Para World Sailing Update – February 2017

In this monthly report, World Sailing provides updates that outline the future for Para World Sailing.

Para World Sailing Equipment
The 2.4 Norlin One Design, Weta Trimaran and Hansa 303 have been proposed as the Para World Sailing equipment to help World Sailing deliver the Para World Sailing Strategic Plan.

As part of the Strategic Plan there was a need to select equipment that met the following objectives:
• Provides competition opportunities for a range of disability types
• Encourages female participation
• Enables greater participation for youth and new sailors
• Has a low purchase price
• Is distributed worldwide
• Has a supply of used boats available
• Affordable to transport
• Enables programs to be conducted with minimal infrastructure
• Enables new competition formats that are media and spectator friendly, providing modern and fast paced stadium style racing.

About the Para World Sailing equipment for 2017-2020:
• Norlin 2.4 One Design – A technical single person keelboat that is widely distributed, attracts large fleets for open competition and has been used for Paralympic sailing since 2000.
• Weta Trimaran – A fast, exciting multihull with a furling gennaker. It can be sailed by one or two people with a wide range of abilities and launched off a beach.
• Hansa 303 – Compact, flexible and has a proven track record in development programs. It can be sailed by one or two persons.

The 2017 Para World Sailing Championships and other selected events in 2017 and early 2018 will be used to test boats for the different disciplines as well as making any adjustments to the classification systems to refine the proposal for Paralympic sailing. It is proposed that the following disciplines will be included in the 2017 Para World Championships:

• One Person Keelboat (Norlin 2.4 OD) – Open
• One Person Keelboat (Hansa 303) – Female
• One Person Keelboat (Hansa 303) – Male
• Two Person Multihull (Weta) – Mixed
• Two Person Keelboat (SKUD 18) – Open (International Championship)
• Three Person Keelboat (Sonar) – Open (International Championship)
• Other formats may also be tested in the Weta and Hansa 303.

World Sailing will continue its review of the Para World Sailing equipment before making a final decision for its proposal to the IPC for Paralympic reinstatement in 2024.

Registration open for World Cup Series Hyeres
Hyeres is famous for providing exciting 2.4 Norlin OD racing and regularly welcomes the best year after year. Registration for the 2017 edition is now open. Click here to register.

World Cup Series Hyeres and Para World Sailing Championships
World Sailing has committed to support sailor participation at the 2017 Para World Sailing Championships. In addition, World Sailing’s logistics and shipping partner, GAC Pindar, will support the transportation of Paralympic equipment to the 2017 World Championships and the 2017 Sailing World Cup Hyeres. For World Sailing to evaluate attendance and support levels for each sailor, they request participation in a sailor survey February 25 2017.

Paralympic Development Program
Argentina played host to World Sailing’s first Paralympic Development Program (PDP) since launching its Para World Sailing Strategic Plan at the 2016 Annual Conference in Barcelona, Spain.

Held from January 22-25 2017 at the Club Nautico Mar Del Plata and in conjunction with Federacion Argentina Yachting (FAY), 16 participants from across South America were in attendance with the focus on effective coaching, learning more about the Para World Sailing selected equipment and improving both sailor and coach performance on and off the water. Read more on the clinic here.

Three further PDP clinics are planned for 2017:
• Hong Kong – March 7-12
• Poland – July 12-15
• France – October 16-21

Useful links
Para World Sailing event calendar – http://www.sailing.org/sailors/disabled/disabled-events.php
Para World Sailing specific news – http://www.sailing.org/news/disabled-sailing.php
Para World Sailing website page – http://www.sailing.org/sailors/disabled/index.php