9th ICOYC European and South American Conference Recap + Club News

THE NINTH ICOYC EUROPEAN AND SOUTH AMERICAN CONFERENCE

By ICOYC President, Leif Sigmond

The 9th ICOYC European and South American Conference was held March 9 – 11, 2023, at the Gstaad Yacht Club in Switzerland. This event was incredibly well-attended, with more than 40 attendees plus partners. Nearly every European and South American club was represented, along with five North American clubs, two Asia/Pacific clubs, and two “guest” yacht clubs.

The Gstaad Yacht Club were wonderful hosts, offering an exceptional meeting space and terrific meals, both at the club and beyond. Attendees were even treated to a magnificent ski lift ride to enjoy lunch at the Eagle Club.

The conference opened midday on Thursday, March 9, with the traditional flag-raising and an introduction by Commodore Manrico Iachia of the Gstaad Yacht Club. This was followed by the introduction of and presentation by the ICOYC’s new Member Clubs: Coral Reef Yacht Club, St. Petersburg Yacht Club, Salinas Yacht Club, Monte Real Club de Yates de Baiona and the Crusing Club of America. The conference then proceeded with interesting panels on yacht club issues, followed by the presentation by Gstaad YC titled “Why a Yacht Club Without Water?”

Friday and Saturday were filled with expert panel discussions and presentations on various yacht club issues. The discussions were extremely insightful, with club leaders coming away with new ideas for their clubs. The final day of the conference ended with a presentation by Royal Swedish Yacht Club and Royal Vancouver Yacht Club on the next European Conference and World Forum, respectively. The planning for both is well under way, and all were encouraged to attend both events.

The final event was a gala dinner at the Gstaad Yacht Club, complete with a gourmet dinner and dancing to the tunes of a DJ. Many of the conference attendees took to the dance floor and stayed until closing time. All in all, the conference was expertly planned and executed, and was a great success.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 9TH ICOYC EUROPEAN AND SOUTH AMERICAN CONFERENCE

Conference in Review, from the Commodore
Commodore Manrico Iachia of the Gstaad Yacht Club (GYC) has provided a recap of the activities and the topics discussed at the 9th ICOYC European and South American Conference. As the host club, GYC performed extensive planning to present relevant information and to provide enjoyable social experiences for those in attendance.

A Conference of Many Firsts
Ludovica Reggio of Yacht Club Italiano observed a great deal of “firsts” from the conference, including it being the first conference held away from the sea, many first-time conference attendees, and for some attendees, their first time playing in the snow! In the article, change the author’s club from GYC to YCI

FROM THE CONFERENCE: SELECT PRESENTATIONS

Olympic Ambitions and Developmental Programs
How ICOYC are developing Olympic athletes
By Royal Swedish Yacht Club

Sustainability in Sailing
Managing operations and staff through climate change
By Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee

Facilities
Changes and challenges of managing a five-year strategic plan
By Royal Norwegian Yacht Club

Crisis Management
Preparing for and reacting to emergency situations
By: Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, Royal Swedish Yacht Club, and Royal Vancouver Yacht Club

Communications
Managing various channels to reach all stakeholders
By: Gstaad Yacht Club

18TH ICOYC WORLD FORUM TO BE HELD AT ROYAL VANCOUVER YACHT CLUB

We look forward to welcoming all ICOYC Clubs to the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club for a World Forum, Partners’ Program, Commodore’s Cup and Cruise on September 18 – 22, 2023. The team of professionals and volunteers at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club is planning an exciting week of meetings for ICOYC delegates, wonderful experiences for partners, a cruise to beautiful outstations, and most importantly, the return of the Commodore’s Cup, to be held in the Royal Van’s fleet of matching Elliott 6ms.

St. Francis Yacht Club Selects Felix Weidling to Lead Race Department

Felix Weidling recently joined St. Francis Yacht Club as Race Director. Weidling was previously Race Secretary at Kiel Yacht Club, where he organized various world and continental championships in addition to Kiel Week. In that role, Kiel Week became part of the Sailing World Cup, and was an Olympic Sailing qualifier and a championship event for German and European teams. With over 140 racing days on the St. Francis Yacht Club regatta calendar, Weidling will now helm one of the busiest regatta programs in the world.

How the NRV Honors its Volunteers

Norddeutscher Regatta Verein recently held a celebratory dinner honoring the many volunteers who support their racing, training, and social operations and without whom the club experience would look very different. More than half of the NRV’s 205 volunteers attended and enjoyed this special evening.

Safety Courses at Long Beach Yacht Club

The Long Beach Yacht Club is being proactive in preparing sailors for the upcoming sailing season with a variety of programs. These courses are offered to members and non-members of various levels of experience.

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Team Canada to Take Part in 2024 Women’s America’s Cup

History will be made next year when Team Canada sends a team to race in the first-ever Women’s America’s Cup, taking place September - October 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. The team sponsored by Royal Vancouver Yacht Club will be skippered by member and top sailor Isabella Bertold.

Celebrating a Florida February at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club

St. Petersburg Yacht Club kicked off their racing season with the Valentine’s Youth Regatta and the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series during the month of February. Florida offers sunshine and great on-the-water experiences, even in the winter months!

J/80 World Championship to Come to Baiona, Spain

The J/80 World Championship 2023 is to be held September 18 – 24, 2023 in Baiona, Spain, under the organization of the Monte Real Club de Yates de Baiona. This event will bring together 80 sailboats from five continents for a week in the Rías Baixas.