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Class Selection for 2016
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Foiling_Toff View Drop Down
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    Posted: 05 May 11 at 7:42pm

The one thing that has always bothered me about sailing is the lack of participation from ethnic minorities.  It does feel like it's exclusively for the white middle classes.  I'm not really sure what is to the blame for this, but making it harder for certain countries to compete in the games can't help.  I'm very critical of the Olympics for many reasons, most of all I don't feel it covers what it set out to do.  It is hard to make sure everyone is included, but for the Olympics to be at all worthwhile, they have to make every effort.  

I'll stop now before I get started on an anti-Olympics rant and bore everyone to tears.
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Mark Jardine View Drop Down
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Posts: 1028 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Mark Jardine Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 May 11 at 7:08am
Andy Rice has written a good article at sailjuice.posterous.com/can-the-star-pull-another-fast-one about ISAF event selection - particularly with the friends the Star class has in high places.

If the skiffs are removed in place of the Star / keelboats then, in my opinion, sailing is pretty much doomed at Olympic level. The ISAF Council have form on this (read Andy's comments about the Star getting in for 2000 and the Cascais 2007 ISAF meeting).

There is no doubt that some great sailors sail Stars, but they are damn expensive and are now a very, very old design. The skiffs provide excitement, athletism and are modern.

If the ISAF Council do overturn the decision then I'd feel rather useless being on the ISAF Events Committee - after all, what's the point doing all the research and discussion into providing a slate of boats, only to find that the 'old boys club' of the ISAF Council go and change things according to what suits them and their mates?

Anyway, the ISAF Council haven't voted yet, so lets see if history repeats itself or not...
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Lukepiewalker View Drop Down
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Posts: 1341 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Lukepiewalker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 May 11 at 7:20am
I'd be amazed if we didn't see the Star in Brazil.
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JimC View Drop Down
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Originally posted by Mark Jardine

only to find that the 'old boys club' of the ISAF Council go and change things

Isn't it rather the other way round? Council is the democratic body representing all the nations, whereas the events committee is an old boys club which tends to be the same few people from the same few first world countries...
It just amazes me that they want to throw out keelboats, which loads of people sail everywhere, and keep in women's skiff, which practically no-one does anywhere.

Andy Rice says ". The OC report found that keelboats would have a hard time justifying their existence in an Olympic Regatta that would address the IOC’s criteria for inclusion" that may be true, but if so its true in spades, doubled and redoubled, for the women's skiff...

If I had to pick a slate it would be two boards, two lasers, two 470s, all single sex. One skiff, one Cat, one keelboat and probably the Finn for its sheer popularity. Keelboat could be mixed crew, match racing in the Elliots perhaps, so could multi. Not a great slate, but a damn sight better than the Events committee one as far as inclusion and demonstrated international participation is concerned.

Edited by JimC - 06 May 11 at 8:44am
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Mark Jardine View Drop Down
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Posts: 1028 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Mark Jardine Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 May 11 at 8:56am
Yes, the ISAF Council is appointed by ISAF Member National Authorities (MNA's) and members of the ISAF Council are required to represent their national viewpoint. See http://www.sailing.org/news/26160.php

I'd be interested to see how many nations could justify the inclusing of the Star as representing their national viewpoint.
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Stuart O View Drop Down
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Easy Mike...the Brazillians stand a chance of winning a medal then
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Posts: 6661 		Post Options Post Options   Quote JimC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 May 11 at 1:15pm
Originally posted by Mark Jardine

I'd be interested to see how many nations could justify the including of the Star as representing their national viewpoint.

Leadmines are sailed in more countries than skiffs... That would do it. And all female skiffs are hardly sailed at all anywhere.

If you look at ISAF class returns then skiffs and multihulls are the disciplines with the lowest International presence, so if you are representing a country where one of the other are not sailed how would you justify voting for them as representing your nation's interests?
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Posts: 113 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Foiling_Toff Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 May 11 at 2:37pm
Leadmines are sailed at a professional level, so should they be represented at the Olympics at all?
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Rupert View Drop Down
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Posts: 8956 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Rupert Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 May 11 at 3:50pm
Originally posted by Foiling_Toff

Leadmines are sailed at a professional level, so should they be represented at the Olympics at all?


Athletics sould be out too, by that criteria.
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Contender443 View Drop Down
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Posts: 1211 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Contender443 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 May 11 at 3:51pm
Originally posted by Foiling_Toff

Leadmines are sailed at a professional level, so should they be represented at the Olympics at all?
 
But all of our Olympic sailing team are professional sailors and most of them sail leadmines. Presumably they do that to make the big money.
 
There  are very few Olympic sports where the competitors are amateur.
 
So sorry this argument does not work.
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