Windsurfy / Press Release n.19  15 May 2005

XX Edition World Festival On The Beach
Palermo Mondello 11-22 May 2005

20 YEARS OF THE WORLD FESTIVAL ON THE BEACH AT MONDELLO FOR AARON BOTZER, HIS LOVE FOR THE SEA AND THE SAILS

For more than 20 years he can be seen walking viale Regina Elena, with that happy smile, always polite, a book with a title that can’t be understood and is read backwards, because in his country you read from the right side of the book to the left side, while lots of athletes are tiring themselves out preparing their equipment for the races and everything seems to be pretty hectic, he seems remaining always very calm.
He’s called Aaron Botzer, he comes from Israel, he’s an international Judge. Since 1988 he has attended every edition of the Olympic Games, and today he is here to celebrate the 20th edition of the World Festival on the Beach and the Mistral Class World Championships: in 20 years Aaron hasn’t once missed the Festivals held in Mondello. After starting as an athlete on a 490, windsurfing then became an important part of his life.
His son Ofer was National Champion for windsurf in Israel 10 times, and partecipated for five times to the tour of Italy from Trieste to Monaco on sailboard with his father as judge. In 1983, when the tour made a stop near Rome, the whole Botzer family came and visited with the Pope.
“I've been chairman in the Windsurfing ISAF Committee until last year, even though I’m still a member - Aaron Botzer told us - When windsurfing first came to Europe I was among the first persons to introduce it in Israel, I had a few guys around me which were mostly pilots from Air Force or personnel from  Navy and I explained to them how to go on a windsurf. To see at the Olympic games in Athens Gal Fridman winning and to bring in a race organized at Eilat, in the Red Sea, more and less 250 competitors both male and female, was a really great feeling for me after all the hard work that had been done throughout these years".
The mistral will say goodbye to the Olympic scene leaving space for a new but not ready Neil Pryde RS:X.
"ISAF decided to change the board - he then said - I personally think that who projected it and made it will have done a good job”.
The work put in by Aaron Botzer towards this sport goes further than you think because according to him sport can be an important way to increase the process of peace making in an area that he knows very well, the middle east, a place where politic has failed too many times.
“Just one month ago the Med-Red Rally, an international race organized by Israelians, Palestinians and Egyptians, finished - Aaron Botzer told us - They took 50 yachts from Tel Aviv in the Mediterranean Sea to Eilat in the Aqaba Gulf, in the Red Sea and on the way back through the Suez Channel and Sharm el Sheikh. Sails for peace that turned out to be a great success and will be organized again”.
He then went on to say, “I was invited to Egypt as a judge to another important race and in Aqaba, four years ago, we got the Jordan team involved, including the King's brother. Unfortunatly in many places in this area there aren’t many structures like the Albaria, and it’s a pity because the Red Sea has excellent conditions for sports such as windsurfing. However many things could still be done in the future”.
In this way sails could also play a so important part in the peace making in an important area that needs sport to find a precious balance.