Some late cancellations from potential seminar participants for the International Judge Seminar at Cape Town brought the number down to 13, but seminar instructors Nelson Ilha and Graeme Owens found they had a group small but well experienced and knowledgeable, so discussions and interaction was most positive.
The facilities made available the Royal Cape Yacht Club were excellent and the preparations by South Africa Sailing, by the host club and by co-ordinator Alan Keen were first class.
Participant feed-back was complimentary and no doubt a number of officials are now headed for a step-up in status.

IJ Seminar “Extension” in Cape Town

The International Judge Seminar at Cape Town during August 2009 was scheduled immediately prior to the high profile sailing event “Eden Island Lipton Cup”.  This is a major annual event over five days sailed in one-class keelboats each representing a different South African yacht club.  There were 29 boats and a number of hearings were expected (and were held).
Seminar instructors Nelson Ilha and Graeme Owens were requested by ISAF, and they agreed, to join the International Jury with the added aim of providing ‘further education’ for seminar participants.  This opportunity was explained to the seminar participants at the beginning of the seminar.
It was managed that three of the seminar participants (not yet IJs) were able to be part of the International Jury.  Others were invited to sit in as observers at jury meetings and at the hearings.  The seminar instructors took the additional steps of giving explanations of the procedures, rules and reasons throughout the event, thus making it an extension of the seminar.  As expected, there were some seminar participants who were unable to remain for the additional full five days of the event.
In addition, the event sailors were introduced to the two instructors and advised that both would be available ashore for questions and discussions and it was not unusual for an instructor to be seen sitting at an outdoor table with their boat models and surrounded by crew from a racing boat.  An official evening was included on the programme at which the two seminar instructors would conduct a question/answer/discussion session.  This was attended by a good number of sailors, race committee, club persons, judges and seminar participants, and it was appreciated by all.  So the ‘stay-on’ arrangement of the instructors was not only of value to seminar participants, but was of value for sailors and officials.
Should such a ‘stay-on’ arrangement be set up in the future, the experience suggests that, if possible, seminar participants should be part of the event jury or protest committee, for participants to remain at an event with no particular official role could be inconvenient for them and perhaps also costly. Seminar participants would also need to be advised well in advance that the instructors will be continuing on at the venue.
 

Nelson Ilha and Graeme Owens
29 August 2009
Cape Town