27-11-06

Latest News..

Windsurfing Queensland Affiliation.

The big announcement this month for the members of the WindWanderers is the Club's affiliation with Windsurfing Queensland. This is something that has been going on in the background for some time now and is aimed at giving everyone in QLD a united voice and help protect the future of the club, it's members, organisers and sponsors by providing access to insurance. So to help prevent myself or anyone else who is involved from losing there family home The WindWanderers club and members now have a valid avenue to gain insurance.

What does this mean :-

The only real change will be the introduction of an annual membership fee of $35. As the WindWanderers will become an affiliated club of Windsurfing Queensland, WQ have introduced a new fee structure to help facilitate an inexpensive entry point for anyone looking for social sailing. Effectively by becoming a paying member of the WindWanderers the member becomes a registered social member of Windsurfing Queensland and gets 12 month insurance cover through the same AWA policy that all windsurfers in Australia use. To avoid conflict with current full fee paying Windsurfing Queensland members a social membership will not allow members to enter official Windsurfing Queensland races. So if any members are looking to race with Windsurfing Queensland they would be better to join Windsurfing Queensland directly. This will then entitle them to be part of the WindWanderers in any case.

Additionally, any members of Windsurfing Queensland are automatically entitled to full membership with the windwanderers club based on their WQ membership. It is hoped that the affiliation and cross membership will help to further strengthen windsurfing in Queensland and provide protection and support for all involved.

Of course the membership fee only applies to members choosing to windsurf. All family and friends that want to join the club will see no fees put in place and will be welcomed. Further to this the member packs are also only given to those paying the new $35 joining fee.

Included within the membership I am organising the much talked about WindWanderers member's packs.

The members packs are intended to help give the members something additional as part of the new fee structure.

In the pack each member will receive.

A card with their insurance details.

A WindWanderers/WindWarrior logo Hat or t-shirt.

50% beginners tuition discount through Caloundra Wind & Surf.

30% discount on WindWarrior Blastshields

stickers and brochures form all sponsors.

Windsurfing Queensland info pack.

(more to be announced)

Of note:- The insurance policy provided through the Australian Windsurfing Association is valid from June through to june. What this means is that because we are currently in November the policy will need to be re-newed in June next year (7 months) and from there will last another 12 months. We are also waiting on the hats. Due to the manufacturer heading off on a windsurfing safari. (lucky him). However the packs will be guaranteed to be provided ASAP plus I am also putting more deals in place to be included..

What this doesn't mean :-

The new outcomes don't mean changes to how the club is run or it's intended outcomes. The WindWanderers will remain non-profit, non competitive social sailing. The clubs mission statement will remain exactly as it has been to date.


Xmas Party (next meet).

To celebrate the affiliation with Windsurfing Queensland a joint Xmas party is being organised by yours truly (the new WQ social Co-Ordinator). So for both WindWanderers and Windsurfing Queensland Racers alike a huge event has been planned up at Lake Cootharaba for the 16-17 of December. It will be a 2 day mix of BBQ, beer, camping, social sailing and partying. For those that are keen, on the Sunday the LCSC will be holding racing, check out the WQ Calender. www.windsurfingqld.com/ For the rest of the crew that aren't racing we'll be out on the lake again making the most of it. Check out www.windwanderers.com locations guide for the guff about the lake. The Sponsor for the event is OzWindsurf. I also currently have giveaways from sponsors supporting the club at previous meets. They include WindsurfingSales, Severne Sails, Caloundra Wind & Surf with more to be finalised. There will also be lollies and presents at the Xmas meet for the kids. Lets all have a blast, fill the lake with sails and see how much fun can possibly be had!

hi Lookkc,

here is the information from the AWA website regards insurance. please note that this type of cover will cover the person 24 hours a day 7 days a week. it is not just for the organised events or meets. the column to the right of the page has some quick info in it.

www.windsurfing.org/insurance.htm

here is the policy info.

http://www.qbe.com/australia/commercial/policy/brdform_liab/qm192.pdf

this policy is the same policy that all windsurfers of state bodies etc are covered under.

I really would have preferred to keep the club free to all. Unfortunately with the world we live in there was not really much option. to nut out the particulars i have spoken with Windsurfing Queensland and the Australian Windsurfing Association, plus Marine Safety Queensland, Yatching Australia and some of the other State Windsurfing and Wavesailing associations. Every possible avenue was exhausted to enable the club to be free for all. in the end there was no way around insurance. this is something that all of the associations above and myself have been trying to resolve for the last 6 months. there are not really any clubs like the WindWanderers functioning in Australia at the moment so we had to tread on new ground.

basically if everyone in the club is insured, (including myself) and i am a representative of Windsurfing Queensland. if anything unfortunate were to happen then an insurance policy will be there to help protect everyone involved. this should ensure the longevity of the WindWanderers, it's members, officials and sponsors to enable the fun to continue.

Of course, all of this only applies to those that intend to windsurf. so familly, friends etc need pay no fees.

i have also attached a faq with answers to some other questions.

Q. has WindWanderers become Windsurfing Queensland.
A. No. The WindWanderers is not Windsurfing Queensland. It is a social endeavour organised by myself as a representative of Windsurfing Queensland. I am now the Windsurfing Queensland Social Co-Ordinator.

Q. Does this mean The WindWanderers is still non-profit.
A. Yes. The Windwanderers are still and will always be Non Profit. The new fees are simply to cover the 12 month insurance for all members and the members packs. The fees pay for the insurance, an AWA fee, a Windsurfing Queensland fee and the rest towards the members pack. 75% of the fee is paid to the insurer and state and national bodies.

Q. If I am a full paying Windsurfing Queensland member am I entitiled to a members pack.
A. Currently the members packs are only available for those joining the WindWanderers directly. however all current and future WIndsurfing Queensland members are fully entitled to join in with all meets including the BBQ, Giveaways etc as they are covered by the AWA insurance policy.

the other things to mention as well is that the more people involved and registered to windsurfing queensland through any affiliated clubs etc the bigger the voice. WQ is the state voice of windsurfers in queensland. joining the WindWanderers also gives members the same connection with Windsurfing queensland that any other WQ member has and adds them to that voice.

$50 odd (might be $52).

Hi Lookkc,

MK is on the money. i paid $50 to join WQ which entitles me to race. The difference with a Wanderers Social membership it doesn't cover the ability to enter races.

The extra fees in the WQ costs are to cover race support equipment etc. Also some events require an entrance fee. depends on what event it is.

So if you want to be able to race the full WQ membership would be a better choice. The full WQ membership will also include you in the Wanderers however.

Padi,

Nope, the insurance doesn't include member to member cover. (i am no lawyer so check with WQ)