Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy, venue for the 2012 Olympic Regatta, hosting the National Racing Championships.

Secondly, we have established an “open” Series of events for each discipline; and where appropriate some disciplines share the same event and venue. Wherever the opportunity arises these events are developed into festivals, that enhance the quality of the experience for the competitors, but also offer chance to promote the sport to a wider audience.

Thirdly – special events. The hugely successful Fat Face festival offers the clearest example of an event to stimulate interest in the sport. It is “model “ that all stakeholders in our sport can buy into – sailors, industry, rya, media, public etc.
We are supporting the National Windsurfing Week initiative by establishing a new Festival event at Bournemouth over the May bank holiday, which starts off the NWW.
Other special events are supported such as the Exmouth Marathon .

Finally, we return to Weymouth and Portland for the year end bash – and “Windsurfer of theYear”. This will not be like previous years - book it into your diaries now!

See you on the water,

Ian Jones