Santander Emerging Nations Programme set for Cook Islands finale

by ISAF on 11 Apr 2013 Sailing Cook Islands (SCI) is set to host the final Santander 2014 Emerging Nations Programme in Aitutaki from 18-24 May 2013. The Olympic Solidarity funded Level 3 Regional Technical Course for Coaches and Sailors has been approved by the Oceanic National Olympic Committee and Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee (CISNOC) with full allocation of funding from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Following a number of high profile courses throughout 2012 in Algeria, Indonesia, Spain, South Africa, Peru, Dominican Republic and Qatar, the IOC has been able to see the global benefits of the Santander 2014 Sailing World Championships ENP and has contributed much needed Olympic Solidarity funding to the host National Olympic Committees as a result.

Each MNA that attends this regional course will be able to benefit from future subsidies for attendance to the High Performance training facilities at the Santander 2014 venue, ahead of the World Sailing Championship in 2014.

Secretary General of the Oceanic Sailing Federation John Tierney said of this successful application, 'With this positive response from our NOC and the IOC to our joint application as Oceanic Sailing Federation / SCI through CISNOC we have confidence in future support of the programmes in Oceania.

'This latest development is helping to to complete the circle of success we have already enjoyed through the ISAF Development initiatives. All of us here in Oceania will take up this challenge now with new enthusiasm.'

ISAF Training and Development Manager Dan Jaspers said, 'The team behind the S14 ENP, including Teresa Lara, Gerardo Seeliger, Alejandro Abascal and Carmen Vaz Pardal as well as all of the ISAF Nominated Experts and S14 support staff that have so far facilitated seven courses, delivering International Standard training for over 100 Sailors and Coaches representing 31 Countries. With the Oceanic Regional training attracting an additional group of MNAs we stand a good chance in retaining a large percentage of these members and support them in their attempts to send teams to Santander, Spain next year. Our target was 100 nations attending the S14 event and I believe that we can still achieve this.'

For more information on how your MNA could also host a technical course for coaches and Olympic Solidarity Funding go to the training pages of our website.