ul. Hestii 3, 81-731 Sopot, tel. +48 (58) 555-72-00; fax 555-72-01;e-mail: biuro@skz.sopot.pl, www.skz.sopot.pl

Sopot, 15.12.2005

Tom Bojland

International President of the International

505 Class Yacht Racing Association

Sir,

Sopot Sailing Club “Hestia Sopot” and the City of Sopot have a pleasure to present you the candidature of Sopot for hosting the 505 European Championship in summer 2007.

Sopot is a small county town in Poland, with a population of almost 40 thousand. This Baltic resort, located between Gdańsk and Gdynia, constitutes a natural centre of the Tricity with a population of almost one million as well as the Region of Pomerania.

In the city there are over 7000 businesses, primarily small companies connected with the widely understood tourist market. However, there are also headquarters of large institutions, just to mention the biggest insurance company in the north of Poland - Ergo Hestia. The unemployment rate is the lowest in the region (Poland's fifth city with the lowest unemployment rate). About 25% of the residents of Sopot have college degree, which is influenced by numerous higher education schools functioning in the city. There are Faculties of Management and Economics of the Gdańsk University, the Banking School SKOK, a branch of the School of Social Psychology, the School of Accounting and Finances, the School of Tourism and Hotel Management, Sopot Schools of Photography WFH, and the University of the Third Century, attended by more than 1200 students. There are also about 240 nongovernmental organizations.

Sopot is first off all a natural tourist center of the region, attracting throngs of tourists from the country and abroad. Transportation is provided by an international airport in nearby Gdańsk - Rębiechowo and international ferry terminals in Gdańsk and Gdynia (25 minutes by car) as well as railroad connections (domestic and international). The Tricity is surrounded by a bypass, which offers an easy acces to Sopot from Gdańsk and Gdynia. 

Sopot Sailing Club “Hestia Sopot” is one of the biggest windsurfing club in Europe. We began in 1983 and now we have 300 members, who do windsurfing as a hobby or as a professional sport. Our competitors are the winners of the Europe and Worlds Juniors and Seniors Championship.

A part from windsurfing we develop another sailing areas – L’Equipe and Optimist for the youngest and catamarans, 49er and Laser.

We organize a lot of regattas – local, including Polish Championship from 1992 and international, Europe and World Championship from 1997, for example:

• 1997 Aloha, Mistral, Masters Worlds Championship
• 2001 Formula Windsurfing European Championship
• 2004 Mistral Senior, Junior and Youth European Championship
• 2004 L’Equipe European Championship
• 2005 Mistral Junior and Youth world Championship (270 competitors)

Sopocki Club Żeglarski Hestia Sopot is a very good place for sport and for recreation. Situated on the beach of Sopot , but in the middle of Tri City agglomeration (Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot) offer a lot of possibility – beach, sun and sea, but also theatres, museums, cinemas, Aquapark and pubs, restaurants and shops. And it’s very good point for many regional excursions.
On the club premises there is also a small hotel (all rooms with baths, TV sets and internet sockets) and restaurant "Mesa Sopocka" (serving breakfast and other meals for hotel quests), two recreation and lecture rooms (seating 60), equipped with boards and a screen, a small room that can be used or training courses and conferences (seating about 25). A bar "Słoneczko" is also open in the summer season.  

Our Club has a big support from the City of Sopot. The president of Sopot, Jacek Karnowski declare to help us in organization the regatta (financial support and helping in promotion). We hope to have a chance to organize the 505 European Championship for the first time in Poland.

Jacek Karnowski Piotr Hlavaty

President of Sopot President of Club