About Us

ISSA aims to provide opportunities worldwide for people who dream of learning to sail to make a start in a sailing school. Also, ISSA provides an international career path for sailing and windsurfing instructors to teach sailing and windsurfing in other countries.

ISSA is a non-profit international association which provides a framework of common standards of quality and safety for sailing and windsurfing schools throughout the world. The ISSA standards apply equally to the certification of students completing sailing and windsurfing courses at all levels of ability. All ISSA sailing and windsurfing instructors are trained to the same of levels of competence.

ISSA is managed by a committee elected from its member sailing and windsurfing schools.

ISSA was created in 1969 in London by:

  • Les Glenans FRA
  • Polish Yachting Association POL
  • Yacht Club de Morges SUI
  • Casa di Vela Caprera ITA
  • National Schools Sailing Association GBR
  • Centro Internacional de Navigacion de Arousa ESP

ISSA International Sailing Schools Association LTD.

Prodromou, 51, 2nd floor, Strovolos, 2063 Nicosia, Cyprus, HE 378372
SWIFT/BIC: BCYPCY2N
IBAN: CY91002001950000357027921111

Executive Office

T.Borowskiego 2/27, 03-475 Warsaw, Poland
Phone +48 787 992 888
09:00 – 15:00 UTC
11:00 – 17:00 CEST
10:00 – 16:00 CET
Please contact us via e-mails beyond these hours.
issa@sailingschools.org

President

  • Tomasz Lipski

Vice President

  • Assaad Rayess

Treasurer

  • Rafael Kander

Administrative Council Members

  • Bogdan Brodowski
  • Irina Fedorowa
  • Silvia Guerra
  • Orjan Jansson
  • Dave Lumian
  • Assaad Rayess
  • Piotr Stańczak
  • Erez Vardi
  • Konstantin Zhukov

ISSA Officers

  • Chief Instructor Trainer – Jakub Elsahen
  • Chief Trainer for Inland Training – Tomasz Szczegielniak
  • Chief Trainer for Power Training – Tarek Hassan
  • Head of Office Administration – Elvira Sarkhanova
  • Maritime Authorities Relations – Erez Vardi
  • News Room Officer – Ramil Bayramov
  • Professional Training Development – Assaad Rayess
  • Chief Event Manager – Weiding Zhang

Regional Representatives

  • Germany – Jarosław Wistuba
  • Israel – Erez Vardi
  • China (Guangdong Province) – Chunshan Bai
  • Persian Gulf Area – Tarek Hassan
  • Poland – Dominik Pietrowski
  • Singapore – Andrew Chua
  • USA – David Lumian
  • Greece – Alexander Sohu

Presidents in past

  • 1969 – 1973 – Guido Colnaghi
  • 1973 – 1977 – Luc Gueissaz
  • 1977 – 1984 – Roger Decombat
  • 1984 – 1993 – Yves Aumon
  • 1993 – 1997 – Veijo Meisalo
  • 1997 – 2006 – Steve Colgate
  • 2006 – 2008 – Martin Pryer
  • 2008 – 2016 – Joan Basacoma

AGMs in the past

  • 1969 – London, the UK
  • 1973 – Finales, Italo
  • 1974 – Enkhuizen, Holland
  • 1975 – Brest, France
  • 1976 – Neufachtel, Switzerland
  • 1977 – Warsaw, Poland
  • 1978 – Wien, Austria
  • 1979 – Quiberon, France
  • 1980 – Largs, Scotland
  • 1981 – Palma de Mallorca, Spain
  • 1982 – Tetouan, Marocco
  • 1983 – Cowes, England
  • 1984 – Bombannes, France
  • 1985 – Helsinki, Finland
  • 1986 – Montreal, Canada
  • 1987 – Palma de Mallorca, Spain
  • 1988 – Alger, Algeria
  • 1989 – La Rochelle, France
  • 1990 – Tumendorf, Germany
  • 1991 – Gols, Austria
  • 1992 – Caprera Sardaigne, Italy
  • 1995 – Hamburg, Germany
  • 1996 – Brigthon, England
  • 1997 – Marstrand, Sweden
  • 1998 – Palma de Mallorca, Spain
  • 1999 – Athens, Greece
  • 2000 – Edinburgh, Scotland
  • 2001 – Paris, France
  • 2002 – Rome, Italy
  • 2003 – Dublin, Ireland
  • 2004 – Paris, France
  • 2005 – Singapure, Singapure
  • 2006 – Helsinki, Finland
  • 2007 – Barcelona, Spain
  • 2008 – Wien, Austria
  • 2009 – Midlands, England
  • 2010 – Istambul, Turkey
  • 2011 – Poznań, Poland
  • 2012 – Łódź, Poland
  • 2013 – Berlin, Germany
  • 2014 – Marmaris, Turkey
  • 2016 – Dusseldorf, Germany
  • 2017 – Dusseldorf, Germany
  • 2019 – Kamień Pomorski, Poland
  • 2023 – Beijing, China

Publications

Logbooks

ISSA and its members have published many logbooks in the past. Here are some examples

american
American Sailing Association logbook issued by the American Sailing Association at the end of 1980ties
Association of German Sailing Schools Sailing Certificate issued by Association of German Sailing Schools (Verband Deutscher Segelschulen)
Association of German Sailing Schools
Sailing Certificate issued by Association of German Sailing Schools (Verband Deutscher Segelschulen)
Austria Sailor's ID logbook issued in Austria (VOS)
Austria
Sailor’s ID logbook issued in Austria (VOS)
Beglium Yachting Association logbook issued by Beglium Yachting Association (Landelijke Bond van Watersport Verenigingen in Belgie)
Beglium Yachting Association
logbook issued by Beglium Yachting Association (Landelijke Bond van Watersport Verenigingen in Belgie)
Belgium logbook issued by regional Belgium yachting organization (Ligue Regionale du Yachting Belge)
Belgium
logbook issued by regional Belgium yachting organization (Ligue Regionale du Yachting Belge)
Canadian Yachting Association logbook issued by Canadian Yachting Association at the beginning of 1990ties
Canadian Yachting Association
logbook issued by Canadian Yachting Association at the beginning of 1990ties
Dutch Sailing Schools Federation logbook issued by Dutch Sailing Schools Federation (Vereniging van Zeilscholen Nederland) - 1983
Dutch Sailing Schools Federation
logbook issued by Dutch Sailing Schools Federation (Vereniging van Zeilscholen Nederland) – 1983
Finnish Yachting Association Finnish logbook issued by Finnish Yachting Association (Suomen Purjehtijaliitto ry.] at the end of 1980ties
Finnish Yachting Association
Finnish logbook issued by Finnish Yachting Association (Suomen Purjehtijaliitto ry.] at the end of 1980ties
French Sailing Federation 80ties Logbook issued by French Sailing Federation (Federation Francaise de Voile) at the end of 80ties
French Sailing Federation 80ties
Logbook issued by French Sailing Federation (Federation Francaise de Voile) at the end of 80ties
French Sailing Federation 90ties Logbook issued by French Sailing Federation (Federation Francaise de Voile) at the end of 90ties
French Sailing Federation 90ties
Logbook issued by French Sailing Federation (Federation Francaise de Voile) at the end of 90ties
ISSA 2002 Logbook issued by ISSA in 2002 - in Arabic, English and French
ISSA 2002
Logbook issued by ISSA in 2002 – in Arabic, English and French
Polish Yachting Association logbook issued by Polish Yachting Association (Polski Związek Żeglarski)
Polish Sailing Association
certificate of windsurfing instructor issued by Polish Sailing Association
Polish Yachting Association logbook issued by Polish Yachting Association (Polski Związek Żeglarski)
Polish Yachting Association
logbook issued by Polish Yachting Association (Polski Związek Żeglarski)
Spanish Sailing Federation logbook issed by Spanish Sailing Federation (Federation Espanola de Vela)
Spanish Sailing Federation
logbook issed by Spanish Sailing Federation (Federation Espanola de Vela)