Carlo Croce in Tallinn Olympic Sailing Centre, wearing Sailing Team Estonia official storm jacket. Photographer: Mardo Männimägi
Tallinn, the capital of the small Northern European maritime nation Estonia, was proud to host ISAF president Carlo Croce last week. Croce was invited to speak at the Estonian Sailing Congress, which focused on sailing economics.
The congress was organized for the first time and received glowing feedback from the audience, which included over 200 people from the Estonian sailing and business communities, heads of local governments of Estonian coastal regions, various government and NGO representatives and presidents of Finnish, Danish, Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian yachting associations. While the congress featured presentations on the development plans for Estonian Olympic, youth and offshore sailing, including the idea of establishing a sailing and maritime education competence centre in Tallinn, the programme expanded even further, analysing the influence of sailing on economy, regional development, employment, education and culture.
“Sailing has so far mainly been discussed only as a sport in Estonia. True, we all agree it is a fantastic sport, but we wanted to show that it is also so much more. Sailing directly and indirectly impacts the economy in many ways. A good example is sailing tourism – the better the network of small ports, the more people the region attracts. Statistics show correlation that for every one job at the port, there will be nine jobs inland, and for every 1 euro spent at the port, each person will spend 5 euros inland. We have a very good example in Kärdla – the capital of our second biggest island Hiiumaa. After major investments into their port, the entire town has spinned itself around. New homes, offices, a culture centre, a hotel and spa are being built around the port, creating a whole new district, which is remarkable for a small town of 3600 people. And this is just one example of the economic impacts of sailing – let’s add the impacts of organizing international events, for which Kieler Woche is an outstanding lesson for all, and the fact that many small Optimist kids will grow up to work in maritime or sailing positions, gaining a whole vocation,” said Egon Elstein, President of Estonian Yachting Union.
The long list of speakers included ISAF president Carlo Croce, Global Sponsorship Director of Volvo Trucks Corporation Christina Magnusson, Kieler Woche project manager Michael Walther, Estonian Ministry of Culture’s Secretary General of Sports Tõnu Seil, CEO of Ministry of Economic Affairs’ foundation Enterprise Estonia Hanno Tomberg, CEO of Vopak E.O.S. Arnout Lugtmeijer, heads of three large coastal municipalities and many more. The congress was broadcasted to the general public via live-stream on one of the largest news portals Postimees.ee. The success and positive feedback to the congress has encouraged Estonian Yachting Union to announce plans to start organizing the congress twice in an Olympic cycle.
During his two-day visit, the ISAF president also met with Estonian Minister of Culture Indrek Saar, Undersecretary of Sports Tõnu Seil, Acting Mayor of Tallinn Taavi Aas and Estonian Olympic Committee sports director Martti Raju.
While it was Croce’s first time to visit the country, he nevertheless already had some roots in Estonia – his father Beppe Croce visited Tallinn several times prior and during the 1980 Tallinn Olympic Regatta and even put the corner stone to Tallinn Olympic Sailing Centre in 1976. Croce had the chance to visit the site himself in his father’s footsteps. Tallinn Olympic Sailing Centre, built specifically for the 1980 Olympic Regatta, is now home to three yacht clubs: Kalev Yacht Club, Tallinn Yacht Club and Rein Ottoson’s Sailing School. At the end of his visit, Croce planted a young oak tree in front of Kalev Yacht Club, leaving his own mark.
The broadcast from Estonian Sailing Congress is fully available in postimees.ee website.
Photo albums:
ISAF President Carlo Croce in Tallinn on 18 April 2015, photos by Mardo Männimägi
Estonian Sailing Congress on 17 April 2015 in Tallinn, Kumu Art Museum, photos by Oleg Harchenko
Estonian Sailing Congress on 17 April 2015 in Tallinn, Kumu Art Museum (full gallery), photos by Oleg Harchenko
Estonian Sailing Congress reception on 16 April 2015, photos by Mardo Männimägi
ISAF International Measurers Seminar on June 10-12, 2011 in Tallinn
NB! When using the photos in the galleries, please add a reference to the photographer.
