Held at Nea Iraklita, Kavala, Greece, 31 May at 10.00
- Opening address
The Master’s President Andy Denison welcomed all the sailors to the 2023 Masters meeting
- Apologies-- there were no apologies.
- President’s Report
The Masters President reported he has completed the visit to Punt Ala and will make the presentation available after the meeting. He was very positive about the changes that have been made and improved since we last held a Championships at Punt Ala. Expecting to need facilities for 300 boats with the potential for rubber matting on the beach. He expressed the importance of the initial visit.
Camping, Motorhomes pitches and the small chalets will be available for Finn Sailors to book from November 2023 - this is prior to the official opening of the camping facility.
Masters Europeans on Garda this year - some initial confusions have been dealt with to make the event practical
- Election of Officers
Henk de Jager is due to stand down from the committee but has offered to continue as a Masters Committee member. His continued support was unanimously accepted by the membership.
- Proposed Rule Changes to Masters Event Manual 2023
a)Dates of the Championship
The President introduced the reasons for the Championship date changes. The Committee had discussed the reasoning behind the change and felt it would be beneficial to the future running of the event. He explained if the event is to be held in the Southern Hemisphere the date will most likely be in January
At a vote - 4 objections - motion carried.
b) Entry Fee penalties
The President explained the reasoning that the current rule of requiring doubling late entry fees is excessive as the cost of entry continues to increase. The change reflects current practice and gives the OA more breathing space when ordering supplies and shirts etc for changing the Masters ruling on entry fees to
Fully completed entry forms and payments should be received no later than five (5) weeks prior to the event. After completing and sending the Entry Form the competitor agrees to pay the Entry Fee as defined in the NoR, however, only after receipt of payment is a competitor’s entry valid. Entries and/or payments received less than five weeks before the first race, will be charged a late penalty of €100. The OA may close entry one week prior to the regatta, but entries and/or payments received and accepted after this date will be charged a late penalty of €150. No shows without notification will be expected to pay the full entry fee before any entry will be accepted in future years. Late payments are at the discretion by the OA.
The proposal was carried unanimously.
c) Bidding period for events
The President explained the current rule is too restrictive and the proposed amendment gave greater flexibility for lead times and longer-term planning.
Change to:
Nominations for a venue shall be sent to the Master’s President prior to February 1st up to three years before the desired year of the Championship.
Normally venue nominations can only be accepted three years in advance, but in special circumstances, a venue can be voted on further in advance. However, the venue proposal can only be heard, and voted on, on approval of the Masters Committee and if there is a majority in favour of this at the meeting.
The proposal was carried unanimously.
A modified proposal from Bob Buchanan (AUS6) seconded by Steve Sampson (GBR) that Super Legends pay half the entry fees at World Masters (including Europeans) events. The proposal was carried (with 5 votes against).
- Accounts/Budget
The President explained the current financial situation for the Masters, any losses incurred were mainly due to a shortfall on the magazine costs, reduced entries to the Europeans and World Masters, and the purchase of merchandising that will cover the next few years. However, increased income from the IFA to £5,000 offsets the deficit
- Website and magazine
Website now has a series for micro sites to allow easy access to extra information and resource. IFA have now stopped the second edition of FinnFare, which will allow us to maintain the /Masters Magazine.
- Proposal to host the World Finn Masters in Brisbane Yacht Club in 2026
Phil Chadwick delivered a detailed presentation proposing Brisbane YC as the venue for the 2026 World Finn Masters. The intent would be to combine the event with the Australian Nationals, and Finn Gold Cup. This will enable sailors to participate in 3 events, that follow in close succession.
A PowerPoint presentation is available on the Finn Masters Website.
Current Flag officers at Brisbane YC are Finn sailors and keen to support the event. The Club already has 38 Finns onsite.
Expected Weather 32 degrees water is 27 degrees, expected 8-12 with sea breezes 15-20, this is a tropical sea breeze that is easy and not dense. Race area is around 30 minutes sail from the Club. A hotel and camping is available onsite, with three launching ramps.
The Club is 20 minutes drive from Brisbane international airport.
Shipping boats to Australia - expect to have some major sponsors - to help with shipping. Containers can be left onsite.
At the vote - 2 against - the motion to attend the FWM in Brisbane in 2026 was carried.
The Chairman conformed the Masters Europeans will be an easy access Central European Venue in 2026.
- Date of next meeting
The date for the 2024 event in Punta Ala is likely to change and be in the second week on June 2024.
Meeting closed 10:30
