Last chance saloon


When World Sailing votes to elect its next president at the end of October it will be an important day for much of the sport… one that could go either way and with immediate implications. One way lies irrelevance, and sooner rather than later, the other way offers a chance for renewal and an exciting prospect for wholesale changes which most sailors are for once likely to embrace. Carlos Pich talks to a vigorous Finn racer who is our pick for World Sailing’s next president – to find out if we chose wisely 50 SEAHORSE


It is a tragedy when any sport’s governing becomes a public embarrassment. Today World Sailing depends on the largesse of the IOC to continue operating; costs have ramped up near-exponentially and many of the organisation’s best staff have already walked away. Some of the worst decisions made carry an unpleasant whiff of ego, designer city offices 100 miles from the sea being the most obvious example. On 28 October World Sailing’s Member


National Authorities (MNAs) vote elect - ronically to elect the next president, prefer- ably a new president. If there are no last- minute changes there are likely to be four candidates. Just one of the four is an active sailor – Gerardo Seeliger of Spain. Telling too is that of 140 MNAs only


120 are permitted to vote. The rest are either behind with their fee payments, or, worse, have been previously disqualified for ‘incorrect behaviour’. If things don’t change, World Sailing will become irrelevant. Or is that perhaps


for the best? The organisation’s roots are as a club for generous Victorian gentlemen pledged to expand the then new sport. In many ways their work is done. So time perhaps to dissolve the old establishments? Seahorse:How has your candidacy evolved over the past six months? Gerardo Seeliger:One of the most relevant things is that it seemed that we were two candidates, but most likely with two of the current vice-presidents, Scott Perry and Quanhai Li, also standing. Being four can- didates complicates things more, the game will be more difficult but more interesting for everyone. I think that the support that all of us initially have is mostly well dis- tributed territorially, but where there is more uncertainty is in Oceania. Another novelty is that the voting will


be remote, not in person, and this has changed the balance of power. Many countries that could not go to Bermuda last time and other delegates who will not travel to the next congress will now vote.


ROBERT DEAVES


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