Dear Sailors, other sailing enthusiasts, The sea outside Helsinki is now free from ice, the sailing season has started. In this newsletter, I will again try to answer such questions that I have received repeatedly.

1. Address of the Venue
The base for the event has been marketed as Hernesaari. If you have not found that name on your navigators, then use the street name Hernesaarenranta (”Hernesaari beach”)

2. Accomodation
There are still some rooms available in the hotel Scandic Grand Marina. So click on the Scandic logo on the Open Europeans home page! These rooms are available only until 15th May. I have found rooms at the Scandic Continental being offered at very reasonable prices even without the Open Europeans reservation code but those prices change from one day to another.

As stated earlier, it will be possible to park caravans or mobile homes in the venue itself. Tents are not allowed there.

We have not been able to find many private apartments. More of them may be offered later on so let me know if you are interested in that type of accomodation.

3. Weather information
Weather forecast providers in Finlands are mainly the Meteorological Institute ( www.en.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi ) and Foreca (www.foreca.com). We are discussing the possibilities to have a special service for Open Europeans, no decisions have been made yet.

4. Team members
We ask all team members to register as coaches. They will then receive the same rights to visit the reserved areas at the venue, they will receive the same daily pasta as competitors and organisers and they can participate in the sailors’ parties. The cost for a coach entry is 50€.

5. Have you submitted your entry – it will soon be too late!
We, the organisers, are happy to see a high number of entries in e.g. the Laser and Finn classes. The Ladies match event obviously is fully booked and we expect Star sailors to wake up well before their final entry date of 15th June.

However, we are worried to see very low numbers of entries particularly in the 470 and 49er classes. If entries stop coming in, we have to reconsider the framework for the races of those classes and even if more entries come in very late it will then be too late to go back to the original plans.

Please submit your entry ASAP and also remember to book travel and accomodation, otherwise it may be too late – or it will cost more.

6. Tracking and onboard cameras
As indicated in an earlier nesletter, all boats will be equipped with tracking devices during all races. Also, we plan to use onboard cameras for at least the medal races.

7. An event for the public
In addition to the racing , a number of other activities will take place on or in the vicinity of the venue. The public will see sea rescue demonstrations, participate in contests and try sailing themselves outside Hernesaari. And of course, they will enjoy watching all those races that take place outside Hernesaari.

I look forward to meeting you in Helsinki and invite you to contact me for any issues you have in mind,

Yours,
Patrick Andersson
General Secretary
pata@njk.fi

29/4/2011 00:00