Happy New Year Soling sailors

A new year started, for most of the Soling sailors, it is winter, sailing seems too far away, not true for many reasons, there are always some traveling around looking for warmer venues to continue to do what they love to, others are sailing in the web, but anyway many are already preparing the upcoming season who will soon start.

2009 was a difficult year, and no matter what you do in life, troubles were always chasing and waiting the time to bite an make life crazier. The economical situation affected directly or indirectly and will continue to leave traces everywhere, but one thing for sure, when sailing and meeting your Soling friends you were unaware of all these issues, recovering energies for another working session after a relax momentum, weekend or more demanding competition in the Soling class.

2010 arrives with more of the same but completely different, for the first time in many years, the French sailors will host an ISA event in their home waters, at la Trinite during the end of August and beginning of September. The Worlds again looks for warmer temperatures, and meets the carnival in Brazil during the first weeks of February, and despite all economical issues and difficulties to travel, and to find the super boats you want to have in a sailing event, luckly there are some available and the organizing host is giving many concessions to make your life easier, and your trip the best to relax and prepare you to a full year of Soling commitments and life ups and downs as usual.

2009 saw great events overall, some were fully attended by the sailors other didn’t but that is normal and more if you take world situation into consideration, the class finances were not good, dropping considerably, the complete opposite to 2008 when we gained considerably, at least our membership didn’t decrease such as other classes worldwide, it was around 8 % could have been worst.

2010 starts in great shape, many good boats in the market changed owners and some others came for sale, with a surprise where BB Yachts having two boats in stock located in Denmark to sell. The worlds will count with 2 other new boats taking part, and two or three boats testing new masts designs made in Brazil.

Also in 2010 two main events at the end of the year will show the progress, one being held in southern Germany (starnbergsee) with the Masters in conjunction with the Hirt Preis at the end of September together with the Oktoberfest and the South American Championship again in Uruguayan waters.

The 2010 Racing Calendar is ready and available in the web, just click Regatta Schedule for 2010 in the section of calendar at the main page, and soon the printable 2010 Calendar will be ready and available online for download, some negotiation is being held in order to print the one through some sponsors, maybe it happens maybe not, hopefully the one is printed and you can receive your hard copy like it was in 2009. Soling Sailing is already under production and hopefully before the worlds it will be ready too.

The Soling Class wishes you a happy new year enjoying your Soling wherever you are, sailing and sailing as much as you can, the best therapy invented for sailors, especially when sailing a super and lovely sailing machine `The Soling`

Intense links:

www.solingworlds.com - Soling Worlds – Porto Alegre, Brazil Feb 5 to 12
www.solingeuropeans.com – Europeans – La Trinite – France, Aug 28 to Sept 4 (soon)