Kim Andersen: World Sailing is at a Crossroads

At the World Sailing Annual Conference on November 4-13 in Barcelona, Spain, an election will occur for the slate of candidates that have been forth for President and Vice-President. Kim Andersen (Denmark) is among the three candidates that seek the office of President. Here is his candidacy declaration…

Kim Andersen

The announcement of Kim Andersen’s candidacy goes beyond a traditional presidential candidacy in World Sailing. “To make sailing grow, we need unity and I invite everybody to join my team,” Andersen states. “Together we will take World Sailing forward to a brighter future.”

Andersen continues, “International organizations like World Sailing need to change with the world or they will wither and become irrelevant to its membership and surroundings. World Sailing need to make considerable changes to stay relevant for the sailing communities around the world.”

World Sailing is at a crossroads: Firstly, it is crucial for World Sailing to preserve sailing as an Olympic sport. Secondly, World Sailing must propagate sailing to the diverse sailing communities around the world. Thirdly, World Sailing must improve its ability to harness the capabilities and resources of our stakeholders – the Member National Authorities, Continental Associations and various class associations and committees.

To this end, World Sailing need to put in place a truly open and transparent decision-making process. Management systems in World Sailing must stand up to scrutiny. World Sailing must be accountable to its stakeholders. World Sailing need to preserve and strengthen the integrity of its financial and administrative system.

The sailing sport relies on people and national sailing organizations with passion and commitment. World Sailing should be able to extract the best possible solutions and outcomes through powerful collaboration, collective wisdom and a diversity of ideas. World Sailing need an executive team with deep roots in each of its regions as only such a management structure will understand the needs of each of our membership – the national sailing organizations.

The presidential candidate is ready to take up this challenge, hoping to engage every member, partner and stakeholder of World Sailing. He will develop a management structure based on values such as openness, transparency, accountability and a friendliness towards all who wish to be part of the international sailing community.

Kim Andersen is ready to embrace every corner of World Sailing.

World Sailing must secure not to be enslaved by the personal deals and lack of transparency, which sadly have become the trademark of international sport.

Many of the ills and shortcomings of international and world governing bodies stems from a complacency and indifference from its stakeholders. World Sailing should place great emphasis on encouraging a full and more active participation from all part of the sailing community and its stakeholders.

Individuals from around the world, with passion, knowledge, experience and resources to make positive changes, should govern World Sailing. Such group should not only have a deep and full understanding of the issues facing sailing globally, the group should also have an in-depth and intimate knowledge of the situation and the realities facing each of the regions.

Kim Andersen invites other candidates to join his candidacy and is in dialogue with representatives from MNA’s around the world to strengthen his team even further.

The Board of Directors consists of one President and seven Vice-Presidents, and will together with 28 regional representatives and 6 heads of various committees, make up the World Sailing Council. The Council is collectively responsible for the strategic direction of World Sailing towards 2020.

The Annual Conference is a key event, where all 139 members of World Sailing will be able to exercise its right to vote. The World Sailing membership will collectively take several decisions, all vital in shaping the future direction of World Sailing. Especially the vote, scheduled to the 13th of November, to elect the President and Vice-Presidents are of vital importance for the future of World Sailing.

To read Kim Andersen’s manifesto… click here.