2018 AGM Overview & Election Results

The 2018 IODA Annual General Meeting was held at the Atlantica Miramar Beach Hotel in Limassol Cyprus on Monday, September 3^rd.   Sixty-three Member Country Representatives were in attendance with a number of proxy votes being held by various members.

Two new Vice Presidents were elected at the 2018 AGM.   Sigrid Beckmann from Mexico was elected as the VP Americas and Ajay Narang from India, was elected as the VP Africa, Asia and Oceania.

Two new members were elected to the Technical Committee, S.V. Balachander, IM, and Jean Luc Gauthier, IM as well as two members to the Regatta Committee, incumbent Ilker Bayindir, IRO, and new member Elena Papazoglou, IRO.

The following IODA Championships were selected in 2020:

• World Championships, Riva del Garda, ITA, July 1-11th
• European Championship, Tallinn, EST – July 25th to August 1st
• European Team Racing Championship, Ledro, ITA, last week of August.
• South American Championship, Mar del Plata, ARG – March 21 to 29^th
• African Championship, Hammamet, TUN – September 6 to 13^th
• Asian & Oceanian Championship, Trincomalee, SRI – First two weeks of August.

There were no bids to host the 2020 North American Championship.

Other AGM items included annual reports by the President and each Vice President as well as the Chairs of the Technical Committee and Regatta Committee on the activities of the past year.

The 2017 Audited Statements were approved as well as the confirmation that the Subscription Dues, Plaque Fees, and Sail Labels fees would remain the same for 2019.

Twenty Executive Committee Proposals were voted on, most of which were housekeeping items in terms of the Championship Conditions.  There were an additional five proposals from the Members that were voted on involving changing the Articles of the Association and there was one Class Rule Change that was approved.

Antigua was confirmed as the host of the 2019 Optimist World Championships, taking place July 6^th to the 16^th as well as the following 2019 IODA Continental Championships:

• South American Championship, Algarrobo, Chile – April 6-13th
• European Championship – Crozon-Morgat, FRA  - June 22 - 29th
• European Team Racing Championship, Lago di Ledro, ITA, August 20-25th
• African Championship, Victoria, Mahe, SEY – August 25th to September 1st
• North American Championship, Montagu Bay, BAH  - September 27 - Oct 7th
• Asian & Oceanian Championship, Mussanah Sport City, Oman, September 30 – October 7th

The Annual General Meeting is the highest authority in IODA. We wish to thank the many Members who attended the AGM this year as well as those who could not and who gave their proxy to another Member to vote on your behalf.