Vineyard Haven USA - IKA / WSSRC weets with ISAF - outcome is guarded
Monday, December 1st, 2008The world of PKRA Speed awaits the outcome of a meeting that occured on Thursday between the International Kiteboarding Association, the WSSRC and ISAF. Are the resent world records from Namibia going to stand? Is kite sailing going to be allowed to hold the overall speed world title?
Pete Davis’s email who attended the Thursday meeting with ISAF on behalf of the WSSRC is as follows:
“A short note to keep you all up to date.
As you all know I was asked by John Reed of the WSSRC to attend a meeting on behalf of the ISWC and IKA. Which he asked for with ISAF to discuss the matter of Kite Sailors being able to hold the outright speed sailing record.
This meeting was requested by John, following a meeting of the ISAF equipment committee (part of the ISAF conference) in November this year where ISAF were asked by the WSSRC if they had any objection to a Kite powered craft holding the outright speed record and after a very short debate concluded that the ISAF stance (since 2004) that Kite boarding was not eligible to hold the outright record would not change due to concerns over stored energy and the slingshot effect.
John Reed and myself put the case to ISAF that the WSSRC, ISWC and IKA would like ISAF to reconsider this directive and made it clear that the WSSRC do not have any objection to a kite powered craft holding the outright world speed sailing record. Furthermore the WSSRC has a clear set of guidelines in its rulebook that kite boards comply with and are confident that they do not have any unfair advantage over other types of sail craft.
ISAF acknowledge that kite boarding is now a ISAF recognised class and are keen to embrace this new sport in all its disciplines and are referring the issue to the executive committee for consideration.
In conclusion the meeting went very well and we hope to have a decision within a few weeks.
This is not a press release it is simply to keep all effected parties with a vested interest up to date with the work we are doing to resolve this issue. So please for the moment do not circulate this information as it may detrimentaly effect the outcome. If anyone wishes to discuss the meeting with me personally I am happy to do so”
Regards
Pete Davis