I wonder what the feeling on the double scoring medal races format is? It seems to have back fired and what was meant to be an exciting climax for TV turns into a rather boring meaningless race with the first boat sailing the second down the pan. The end result is that the boat that deserves silver doesn't even get a medal. The Gold medal winner comes near to last. How easy is that for non sailors to understand? Another Olympic cock-up in my view.

It so far has worked out for GB but how would we all feel if a Silver Medal turns to dust for one of our boys?

It would be better to have a pursuit race where the boats start in order, and so the first boat across the line wins the Gold. Now that would be so much easier to understand.

I can't think of a better name, but I do think the term "medal race" is bad - until good ol' Bob has explained it countless times it is very easy (and reasonable) for someone to assume that it is THE race which decides the medals.

I'm not sure the double points has much to do with whether, in the one last race, A bounces B over the horizon or not. Surely that's a possibility at the end of any series?

Admittedly I've only been avidly watching the medal races (live), but that's largely because the wind has been better lately.

Don't understand your suggestion about a 'pursuit race' at all. Make no logical sense

Be interesting to see what happens in the windsurfer medal race with all 3 front runners on the same score. 

I'm a big fan of the medal race - yes, it has seen someone in silver medal position end up sixth, but this has happened in only one of the medal races.

How can you beat the drama of the 470 men's race? Nick Rogers & Joe Glanfield were down and out after the first beat and weren't in the medal positions at all and stormed back to take silver - simply awesome!

I do think that the TV coverage needs a sidebar with live scoring / leaderboard based on current medal race positions - this way the public could see who's coming where. Surely this could be done with GPS data and a bit of software? (Mags, I'm looking at you!) 

Surely that would a possible tactic regardless?

Might work as long as the races are in places with sensible wind!!!!!!!!!

maybe series for 4 races, drop 50% of the fleet (not probable that they would win a medal from that position anyway). 

Now, do we reset the points, or carry thru?

Now do we do 4 more races and drop 50% more? 

Means more organisation (less classes if we all have to start at 32 and we know how many problems that can cause!!!!)

My suggestion of a pursuit style;e race would be that the points from the series give you a personal handicap. Rather like on the ITV Gladiators programme. So the leading boat goes on the first whistle etc. 

I agree that the medal race and the double points system is flawed because it is too easy for someone to knock you right down the table, even if you have posted a consistent scoreline all week

• the girlies just going faster,
  
• ben screwing the other guys start and then sailing away,
  
• goody doing a number on his opponent (fair enough given the potential for breeze drop out),
  
• 470 boys fantastically sailing themselves back onto to podium
• Bryony getting a fab bronze in a tactically challenging race
• Laser Radials - USA coming back from a disastrous start
• 49er destruction derby

The issue for me is if you come into the race in Silver well clear of Bronze but a threat to the sailor in Gold you'll be sc*%wed - can't see how that fits in with the Olympic ethos.

IMHO much better to take in a point for your postion at the end of the fleet races, then add a point for your position at the end of the medal race. Lowest score wins with draws decided by posisition before the medal race. 

• Normal series one throwout.
• 2-9 place in the series go through to the knockout round. 1st place as a bye in the first knockout
  
• Knock out round rules - 15 minute races max..must have a reaching finish...
• Rnd 1 - last 4 get binned
• Rnd 2 - winner of series is automatically in this round, races against 4 others - Medals decided on placings.

http://rrsstudy.blogspot.com/2008/08/olympic-medal-races.html - Olympic Medal Races

In the articles and news stories about the Olympics, I read over and over again that we are viewing the first Olympic Medal races. True enough, but a little derogative for all those people who have developed the system in the last six years.

A lot of time, experiencing and rules tweaking has gone into getting to a concept that works. I remember a SPA regatta four or five years ago where the medal race was still an experiment. A lot got done since then. By ISAF, by Rules Specialists, by the Sailors, by Race Management and by Organizing Authorities. All to keep the sport of sailing into the Olympics.

It is very easy to have critique about what is flawed about this concept and perhaps uninteresting to have an eye for all the positive effect that it has.

With all it's drama, in heartbreaking moments for losers and jubilations for the winners, it brings out the best in sailing.

Read the rest on: http://rrsstudy.blogspot.com/2008/08/olympic-medal-races.html - Olympic Medal Races

Surely Nick Dempsey's fate shows the folly of a double-points medal race, and not (just) because he's a Brit.

After a week's sailing, he was in line for a medal, but thanks to a farcically short medal race, shortened due to a wind shift, he missed out.

Surely the event should be staged in such a way as to sort out the sailors in order of ability as fairly as possible, so that the best sailor wins the gold, the next best the silver and so forth?

The double-points medal race introduces a chance factor (emphasizing one race's result just because it's the last) which tends to randomize the results in the name of 'spectacle'. Hardly appropriate given the effort the the competitors have put in over the four preceding years.

Maybe doesn't help make it thrilling, though I think most sports fans can cope with cumulative scores.

If we really 'have' to spoil our sport at its highest level by making it more TV friendly (and I really wonder if sailing can ever be that), then I think the earlier suggestion of a pursuit race is not a bad one. It's what they were doing in the final run in the Modern Decathlon, I noticed, and while one could argue forever about the correct separation between starts to allow for the previously accumulated points, the situation is clear for all and the excitement undeniable.

You'd need a big course, however, with minimal lapping and lots of angles to allow for windshifts. In fact I'd like to watch it, not as a medal-decider but as a bonus fun event, maybe. To add contention you could even add PY and mix the classes! But I'm going too far...

In the modern pentathlon the scores obtained from the first 4 events gives you a score which you carry in to the run. The first one over the line gets the gold. Easy to understand, why not in sailing?