Re: Ocean racing and ICF regulations

Well Ritchie, you bring up a few points that I's like to try answer, bearing in mind that I'm no ICF expert.

First, nobody at ICF wants to "take control" of the sport. The ICF is made up of sports enthusiasts from different disciplines that have come together to establish international norms for the different disciplines. By establishing an Ocean Racing discipline, they have acknowledged the desire from some for international standardisation.

Secondly, as I have previously said, the only design parameter at the moment is that the ski is over 4m - hardly stifling design. Fact is that not all boats are safe or seaworthy in all conditions. There have been several instances in the past 2 years where boats have split and sunk without having hit anything harder than the bottom of a wave.

Greg Barton is very well acquainted with the ICF from his flatwater racing days. He knows how the structure works and what advantages an international organisation offers to the growth of a sport. He mentioned that he is worried about oppressive regulations as we all should be - but the easiest way to avoid that is to contribute.

As far as membership of the ICF is concerned, nobody is forcing anyone to join. If your club or group of paddlers wants to do their thing without becoming members of your national federation, then carry on. I just know that way easier to get funding for development, national championships, international travel for teams etc once you are affiliated to the national body who recognises the sport.

For example, South African paddlers who want to race must be registered with a club and have a national number. The national federation is a member of the ICF and therefore any ski paddler who races is automatically also affiliated to the ICF. This may be the case in more countries and in fact there may be a lot of ski paddlers who are affiliated to the ICF without even knowing it. It is up to the race organisers to decide whether they will implement the ICF rules in their events. I think Billy Harker may have something to say in this regard, having probably organised more ski races than anyone else on planet earth.

Even if you are members of the National Federation and therefore the ICF, there is nothing compelling you to use their rule. For example, you could hold a flatwater sprint competition using surfskis over a 666m course, but it wouldn't make much sense.

Lastly I think that if the lifesavers have managed to get together and agree a set of rules for their competitions, anyone should be able to do it. ;D

Thanks for the info. Much of what you provided in not in contradiction with my earlier post. Perhaps this might not be the best comparison but if you look at the Olympic sailing classes, each class or boat design is governed by their own international organization, which in turn is affiliated on the one hand, with national class associations, and on the other, the ISAF.

Also, having paddlers participating in events under a broad organizational affiliation with the ICF, is not in the same category as having the particular class (surf-ski) taken under the aegis of said federation without already having its own integrated organizational structure (local/national/international) already in place.

Being a backyard paddler, much of this discussion is academic, although in the long run the trickle down effect could affect the boats we paddle. International surf-ski competition is still quite new, and is still in the process of finding its feet so to speak. I guess my main point is why have the ICF adopt event the most broadest and or minimal of rules, when the sport has not organized itself to the point where it has already done so?

Greg Barton is very well acquainted with the ICF from his flatwater racing days. He knows how the structure works and what advantages an international organisation offers to the growth of a sport. He mentioned that he is worried about oppressive regulations as we all should be - but the easiest way to avoid that is to contribute.

When all is said and done I defer to the experience of Greg, Oscar, and Dean etc., etc.