No More RYA Olympic Boycotts Campaign

Colin Simonds, Chris Osborne and Gavin Simonds © www.nomoreRYAolympicboycotts.com

Why will the RYA not follow US President Carter’s lead?

Why will the RYA not follow US President Carter’s lead and say sorry for the 1980 Olympic Boycott? After months of pressure from its 1980 sailors, the RYA has conceded privately that it will consult the athletes should a similar situation arise again. However, it remains unclear how long this commitment will last, whether it is binding and thus how effective it would be if confronted with pressure such as occurred in 1980 and has been mooted several times since.

Led by Colin and Gavin Simonds, the 1980 athletes are therefore petitioning for a requirement for an athletes’ vote to be solidly embedded in the Articles of Association of the RYA. This appears to be the only way our elite sailors of today and the future can be protected.

Many other organisations and influential individuals, including the US Olympic Committee and Lord Sebastian Coe and Lord Colin Moynihan, have publicly denounced boycotts and acknowledged the harm they do to competitors.

“Recognising a bad decision hugely reduces the risk of repetition,” says 1980 Soling crew Chris Osborne. Therefore, in view of the events of 1980 and since, those who earned selection for the team are also canvassing opinion as to whether it is appropriate for the RYA now to say sorry to the 1980 athletes.

Sign the petition at www.nomoreRYAolympicboycotts.com