RYA statement on ISAF 2016 events vote
by Lindsey Bell, RYA 11 Nov 2012 06:42 GMT
10 November 2012
The Royal Yachting Association has welcomed today's decision by delegates at the International Sailing Federation's General Assembly to re-introduce RS:X windsurfing for the 2016 Olympic Games in place of kiteboard racing.
ISAF Council voted to replace the men's and women's windsurfing disciplines with men's and women's kiteboard racing at its mid-year meetings in May of this year, and again reaffirmed this position at its meeting yesterday, but the wider ISAF membership reversed the decision at the General Assembly today, voting in favour of RS:X windsurfing for the Rio Games.
RYA Racing Manager and Performance Director John Derbyshire said: "This is what the membership of the RYA asked for – we have a very strong youth pathway and some 10,000 windsurfing members of the RYA, so on their behalf we are delighted with the decision.
"We obviously have great compassion towards the kiteboarding community, with whom we have been working very closely, and I am sure that they will continue to work very closely with both the RYA and ISAF families with a view to gaining inclusion for the discipline in future Olympic Games.
"We can now look forward to preparing for Rio 2016 with the clarity that this decision brings."
The events for the Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing competition are now confirmed as:
- Men's Board - RS:X
- Women's Board - RS:X
- Men's One Person Dinghy – Laser*
- Women's One Person Dinghy - Laser Radial*
- Men's 2nd One Person Dinghy - Finn
- Men's Skiff - 49er*
- Women's Skiff – 49erFX*
- Men's Two Person Dinghy - 470
- Women's Two Person Dinghy - 470
- Mixed Two Person Multihull – Nacra 17
*The Laser, Laser Radial, 49er and 49erFX have also been approved as Core Events and Equipment for the 2020 Olympic Sailing Competition.
Derbyshire also offered the RYA's congratulations to the new ISAF President Carlo Croce (ITA), who was voted to serve an initial four year term. Great Britain's Chris Atkins was voted as one of seven new ISAF Vice Presidents and will also serve an initial four year term as part of the organisation's Executive Board.