A Who’s Who of sailors attended the International Yacht Racing Forum (IYRF), held November 21-22 in Malta. The two-day forum program was jam-packed with business, networking, and socializing opportunities. Knut Frosted, president and CEO of Navico and former CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race, kicked off the forum by delivering the keynote, while other speakers included David Graham, CEO of World Sailing; Jonquil Hackenberg, chair of The Magenta Project; and Forum Chair, UK double Olympic Gold medalist, Shirley Robertson. The audience was equally A-list, including St. Maarten’s Michele Korteweg, president of the Caribbean Sailing Association.
Korteweg reports on the top topics discussed at the forum and what it means for the Caribbean:
“The IYRF brought together lots of great minds to discuss topics that are relevant to all sailing events, big or small, like sustainability, gender equality, and where do we stand 10 years from now with the changing demographics,” says Korteweg. “Foiling was a big topic, not just when it comes to the technology seen in races like the America’s Cup and Sail GP, but as an organization on its own. In 10 years they have developed every area of the sport, for youth, females, and the disabled and are hosting events worldwide. They include sustainability in their program and much more. Where they have come in 10 years, most sailing programs are still talking about. I would like to recommend everyone to look into the Foiling Organization as it presents a complete overview of the sport, and you can bet it will be coming to your island soon (if it hasn’t already!).” www.yachtracingforum.com
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