Author: Wayne Stobbs

The DF ICA Executive Committee recently sent notice to all members of the World Council inviting them to participate in the 2025 DF ICA AGM on Monday 21 July.

The AGM will cover the election/re-election of the ICA Executive Committee and a number of topics proposed by the Executive.

Member nations may submit agenda items for consideration via their National Representative. If there are topics that you feel should be raised at the AGM please discuss these with your National Representative. If you are unsure of who your National Rep is, please check out the list HERE

Now that the 2024 DragonForce 65 Globals are winding down the ICA find
themselves looking towards the next Globals, the 2026 DF95 Global Championships.

3 bids for the championships were received for the event from the USA and South Africa. All the bids were extremely credible, well put together and all of them would have no doubt been able to stage a great event.

The ICA worked with the various bidders to fully understand what was on offer,
culminating with the ICA committee evaluating the bids against a set of criteria which included topics like the probable sailing conditions, accessibility, event facilities, accommodation, safety and security and last but not least, rotation between countries and regions.

We are now pleased to announce that the 2026 DF95 Global Championships have
been awarded to the National Class Association of South Africa who will, in
partnership with The Cape Radio Yacht Club, host the event at the Theewaters
Sports Club on the Theewaterskloof Dam, approximately 100km east of Cape Town
in late October 2026. The facility has previously hosted a number of sailing World and Regional Championships and will later this year host their DF95 National Championships.

On the ICA executive making the decision Phil Burgess, the DF ICA Chairman, had
the following to say. “I am extremely happy that we have the opportunity to take the Global Championships to South Africa in 2026. The DF95 class is growing at pace around the world, and we are committed to ensuring that all countries that have adopted the DF classes could host a championship. I have no doubt that South Africa will put together a fantastic event and I look forward to taking part.”

The team in South Africa are already working hard on the planning for the event and will enjoy the full support from the ICA to ensure that the event can live up to the high standards of all the previous Global Championships.

Des Fairbank, Roy Gardener and Andrew Bosworth who are part of the Class
Association Executive in South Africa said, “We are extremely honoured to have
been selected as the host nation for the next DF95 Global Championship. The DF95 class is already the most active Radio Sailing class in South Africa. We thank you for having the confidence in us and eagerly anticipate welcoming participants from across the globe, be they competitors or spectators, to the shores of our diverse and vibrant nation.”

Further information will be released by the ICA and the hosts in due course.
In the meantime the ICA thanks the unsuccessful bidders for the work they put in to prepare their bids and their understanding with the decision on this occasion and encourages them to resubmit bids for future championships.