WELCOME MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AFRICAN SAILING
26 Nov 2015Philip Baum, President of South African Sailing, has been a key proponent in supporting the holding of the first ever Olympic Continental Qualification Event in South Africa and first ever such 470 African Championships.
"Dear 470 Sailors and Race Officials
Cape Town looks forward to welcoming you in the New Year to the inaugural 470 Class Open African Championships and Rio 2016 Men’s African Continental Qualification event. This will be the first time ever that a World Sailing event is being held in South Africa and only the second time such a regatta is being held in Africa. The first will be the 2016 Rio African Continental Qualification event for the Laser, Laser Radial and RSx classes, both male and female, just a month before in Algiers.
These are exciting times for the African Continent! Olympic competition requires representation on all six Continents. The allocation of a specific Olympic slot to each Continent to ensure as complete a global footprint as possible in Rio 2016 will be a significant spur to growing our sport in Africa. The special opportunity of hosting no fewer than five of the Olympic qualifiers on African waters is being capitalised on to highlight the sport to our government partners, national Olympic bodies, our sailors and hugely importantly to the peoples of our Continent. The support and understanding of all these stakeholders is vital for the growth, development and transformation of our sport.
So not only will the sailors and officials be participating in fulfilling their own personal goals and ambitions they will be contributing to a historical step in the evolution of the Olympics.
On behalf of South African Sailing, the International 470 Class, the African Sailing Confederation (ASCON) and World Sailing we wish each and every one of you a happy, fun filled and personally fulfilling stay in South Africa. You are all most welcome.
Yours sincerely
Philip Baum
President, South African Sailing"
