Please select your home edition
Edition
Pantaenius Sail 2025 AUS Leaderboard

International Council of Yacht Clubs (ICOYC) Forum a success

by Peta Stuart-Hunt on 2 Oct 2012
The Royal Southern Yacht Club, dressed overall Peta Stuart-Hunt / PRWorks UK
The Royal Southern Yacht Club recently hosted senior representatives from twenty international yacht clubs together with a number of UK 'guest' clubs for the seventh International Council of Yacht Clubs (ICOYC) Forum, lending a fitting international dimension to the Royal Southern's 175th anniversary year.

The ICOYC itinerary commenced with a two-week cruise in company along the South Coast, followed by a dinner at the House of Lords for delegates and their partners, hosted by Royal Southern member the Rt. Hon. Lord Wakeham. All the delegates then gathered at the Royal Southern's riverside Clubhouse in Hamble to attend the three-day Forum while a full partners programme got under way.

After a warm welcome from the Royal Southern's Commodore Mark Inkster, the participants enjoyed an opening address from Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, during which he bemoaned the general lack of mainstream media coverage of sailing and spoke of the need to promote 'boating' to a wider and less demographically biased audience.

A tightly run schedule of moderated sessions covered wide-ranging and challenging topics interspersed with presentations from guest speakers Jack Edwards, Chairman of Trustees for the Mansura Trophy competition for development of hybrid powered vessels Mike Pope, CEO of Forum sponsors GJW Direct, David Fuller, CEO of Pilote Media, David Tydeman, CEO of Oyster Yachts and Jerome Pels, Secretary General of ISAF. Session-related case studies were also presented by individual yacht club representatives after which, delegates were invited to put their questions to the panel of speakers.


This successful format leads to full and frank discussions and shared debate on the various issues faced by yacht clubs around the world, discussions that are encouraged between the members of the ICOYC at these Forums, hence the attendance is restricted to senior yacht club representatives e.g. Commodores, Past Commodores, senior Flag Officers, Communications managers and Club Secretaries.

The Forum's 2012 agenda included presentations focusing on membership development and using club assets and activities to bring new participants into the sport, the inexorable rise of hybrid technology in the marine world and the ways to run accountable 'green' regattas and events.

It was agreed during a session on effective communications that new platforms such as social media were not replacing existing mediums, but rather supplementing them. An interesting and revealing presentation and discussion took place on the importance of strategic planning, the vision and the mission.

The ICOYC Club survey on regattas and their management revealed that most clubs ran multi-class regattas but it was also evident how important evening racing is to some clubs. It seems that while Team and Match racing were run by relatively few clubs, it was very important to those that did.

Three clubs who presented reported experiencing continuous demand to increase fleet numbers and noted the benefits of standardising fleets in neighbouring geographical areas. All agreed that controlled maintenance was a key factor.

The closing session focused on the role of operating management and how clubs manage member expectations, promote usage of facilities, gain cost efficiencies and examining the practicalities, differences and financial implications of in-house versus bought-in catering.

On the final evening, delegates were joined by Royal Southern members and friends for dinner aboard HMS Warrior in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. The assembled gathering was beaten to dinner by the Corps of Drums of the Royal Marines. The after dinner speaker was Bob Fisher, yachtsman, raconteur and yachting journalist who unbundled the history, politics, peccadilloes and disasters surrounding the America's Cup.


John McNeill, past Commodore of the St. Francis Yacht Club, was announced as the new President of the ICOYC, taking over from John Stork of the Royal Thames. Summing up at the Forum close, the outgoing ICOYC President, John Stork, thanked all the moderators, panelists and guest speakers for their input and the Forum was declared the most valuable, biggest and best in the history of the organisation, due in large part to the organisation and delivery by the Royal Southern as host club.

The next Forum host club is the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club.

Sea Sure 2025Selden 2020 - FOOTERZhik 2024 December

Related Articles

Middle Sea Race fleet continues to build
Global fleet is equally diverse in terms of experience, with debutants and serial attendees The 2025 Rolex Middle Sea Race is scheduled to start on Saturday, 18 October. Yachts ranging in size from 9.75 to 22 metres (32 to 72 feet) have entered so far representing 14 nations, including Australia, Argentina, China and the United States.
Posted on 17 Jul
Admirals' Cup: Predictwind weather supplier
Predictwind champions diversity and empowers Women in Offshore Racing PredictWind, a global leader in marine weather forecasting, is proud to announce its significant involvement in the upcoming Admiral's Cup 2025.
Posted on 17 Jul
Ian Williams - Eight times WMRT champion
Shirley Robertson is joined by eight-time World Match Racing Champion Ian Williams Shirley Robertson is joined by eight-time World Match Racing Champion Ian Williams, as the duo get together to discuss Williams' career at the sharp end of the most combative discipline in the sport of competitive sailing.
Posted on 17 Jul
Performance Starts with the Right Cloth
North Panel Laminate (NPL) sails combine advanced materials with precision engineering Not all laminate sailcloth is created equal. North Panel Laminate (NPL) sails combine advanced materials with precision engineering to deliver lighter weight, better shape retention, and serious durability.
Posted on 17 Jul
SailGP Technologies officially launches
new center of excellence in technology & innovation in Southampton, UK SailGP today marks the official opening of SailGP Technologies – the global racing championship's center of innovation, design, and engineering, based out of Southampton, UK.
Posted on 17 Jul
The WASZP Games: A decade in the making
What was once a dream for the SailingFast team is now a reality! The WASZP Games at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) has been a decade in the making for Duncan & Emma Hepplewhite at SailingFast, so seeing it come to fruition is a proud moment for them and the team.
Posted on 17 Jul
Hong Kong to host 2027 Dragon World Championship
Taking place from 21 to 29 November 2026 The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and the Sailing Federation of Hong Kong, China in partnership with the Hong Kong Dragon Association, is proud to announce that Hong Kong will host the 2027 Hong Kong Dragon World Championship from 21 to 29 November 2026.
Posted on 17 Jul
2025 WASZP Pre-Games in Weymouth Day 1
Four races held for all flights in the sunshine The WASZP Pre-Games got under way in Weymouth on Thursday with all the ingredients for a great day on the water: a steady WSW breeze, sunshine, and plenty of smiles heading out onto the racecourse in Portland Harbour.
Posted on 17 Jul
Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta day 4
ILCA 6 & 7, Men's & Women's Formula Kite and 470 Mixed Teams Wrap Up The racing for the first 5 classes of the Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta wrapped up with a twist in conditions and breeze just to mix it up for the competitors.
Posted on 17 Jul
Strong start on LA waters for Australian Sailors
A valuable week of racing at the Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta Australia's top Olympic class sailors have wrapped up a valuable week of racing at the Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta in California, gaining firsthand experience at the future venue of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Posted on 17 Jul