WNSW President's report 2019-2020, WNSW AGM
Welcome, thanks for volunteering your time to support and promote the sport of windsurfing, not just tonight but throughout the year. It's much appreciated.
This is my third year in the position of President. Thanks to the Committee of Keith, Tom, Greg and Richie for their support across the year. Thanks also to the Club and Class delegates who have given their time and energy.
Despite the Covid-19 challenge towards the end of this season, 2019-20 has overall been a season of growth and success for Windsurfing in NSW.
Membership of the AWA via Windsurfing NSW grew in the past season from 344 to 401. For historical reasons, Windsurfer One Design membership Australia-wide is channelled through WNSW, so taking out interstate Wally sailors, the NSW membership stands at 267. This makes us the largest windsurfing state in the country. The next biggest is WA, with 244 members, followed by Qld with 128.
There was only one other state where membership numbers grew, and that was in Victoria, with a small increase from 29 members to 34. The number of Clubs and Classes affiliated with WNSW grew again this year, from 12 to 16.
One of our big successes this year allows us to make it easier for these clubs and classes to run races and regattas for sailboards. In 2017 Roads and Maritime Services introduced a system known as SENS (Sailing Event Notification System) to "reduce the administrative burden" by exempting organisers of sailing events from the requirement to obtain an aquatic licence, provided certain conditions were complied with.
However, under MARINE SAFETY REGULATION 2016 EXEMPTION ORDER Clause 140(1), sailboards were specifically excluded from the definition of a Sailing Event. This meant clubs and classes affiliated with WNSW still needed to apply for an Aquatic Licence to host a windsurfing event. Clubs that regularly raced both sailboards and dinghies needed to make separate applications to run the same races for different craft.
Windsurfing NSW made a formal submission to RMS, arguing that our Risk Management Plan, which applies to all clubs and windsurfing classes affiliated with WNSW and any event organised or co-organised by WNSW, showed how seriously we regarded the safety of our participants and others.
We argued that course racing for sailboards posed no higher risk than regular, organised yacht sailing. We also asserted that rather than simplifying the process, the change to SENS had created confusion and extra work for clubs racing sailboards and windsurfing regatta organisers.
I'm pleased that Windsurfing NSW was successful in lobbying Roads and Maritime Services to recognise sailboards as sailing vessels under the Sailing Event Notification System, and four months ago, an order to that effect was published in the NSW Government Gazette.
Following on from this, we are now pursuing the issue of being able to cross the Sydney harbour. This issue is on their agenda for consideration as part of a scheduled review of Harbour Safety.
WNSW had another breakthrough in being able to resolve the anomaly of sailboarders not being covered for 3rd party public liability when competing in an event at an Australian Sailing Club that wasn't affiliated with AWA. Richie Reynolds will talk about this shortly in his report as NSW rep to the AWA. This season, Richie was elected Vice President of the AWA.
The face of windsurfing continues to change. This season we've seen the new Olympic board decided upon, with the iQfoil to replace the RS:X at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. We've seen a continued growth in foiling around the state, with state series and other events being introduced. While foiling grows in popularity, Formula has sadly been fading away, not attracting enough sailors to stage a Nationals this season.
Youth sailing continues to grow. When I've been going to Woollahra Sailing Club these winter Sunday mornings since clubs have reopened after the first Covid lockdown, I see a group of teenage girls going out windsurfing together. It's a new development and great to see.
The 2020 Youth Sailing World Championships were scheduled to take place in Brazil in December, but have been cancelled due to the pandemic. The Techno 293 Plus representatives who were to travel were both from NSW - being Grae Morris and Amelia Quinlan. Congratulations to them and good luck in their future windsurfing careers.
And thanks once again to all of you, whose contribution makes windsurfing happen in NSW.
