Världens segaste sport?

Jag har lite perifert följt World Sailings General Assembly på temat “Our Sustainable Future”, och man kan ju konstatera att det är ett konservativt gäng som samlats.

Speciellt när man slår sig för bröstet över att OS-klasserna skall vara könsneutrala 2024. Wow.

Det är helt klart att seglingen inte alls hänget med i det tempo som IOK har satt, utan precis som tidigare hamnar man i ett reaktivt läge.

Om man nu har som målsättning “to make sailing more exciting and accessible for everyone to participate or watch”, så kanske man måste se bortom Finnjollen? Har man visionen “a world in which millions more people fall in love with sailing” så kanske inte 470 är lösningen på det?

Det har ju funnits förslag på en offshoreklass (seglingens “maraton” med 5-6 dygn offshore under OS) och foilande klasser. Men när det väl skall tas beslut så händer ingenting.

Potentialen i vår sport är oändligt stor – men det känns inte som att vi kan förlita oss på World Sailing att ta täten (eller peka ut riktningen) i detta arbete.

Skall vi hoppas på att Kim Andersen kan förändra detta?

Läs hans manifest här.

It is an honor and privilege to be elected President of @worldsailing. I look forward to working with all MNAs to #makesailingstronger! pic.twitter.com/cjmkeDyQ1v

— Kim Andersen (@KimAndersen_) November 13, 2016

Name: Kim Andersen
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: 10 August 1957
Nationality: Danish
Residence: Denmark
First Language: Danish
Other Languages: English – Fluent, German – Fluent

GOALS

1. KEEPING SAILING IN THE OLYMPICS BY INCREASING PARTICIPATION AND GROWING THE GLOBAL AUDIENCE.

2. GROWING THE SPORT GEOGRAPHICALLY BY CREATING A COMPETITIVE OFFERING FOR YOUTH GLOBALLY.

3. INCREASING THE LEVELS OF TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN OUR GOVERNANCE.

Dear fellow sailors and friends, Sailing is once again at a crossroads. The key issues continue to centre on what is needed to preserve sailing as an Olympic sport. While we focus on the choice of Olympic equipment, we must also devote adequate attention to propagate sailing to the diverse sailing communities around the world.

Our sport relies on people with the passion and commitment to be hands-on and responsive in working with national organisations. This enables us to extract the best possible solutions and outcomes through powerful collaboration, collective wisdom and a diversity of ideas. To achieve this goal, World Sailing needs an executive team with deep roots in each of its regions as only such a management structure will understand the needs of each of our MNAs.

We will align sailing as a sport for life in tune with the spirit of the Olympic & Paralympic Movement. We will contribute to building a peaceful and a better world by educating our youngsters through sailing without discrimination of any kind. It will be practiced in a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play by capitalising on the huge diversity of our sport from windsurfing, kiteboarding, dinghy and skiff racing to offshore keelboat and foiling multi-hull racing, from recreational sailing and cruising to the most demanding professional racing.

We recognise that the Olympic status for sailing is a key driver for a high performance programme in many developed nations but it is also important in determining the support for development programmes in other less developed nations. The preservation of sailing in the Olympics and the support of the National Olympic Councils of member nations are critical in ensuring continued funding and technical assistance in both of these programmes.

These challenges are not new and they have remained as a recurring issue which will require a greater uniformed focus and pro-active approach with as many of our stakeholders as we can reach out to. The result of this collective approach and the quality of decisions taken, will have a better chance of preserving sailing in the Olympics. A top-down approach by elitist groups of decision-makers who dictate quick-fix and short-term solutions that seems to last within the tenure of the office-holders could see this vision left to flounder.

To face this challenge World Sailing need an executive team that can put in place a sustainable strategy and an open and transparent management structure. Members of my team have a specific skill-set and experience to lend diversity that is needed to form a strong team.

In recognition of the different needs from the various continents of Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania, we will work hard to ensure that each of these continents will be represented by a qualified representative from each of these continents.

We want to create a World Sailing where regions and MNAs, are key to our future development. Regions and MNAs should be top of the pyramid. As an executive team, we will activate the resources and competencies within each region and within each nation. We will tackle the common challenges, which lie ahead, taking into account the local perspectives and the needs of each region.

We will actively engage with classes, coaches, organisers, suppliers and sponsors – all major stakeholders – to reach our objectives.

SAILING CAREER

Since my 13th year been sailing and have represented Denmark at 14 World’s and European’s. Today I am primarily sailing the Dragon, European champion in 2011 and third 2013.

SAILING ADMINISTRATION

2012 – Chair, Equipment Committee
2004 – 2012 Member, Events & Equipment Committee
2000 – 2008 Member, ISAF Council
2007 – 2011 Commodore of the Royal Danish Yacht Club
1992 – 2002 Part of the management team Danish Olympic Team
2000 Team Manager, Sailing Team Denmark, Sydney Olympics

ROLES WITHIN WORLD SAILING

2012 – Chair, Equipment Committee
2004 – 2012 Member, Events & Equipment Committee
2000 – 2008 Member, ISAF Council

OTHER INFORMATION

I have been working in an international environment for more than 25 years obtaining management experience.
I have a proven track record, implementing and executing sustainable strategies within sales, marketing and operation.
I have management experience managing companies under different ownerships. (Listed companies, Private Equity and private owned companies). Doing so I have lived 2 years in Australia, 6 month in UK and 7 years in Germany.
Since the Olympic in Barcelona I have been managing the Danish Olympic Sailing Team until the Sydney Olympics.

Business Career:
2016 – Vice President (Customer & Markets), MT Hojgaard
2014 – 2016 Vice President (Offshore & Steelbridge), MT Hojgaard
2010 – 2014 Vice President (Offshore), MT Hojgaard
2007 – 2013 Chairman, Godhavn
2006 – 2008 Managing Director, Britannia Invest
2001 – 2006 Chief Executive Officer, Superfos A/S