My 2024 Sailing Olympics - a Video Playlist



Diam 24 in action -- the One Design
Trimaran used for the Tour de France à la Voile
Note: this is an indicative playlist - it's not a formal suggestion/recommendation ; the idea is just to help broadening the consideration of options for equipments and events, in light of what is currently available. Although one event by type of boat is presented, there would be male, female and mixed events in the lineup.

MY 2024 SAILING OLYMPICS -- YOUTUBE PLAYLIST: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcE83K79ViuLDhgI2xmfutTCgQhoTWhRN

The lineup is as follows:
- high pace coastal raid in a multi-hull - Diam 24 or equivalent
- match racing - in strict one design identical keel boats - that could be with smaller teams of say 4 or 5 sailors
- foiling dinghy - either Open or 2 events, one for men, one for women, in an affordable one design class such as the Wazsp or equivalent
- foiling windsurf - in a one design class to be determined
- 49er - which could be made a mixed event if there isn't enough space for two events
- single-handed monhull dinghy - 2 events, one for men, one for women, in boats to be determined -- ideally accommodating wider weight ranges than the current Laser Standard and Laser Radial (see this article for details)

 As indicated below, create your own playlist, and we will be happy to share it on this platform!

There is discussion about what the 2024 Olympics should look like. Lots of submissions, working papers, working groups, open letters, online debates, and even a petition with over 15,000 signatories so far. 

My take is that change is inevitable. Yet, change needs to make sense, and there are many variables to take into account, which requires thinking, tradeoffs.

Yet, bold choices need to be made. Because what is considered bold today may well already be dated by 2024!

Here are some considerations: equipment and events must make sense for the development of the sport, particularly youth sailors; the various types of physiques and weights should be accommodated as much as possible; there should be as much as possible gender balance, the equipment must be, as much as possible, affordable and standard; the modern designs, such as skiffs, and foiling boats and/or boards should be have their due place; there should be variety in the events and not just windward leeward racing; equipments and events should be such that they are attractive to wide audiences when filmed for TV and the Internet.

Oh … and the whole thing should be appealing, amazing, and bring plenty of new people to the sport!

Instead of writing a formal report, a formal submission or whatever, here is a youtube playlist - it starts with novelties, and continue with more standard choices.

The kite is not included in the sequence - more by lack of knowledge of the specifics of kiteboarding than for suggesting that it should not have say 2 medals at the olympics.

I hope you enjoy! I invite you to provide your comments! And also, don’t hesitate to submit your own playlist of how you envision the future sailing at the olympics!

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