Events for 2012...

Norbert,

I agree that the choice of events becomes much simpler once you remove "air rowing" from the sailing events. If we have to have this discipline at the Olympics it should be seperate from the sailing - and preferably slalom rather than fleet racing. Swimming, for instance, has 3 sports - Swimming, diving and water polo.

It is essential for the future of the sport that there continue to be  so-called heavyweight classes. Once you have decided that then the Finn and the Star are the only realistic propositions.

I also believe that the way to go for TV is to have Men's and Women's Match Racing and a mixed Team Racing event. That way each nation has a series of teligenic qualifiers, and then international qualifiers to decide who gets to the Final. Each Final  could be run over 3 days - intense attractive racing easy to understand.

Gordon

i guess the problem with that is simply time restrictions. if the weather doesn't play ball you end up not being able to do some of the events.

Originally posted by JimC Originally posted by gordon It is essential for the future of the sport that there continue to be  so-called heavyweight classes. What on earth for? Many of the asian nations have enough trouble finding sailors who are heavy enough for the Laser.

In this case why are not all classes mixed!

Just have a range of boats for different weight catagories.

This may not be popular but could increase turnout from nations that currently struggle to find heavy enough sailors

Edited by Andrewst

The heavy weight classes are essential if sailing is not to become a sport for only a limited range of athletes. Horse racing jockeys, gymnasts and basket ball players are all chosen, in their own way, from a limited range of sizes.

Athletes in sailing are grouped according to weight, choosing the appropriate class in which to sail. The result is that if your are configured for one weight range it is next to impossible to change. Sports such as boxing, judo, wrestling and weightlifting would be ridiculous if there were no category for heavy weights. Rowing has 2 weight categories for men.

If there were no heavyweight classes then a significant proportion of athletes would be excluded. Personally I would like us to experiment with more narrower weight bands and open classes. Thus the lightweight Asians (who have little trouble selecting the odd Sumo wrestler and heavyweight judoka) could sail with the European women in a lightweight classs, whilst the forwards from the Womens Rugby World Cup could sail a light-heavyweight class.

Gordon

Originally posted by JimC Originally posted by gordon It is essential for the future of the sport that there continue to be  so-called heavyweight classes. What on earth for? Many of the asian nations have enough trouble finding sailors who are heavy enough for the Laser.

So the way to make the games inclusive is to exclude anyone over 12.5 stone?

This whole 'debate' at the moment really just seems to be people justifying why their favourite boats should be included, at the expense of boats they don't like.

Until someone (IOC & ISAF) defines exactly what the olympic regatta is 'for', there will never be any consensus on what events and classes there should be, as there are simply not enough slots to accomodate our diverse sport.

Personally, I think they should've ditched the men's Laser, re-classified the Finn as the men's singlehander and kept the Tornado. Laser sailors could either bulk up (we know that can be done) or sail one of the plethora of other midget's boats in the olympics.