Class Selection for 2016

Many submissions on Olympic classes for the ISAF Mid year meeting in May - See here... No remote sign of a consensus developing... As I probably predicted somewhere there's much support for keeping both M & F 470 classes from the smaller nations, also predictably much support to get Keelboat/Star back, also support for ditching keelboats completely (IMHO there would be a risk of killing paralympic sailing if they did this because I can imagine venues refusing to do lead mine facilities for just the Paras), some support for a lightweight female singlehander as *well* as the Radial, so 4 singlehanded dinghies, in fact some support for just about anything you care to mention.

Inevitable result is going to be much ****fighting, much politicking and and whole heaps of conspiracy theories and how ISAF are destroying sailing...

My view... I hold no brief for the 470, but the small countries badly want to keep it. To keep sailing in the games we need more small countries, hence they should be listened to.

Women's Skiff - well to my mind the world's female sailors have voted with their chequebooks with the spectacular (lack) of sales of the 29erXX. ISAF are unlikely to vote for a prototype, and I can't see any new class getting critical mass.

I don't believe there is a good slate of 10 events bearing in mind relative popularity of curent classes: no matter what they pick many sailors will feel reasonably justifiably upset. If you want two boards, two Lasers, 2 470s, Finn for its popularity, keelboats, catamaran, two skiffs that's 12...

My bias would be to pay little or no attention to what rich western countries who will always go to the games think: what the sport needs most is active countries, not the mirage of big TV coverage, so delegates, if you are reading this, I suggest you listen hardest to the voices of the folk from smaller and third world nations, especially Africans.

Edited by JimC - 27 Mar 11 at 10:39pm

Originally posted by JimC My bias would be to pay little or no attention to what rich western countries who will always go to the games think: what the sport needs most is active countries, not the mirage of big TV coverage, so delegates, if you are reading this, I suggest you listen hardest to the voices of the folk from smaller and third world nations, especially Africans.

+1 but I'd add in South America as a good target market and also indo-china (yes I know that's a dated term) as both areas have much greater access to sailable waters, coatal population centres and infrastructure to support developing sailing through schools... things, from my perception only, that are lacking in many African countries....

In the end I assume we will end up with just 4 classes, by about 2028 - mens and womens double and singlehanded, because room needs to be made in the Olympic village for darts players and competitive knitters.

If that was the case, then what would those classes be? A Doublehander from 1960 and a singlehander from 1970? I may be a classic boat fan, but that doesn't really seem quite right...

The Javelin is rather different to the one thrown back then, and sailing doesn't have the same problem as the javelin, which I believe they had to make less aerodynamic to stop it landing in the crowd. Mind you, it would make the field events more interesting!

2 events turned into one, rowing and sailing combined, with the added sport that the winner is the last boat floating. You'd only have to fit the winning crew on the podium, especially in shark infested waters! And there you are - outdoor swimming can be combined with all this, too.