World Sailing: Please Watch!

Diam 24 Multihull in Action
If you bring in new events, new equipments to the Olympics, those should be proven both to provide amazing sailing and to be amazing to watch, so as to be the best choices possible both for the sailing community and the general public. Very fortunately, our sport already offers such options, which would attract the world’s best sailors, and thanks to advances in filming sailing events, would offer the best olympic sailing show ever. Sadly, the events and equipments in Submission M36, which was voted by the Events Committee on May 12, are very unlikely to deliver the best the sport can offer, both for the sailing community and the general public. Hopefully, it's still time for World Sailing to reconsider and to do much better. Here are videos of 4 types of events/equipments that would be perfectly feasible to bring into the Olympics. They would attract the best sailors, and they would generate massive interest and excitement for the sport.

WATCH YOUTUBE PLAYLIST

Here are 4 Events, for the Olympics to Deliver the Best the Sport can Offer

- Coast Raid on Multihull Sportboats — this is what the Tour de France à la Voile is all about now - and it is implemented on a one design trimaran - the Diam 24, which delivers high performance and speed at a very reasonable cost. A variety of races compose the program, which runs on several days. The South of France would be an amazing venue for such an event. For the Olympics, this could be a mixed event.

- Match Racing - this is a discipline of sailing that is well proven, that is « short course » and that could be implemented on a variety of boats. No need for fast boats here, on the contrary. The recent Congressional Cup was sailed on Catalina 37 boats - a 1990 design. Tremendous interest was generated by the most recent edition, won by Taylor Canfield and his crew, in front of famous America’s Cup sailor Dean Barker. For the Olympics, this could be a mixed event. Match Racing would bring to the Olympics the very best professional sailors from around the world - and that would be just amazing.

- Moth Racing - the International Moth today attracts la crème de la crème of international sailing. For example, sailors such as Tom Singsby, Peter Burling, Nathan Outteridge, Franceso Bruni, Santiago Lange, Brad Funk, Annalise Murphy, to name just a few, were competing at recent worlds championships. The last three editions of the International Moth worlds were won by former Laser Olympic gold medallist Paul Goodison. Now the International Moth would probably not be the best suited foiling boat for the Olympics. A One Design and much more affordable option, such as the Wazsp or equivalent, targeting the desired weigh range, would probably be more suitable for the event. This could possibly be an event open to both male and female competitors.

- Foiling Windsurfing. When some of the top windsurfers in the world agree that the foiling windsurf is ready for prime time, including the Olympics. One should listen. The video shows the amazing speed those « windfoils » can achieve. For sure, they are more expensive than RS:X or other traditional windsurfs. And in some venues, where weed or debris is present, they would not be suitable. But the Foiling Windsurfing is just so amazing than those Olympians featured on the video are probably right: it’s the future, and it is right now!

 Note that for some events, such as moth foiling, equipment choices will be very important to contain costs, ensure affordability, and target the desired athletes' weight range. Please watch - and comment - and please pass on, so maybe some of the people making the decisions on this will be aware, at the minimum, that there are many more options than what is presently under consideration by World Sailing.

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