Second step: Financial support for 470 sailors of countries aiming at qualifying for the 2008 Olympic Games in the 2008 World Championships
The International 470 Class Association is strongly committed to help the 470 sailors around the world in competing at the 2008 World Championships, to be sailed in Melbourne, Australia in January 2008, and to cooperate with their National 470 Class Associations and National Sailing Authorities. This event will be the last qualification regatta of the nations for the 2008 Olympic Games.
In order to help the 470 sailors from the countries where Olympic sailing is less active and support them to take part in the qualification regattas, the International 470 Class Association has decided to set up a specific grant (the 2008 Olympic Pathway Solidarity Grant, “2008 OPSG”).
The first part of the 2008 OPSG consisted of:
1) providing to the admitted sailors the chance to rent for free up to 6 (six) chartered 470s from Nautivela for the 2007 World Championships in Cascais,
2) offering free of charge training in Cascais prior to the 2007 World Championships and coaching during the Championship for those sailors, in close cooperation with Dolphin Maritime which sponsored the rib.
The second part of the grant will provide financial support for teams for their boat shipping to the venue of the 2008 World Championships.
The total budget the 470 Internationale will allocate is 10000 EUR maximum.
The eligible crews for this second part of the programme are:
1) those crews from nations having a National 470 Class Association affiliated to the International 470 Class Association, provided that the relevant National 470 Class Association has paid the annual fees to the International 470 Class Association in 2007 and 2008
2) those crews from other nations who are affiliated to the International 470 Class Association as Individual Members, provided that they have paid their annual fees to the International 470 Class Association in 2007 and 2008
Any eligible crew wishing to get financial support for their boat shipping to Melbourne shall send an application before 15th November 2007 to Marta Weores, First Vice-President of the International 470 Class Association, with copy to the Secretary General.
The application to the 2008 OPSG shall be sent via the National 470 Class Association when it exists, or via the National Sailing Authority or directly by the applicant in the contrary. It shall consist of an e-mail giving name, surname, birthday, nationality, address and e-mail address of each crew member, and e-mail address of the coach or sailing official responsible for the team participation at international events. The following documents shall be attached:
1) a letter from the National 470 Class Association and/or the National Sailing Authority which certifies that the crew is eligible and allowed to represent their country in the 2008 World Championships,
2) an offer of the shipping company that the crew intends to use for transportation of the boat.
The International 470 Class Association will select the beneficiaries among the applicants by taking into consideration the order in which the applications have been sent, the difficulties for the applicants to bring their own boats to Melbourne and the development of the 470 Class in the applicants countries.
The support will be granted proportionally to the admitted crews and will be primarily given to:
1) crews from nations having failed to qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games at the 2007 World Championships at Cascais or having not taken part in such championships;
2) crews from nations classified by the 470 Internationale as “developing countries” as far as 470 sailing is considered. Some examples of such countries are: CHI, CYP, GUA, HKG, IND, ISV, LAT, LUX, MAS, MEX, MYA, PAK, PER, PHI, PUR, ROU, SRB, SVK, URU.
However, applications from other crews are also welcomed and will be considered for the grant. No grant will be awarded to crews from nations already qualified for the 2008 Olympic Games in their category.
