World Sailing: Staff exodus continues; CEO Andy Hunt's number two, marketing chief Hugh Chambers

LONDON (#1096) – Hugh Chambers (GBR), World Sailing's chief commercial officer and second-in-command to embattled CEO Andy Hunt (GBR), has resigned. This following the resignation last week of Technical and Offshore Director Carlos de Beltran (ESP).

This latest resignation was announced via email to the Member National Authorities and Class Associations this morning by WS Communications Officer Daniel Smith (GBR). The email was obtained by Sailing Illustrated from World Sailing sources that are gravely concerned about the organization's future under Mr Hunt and the current corporate governance structure that gives unprecedented power to the CEO and a small Board of Directors.

Mr Chambers will remain through the World Sailing 2018 Annual General Meeting that will take place 27 October through 4 November in Sarasota, Florida.

This morning's email announcement, over the signature of CEO Hunt, stated that Mr Chambers has accepted the CEO position with the UK Motorsport Association. Mr Hunt said, "Hugh has held a life-long passion for motorsport, and this is a unique career opportunity for him."

Neither Mr Hunt nor Mr Chambers is a competitive sailor.

Since May a growing international group of senior-serious sailors, under the banner of "Return World Sailing Governance to Sailors," has been calling for the reformation of World Sailing's power structure and the removal of Mr Hunt. This as a result of recent widely unpopular decisions regarding the 2024 Olympic Classes that are seen as untenable and more; the organization's handling of anti-trust issues that are growing by the day from European governmental sources, and the perilous state of World Sailing's finances.

It must be noted that Messers Hunt and Chambers had the same roles with the British Olympic Association (CEO and Commercial Chief, respectively) during the 2012 London Games, and were forced to resign over financial concerns, or so it was widely reported in the UK media at the time. To wit, a screen capture from the Daily Mail (GBR) in February 2013....

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