IFR 2008

VEGA International Friendship Regatta

AGENDA

1. Opening by the VODA President, Walther Nerving
   
2. Amount of VEGA yachts per VEGA-organization

   Each representing VEGA-organization is invited to inform the General Meeting on the total number of their members and co-members all paying for their membership. Such number determines the number of votes during the meeting (* see below) and also the annual fee due to VODA by multiplying it by € 0,25.

   
3. Approval of the minutes of the General Meeting of the previous VODA meeting

   (held on 14 July 2006, Eckernförde, Germany).

   
4. Election of the VODA Board for the period until the next VODA-meeting

   The President, Walter Nerving, is not eligible for re-election. He served us during 12 years. The Secretary/Treasurer, Joop Wagenmakers, is eligible for re-election. Candidates are invited to apply till one hour before the start of the meeting.

   
5. VODA Achievement Awards 2008

   Announcement of the names of persons receiving a VODA Achievement Award 2008 by the President. The presentation will be at the Regatta Dinner.

   
6. Place, time and host of the next VEGA International Friendship Regatta
   
7. VODA Economy

   Financial statement of VODA. Survey to be handed over at the meeting by the Secretary.

8. Future of Vega's

   Possible CE certification may be useful to improve the 2-nd hand price level of our Vega's. For the same purpose one could try to incorporate Vega's in an existing general group of Classic Yachts, which enables Vega's to participate to famous Classic Events. See Appendix for further information, drawn up by the secretary of the Kring van VEGA-Zeilers.

   
9. National reports on activities

   It has been suggested at the IFR2002 meeting to ask each National Vega-organization to publish an English summary of the year's most important news on their own websites (max 1 page, refreshed 1 time a year). What is the state of the art. Moreover, a short spoken or written survey by participants during this and following meetings will be deeply appreciated.

   
10. Further questions, items and suggestions from delegates

    Including final remarks on Vega Class Rules 2006 and related Measurement Sheet co-ordinated by Lüder Heidemann and Joop Wagenmakers, see also Minutes Meeting 2006 items 8 and 9.

    
11. Closure of the meeting

Appendix to Agenda IFR2008 General VODA Meeting item 8.

Albin Vega's future

the fate of older sailing yachts

(Rob Kloosterman, secretary Ver. Kring van VEGA-Zeilers, february 2008)

Owners of aged sailing yachts like the Albin Vega often wonder what their yacht's future will look like. How long will the Vega last and what about return on investment? Cost for maintenance and berth is considerable. This article about technical lifetime, safety and financial appreciation raises quite some questions.

Some owners will leave their ship to their descendants, others will sell it and sometimes it will just waste away or go down otherwise. It is clear however that many owners will keep their Vega in excellent condition against the highest possible selling price. Taking a mental leap we imagine the year 2023, just 15 years from now. The oldest Vega has been cruising around some 58 years; the youngest is 45 years of age. Technically everything fine, well maintained and modernized. The structure, the hull, lasts “for ages”. However, its selling price is going down tremendously, our money has submerged. If we don't take action now, at least!

To turn the tide, two possible inter-strengthening measures are in sight.

In our fictive year 2023, second hand yachts built after 1998 are being sold with a CE certificate. Obligatory European quality ruling, developed because of security aspects. This certification however also determines financial appreciation. Well maintained yachts built before 1998, thus without CE certificate, are at risk to become un-saleable or to be sold at unrealistic low prices. Today already, some in the trade advise their clients not to buy a second hand ship without CE certificate. Consequently it could be possible a certified ship sells at a higher price than a non-certified one of higher quality. It could well be though that for example Vega's design and material quality are well above certification criteria. An interesting idea would be to develop today initiatives which make (voluntary) CE certification (or alike) possible for ships built before 1998.

This measure would repair this shortcoming of present European ruling and stimulate private security and quality enhancing investment. Certification cost could well be at an acceptable level in view of the European market of thousands of older ships with a high grade of design uniformity, serial construction and owner associations.

The second possibility is the one of increased status of the yacht. In our case old is not ugly. A well maintained older yacht we name “classic”, a charisma which increases status and value of our yachts. However, what exactly makes a yacht a “classic”? According to the Dutch Association of Classic Yachts this is a yacht built out of wood or steel, irrespective of age. The Dutch Classic Yacht Regatta accepts also fibreglass hulls, provided the mould is constructed before 1970. Whatever it will be, for thousands of old and good looking sailing cruisers nothing has been arranged in this respect.

In view of the above considerations for older yachts, stable in value, maintenance and safety, it is clear we have to close ranks to make possible a system of CE (like) certification, related to the predicate “classic”. A European task for owner-, water sport- and consumer associations, trade, governments and European Union.