WASZP Racehub: 2021 rankings and events launch

WASZP Racehub - 2021 events © WASZP Class

The WASZP Class is ready to launch into the 2021 Season with great enthusiasm. 2020 without events has allowed us to take stock and get the class ready for when events return in 2021 and beyond.

What has happened in the last 12 months to benefit the sailors:

• Appointed a Global Class Manager and Head of Class Partnerships in Martin Evans
• Ticked over 1000 boats globally
• Given away a ride on an F50 thanks to SailGP and our GPS Challenge platform
• Strengthened our ties with SailGP through the Elite Women's programs and further developed the INSPIRE program to add WASZP qualifying events as well as written applications
• Developed other partnerships including a Virtual Reality and GPS platform
• Created a central platform (RACEHUB) for all WASZP Class needs including International WASZP Class Membership, Global Rankings, Sailor profiles, Virtual Reality eSports, GPS Challenges and much more to come.
• Added to our list of recognised class associations globally, we now have 20 extremely active class associations and growing.
• Added almost 50 global events to the RaceHub platform including a 5 leg EuroCup, all events with over 10 boats will be eligible for rankings points
• Locked in a European Championships for 2021 in Sandefjord Norway
• Begun the tendering process for the 2021-24 major event cycle.

With the continual growth of the WASZP class and new fleets building around the world, the WASZP event schedule is filling up quickly. Now with over 1000 boats and representation in 44 countries and counting, you can be sure that on any given day, somebody somewhere is having an awesome time WASZP sailing. By the time the sailing seasons come around, opportunities to train, race or simply go for a blast with other members of the swarm are everywhere. A busy event schedule is great for our sailors, so at WASZP, we're doing everything we can to support our members and national associations as things heat up. That's where RaceHub comes in.

RaceHub is the new WASZP class management platform. It features every WASZP event happening across the world, including Championship racing, GPS regattas and WASZP virtual reality eSailing. It takes the results from those events and, for International WASZP Class Members (IWCM), translates them into points for our global rankings system. Any WASZP regatta with more than 10 boats anywhere in the world qualifies for ranking points, so virtually every single sailor in our community can get on the start line, earn some points and claim their spot on the table. Even a sailor that is totally isolated can still get their name on the board by entering one of our GPS or eSailing regattas and earn points that way. The allows all WASZP sailors out there can get involved and can keep an eye on how their friends and rivals are getting on too.

As well as being the place for sailors to keep track of events, results and the progress of their overseas peers, RaceHub will become a priceless tool for national associations. The platform will have a phased roll-out with functionality in phase 2 for each national association to build its own events, take entry fees, manage its national class association membership fees and in phase 3 we hope to have the ability to publish class documents, organise training and communicate efficiently with its database of sailors. Tailored specifically for the WASZP class, RaceHub will be the only website that any national association will need to manage its entire program. By 2022, we aim to have all national associations using the platform to support WASZP sailors everywhere and feed more events back into the global rankings system.

With the sailor experience at the forefront of everything we do at WASZP, we will use the power of Racehub to develop more features that make WASZP sailing easier, cheaper and even more rewarding. Things like paperless event registration, discount vouchers from sponsors, preferential logistics solutions for events and an intra-class messaging system that will encourage sailors to connect and sail together will all become part of the package.

The WASZP class is getting pretty big and our community has a massive spread, but that's no excuse for losing touch with one another. Thanks to RaceHub, the community is now more connected than ever, and the future of the class is seriously exciting. Whoever you are, wherever you are; if you have access to a WASZP, you can be part of it.

Key Points/FAQ:

How do I gain rankings points?

You must be a member of the International WASZP Class Membership (IWCM) to be eligible for rankings points.

If I sign up after I compete in an event, will the results from that event count towards my rankings points?

Yes. If you sign up later in the year, your results will be backdated for that calendar year. So as an example, if you competed in an event in January and pay your membership in March, you will still receive rankings points from that event in January. Once you pay, your points will be updated within 48 hours by the WASZP Class Manager.

What are the Tiers?

Tier 1 - International WASZP Games
Tier 2 - Continental Championships - Euros/Pacific/Americas
Tier 3 - Nationals/EuroCups/Domestic events + every event registered with over 10 boats in attendance

How do the rankings work?

Tier 1 and 2 have set rankings points that don't change depending on fleet sizes.

Tier 3 events have a sliding scale based on how many boats attend. For example, if you win an event in a 50-boat fleet you receive more points than winning an event with a 10-boat fleet.

What is the GPS Platform and how do I gain points?

www.gps-waszp.com is set up so every sailor, no matter what device they are using, can log a session. There are instructions on the platform on how to create an account and how to log a session as well as on YouTube channel. There will be events hosted by WASZP with prizes associated with those events. You can gain rankings points under Tier 3 for each competition.

What about VR eSailing?

Every IWCM receives a six month subscription for the Virtual Reality WASZP Game brought to you by www.marineverse.com. When you buy a membership, you receive an access code and can use this to activate your subscription. This is a long-term game changer, and we will be running VR events alongside our major championships. This game will connect more sailors than ever from around the globe.

What other incentives are there for purchasing an IWCM?

As we move through the year you will receive discounts on EuroCup entry, select shop items (event based) and access to any benefits from our commercial partners. This membership will pay for itself very quickly and every WASZP sailor should jump on board. Your membership allows the class to continue to develop and long term we will be able to increase what the class itself can do to assist the sailors. This is all about the sailor and providing as much benefit as we can after your initial purchase of a boat. Thanks for your support.

racehub.waszp.com/events