New Olympic events.

or combined score I guess.  It'll be interesting to see what craft WS select... I guess they could just re-use the Laser Radial entrant, giving her two medal opportunities?  

So Laser and Radial both remain, but equipment for review (new rigs?)

49er and FX remain

Nacra stays too.

Finn stays, but they will race in a two boat mixed event? 

470 Men; changes to women helms I guess? 

470 women makes way for kitesurfing in some unknown format. 

The mixed male and female pairs in finns and something else... I can't think how the format will work without the format feeling like two separate events stitched together. 

Not sure how I feel about kitesurfing. From what I've watched it seems very different from any sailing I would recognise, and while undoubtedly a cool sport my impression is the racing is a very small niche. Makes you feel sorry for sports like squash which have a huge history and good participation, and yet can never make it to the Olympics.  

That might make sense. However, if you scroll down to the table (in the link above), the mixed single-hander replaces the men's heavyweight event. In the right hand column for this event it says the men's equipment will be retained (finn) and new equipment selected for the women single-hander. 

I read that to mean that the mixed singlehander event will be in two sets of equipment, one boat for men, and one boat for women. Then result merged, either by pooling scores or out on the water in a relay race. Either way, it would feel a bit contrived. 

I would much prefer a mixed event by offshore keelboat like you suggest, although I suspect too expensive for the Olympics. My preferred option would be team racing with mixed boats. Mixed boats are fairly common to a very high level in team racing already, so it wouldn't feel forced in anyway.