US SAILING’s Mr. Hank Stuart, the Principal Race Officer for the 2009 Grenada Sailing Festival, will be sharing his experience with yachtsmen from the Southern Caribbean by running an Advanced Race Management Seminar while in Grenada . The seminar will take place on Thursday, 28 January, at True Blue Bay Conference Centre, True Blue Bay Resort, St. George’s, Grenada, and is open to Race Officers & keen & competitive sailors from the region’s sailing associations. All attending the seminar will have the opportunity to stay on to enjoy or participate in the 2009 Grenada Sailing Festival (Friday 30 January – Tuesday 3 February), and selected participants may also have the opportunity to join the Festival Race Committee as observers. Mr. Stuart is from Rochester New York and has over twenty years of sailing experience, firstly as a very successful competitive racing yachtsman, and then in race management and instruction. He is on the US SAILING race management committee and is a Certified US SAILING Senior Judge, Instructor and National Race Officer. As well as this, he is an ISAF International Race Officer. During 2008 he was the Principal Race Officer for the Melges 24 World Championships, held in Costa Smeralda, Italy. Grenada Sailing Festival Chairman, Mr. Jimmy Bristol, commented: “ We are extremely pleased to welcome Hank to the Grenada Sailing Festival. This is a very important year for all involved in Regattas and Yacht Race Management in the Southern Caribbean: rules are changing; we have the new Southern Caribbean Regatta Circuit, and more world–renowned marina developments are choosing to base themselves in the area, such as the new Port Louis Marina by Camper & Nicholsons Marinas here in Grenada - thus bringing a much-deserved international focus to the South. So it is essential that our regional Race Officers are provided with the credentials to run International Events that plan to start or finish in the region.” He continued “ We have great local sailing talent here in Grenada and in other islands of the region. Initiating Seminars such as this, which use the tremendous knowledge and experience of a visiting Race Officer like Hank, will be a great boost to us and will help to channel that talent. We look forward to working with the Grenada Sailing Association, and other regional Associations in planning more events like this to tie in with the Festival in future years.” For Seminar Registration Forms, and for more information about the 2009 Grenada Sailing Festival, please contact Grenada Sailing Festival Office on 473 440 4809 or gsail@spiceisle.com, or log onto the official Festival web site www.grenadasailingfestival.com INSIDE GRENADA NEWS