Optimist, Open Skiff, Youth & Olympic Sailing Blog

Resolving the 2024 Olympics Lineup: a Solution, by Jean-Pierre Kiekens Note: please find at this link a more recent and probably more realistic proposal:  https://optimist-openbic-sailing.blogspot.com/2019/03/2024-olympic-sailboat-lineup-proposal.html One of the most exciting moments in the history of sailing at the Olympics was the match race, within the fleet race, between Ben Ainslie and Robert Scheidt, at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. So before reading this, please watch, or re-watch, this video. Ben Ainslie and Robert Scheidt Battling for Gold at the Sydney Olympics WATCH VIDEO So what about match racing at the 2024 Olympics, in the Laser, but this time, in the Radial, and in a mixed format? When one races in the Laser Radial, it’s remarkable how both male and female athletes are competitive at the highest level. That would be similar in other single-handed dinghies, as long as the optimum sailor weight to sail them would not exceed 150 lbs (68 kg), which is the ...

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 ...

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 i...