SailJuice Blog

SailJuice recently interviewed Jerome Pels, who took over as ISAF Secretary General at the turn of the year. What a time to be taking over one of the key jobs, just a few weeks after the Estoril AGM! Talking to Jerome, you get the sense he is itching to make his mark on the sport, and his willingness to get stuck into the ‘keel yacht’ debate that embroiled the America’s Cup world for a few weeks suggests he is not scared of getting involved in some difficult issues.

But there must be moments when he wishes he could have taken on this new role a good 12 months later, after the 2008 AGM, when finally the dust will be beginning to settle on one of the most turbulent periods in ISAF’s history. But that isn’t the case, and like… Read the rest

ISAF Secretary General Jerome Pels sent me an email earlier this evening which casts a different and rather more encouraging light on the ‘closing’ clause, the one that has caused such controversy these past days. On further reading of the clause in question, I still can’t see how it could have been interpreted in the way that Jerome intended. The word ‘closing’ has a definite air of finality to it.

But no matter. As Jerome’s email points out, we can at least be reassured that ISAF’s stance on this matter is not as undemocratic as it had first appeared. What concerns me more is Jerome’s assertion that it is not ISAF Executive’s place to question the rights or wrongs of a decision made by ISAF Council. Vested interests clearly had a role to play in the way the Council… Read the rest