LASERCLASSIMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS
ILCA is pleased to welcome two new staff members to our technical team. Kevin “KC” Haffey and Santiago Sampaio have joined ILCA as Assistant Technical Officers to assist in bringing new builders and suppliers online and to provide ongoing technical support for the class.
Kevin (“KC”) Haffey has a 20-year background in the marine industry and, notably, worked with Ian Bruce at Performance Sailcraft International, the original Laser manufacturer, where he started as a summer intern. As Director of Manufacturing, KC was responsible for setting up Laser manufacturing facilities in the UK, Ireland and Brazil and provided technical inspections and oversight for the other PSI factories in New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and Japan. During his time with PSI, over 100,000 Lasers were produced. After his career in the marine industry, Haffey enjoyed a successful career in the optical industry where he oversaw production for EssilorLuxottica. ILCA is excited to bring KC’s technical skills and extensive marine industry experience to our team.
Santiago Sampaio is currently the top-ranked Laser sailor from Portugal and is active on the Olympic campaigning circuit. Santiago is a graduate of Southampton Solent University where he obtained an engineering degree in Yacht and Powercraft Design, graduating with first class honors. While sailing full time, Santiago also completed course work in business from the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania. Along with his strong educational background, Santiago brings a wealth of sailing experience and detailed knowledge of the performance characteristics of the boat. We are excited to have Santiago on board and we are confident that he will integrate quickly to become a valuable member of the ILCA team.
In ongoing compliance with World Sailing’s Olympic Equipment Policy, ILCA is actively engaged in approving several new builders and equipment suppliers worldwide. The Assistant Technical Officers have been brought onboard to help handle the anticipated technical compliance workload related to this process. Both KC and Santiago have begun working with the ILCA Technical Officer, Clive Humphris, and are already involved in the various builder certification meetings. The Assistant Technical Officers can be reached via their ILCA email addresses: kchaffey@laserinternational.org and santiago@laserinternational.org.
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