Funding available for Australian competitors of International Classes

by Glen Stanaway on 14 Mar 2009
Limited funding is available from the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) to be used in support of Australian athletes competing in ISAF International and Recognised Classes World Championships.

The grants are paid retrospectively based on the class World Championship held between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2009. The purpose is to assist athletes with the cost of their World Championship campaign. The funding support is calculated using a formula that considers the athlete’s performance and where the World Championship was conducted.

The funding is limited and applicants do need to meet certain criteria. The criterion includes the applicant being a member of a Club affiliated to a MYA, a current financial member of Yachting Australia, and a member of their class.

The eligible classes are any ISAF International or Recognised Class, and that class must be affiliated with Yachting Australia at the time of the event. The event itself is any ISAF recognised World Championship.

Yachting Australia has already received applications from the athletes in the International Flying Fifteen, OK and Contender classes.

Other classes that Yachting Australia expects to receive further applications from include the International B14, Farr 30, International 14 and 505 classes. Depending on the outcome of the World Championship currently underway, perhaps even athletes from the International Etchells class will be eligible.

Past recipients of this funding include well known champion athletes such as Rohan Veal in the International Moth class, Stephen McConaghy and his crew of Michael Spies and Doug McGain in the International 11 Meter class and Scott Anderson Jr. in the International A class catamaran.

This policy does not apply to Olympic, Paralympic, ISAF Youth World’s participation or for World Championships where the Australian representatives are contracted members of the Australian Sailing Team, or if they have already received funding, either through direct funding or class based coaching support, from Yachting Australia.
Athletes intending to apply should check their and the class’ eligibility against the policy documents on the Yachting Australia website.

Applications for funding must be submitted to the Yachting Australia office by 4 May 2009.

For more information contact Monique Schaefer at monique.schaefer@yachting.org.au