Optimist, Open Skiff, Youth & Olympic Sailing Blog

Planned obsolescence is a well known and shameful feature when it comes to cell phones and other electronic equipment. It is now establishing itself in the Laser class, the self-proclaimed  « epitome » of strict one-design sailing. Sailors are now left with the dilemma of either being slower or having to upgrade their equipment at substantial cost. This trend has vast, existential, consequences for the future of Laser sailing. Changes to Hull, Blades, Mast The Australian Laser Class Association published on its website pictures of newly designed rudders and centerboards for the Laser - or « ILCA Dinghy. » Also, the Australian association describes changes that are being made to the hull laminate around the centerboard and the transom. And the Australian association also confirms the availability, at a steep price, of new composite mast bottom sections for the Radial. See details at http://lasersdownunder.com/ « Changes have been made to reduce damage not to make ...

RS Feva: Endorsed by the Fédération française de voile, the Royal Yachting Association, among other sailing federations We all know about conventional youth sailing, with the Optimist, the 420, the Laser, sometimes the 29er. But we all know too that youth sailing is in trouble in many many clubs around the world. Solutions exist, and they are being tried in various locations. A key is to diversify the equipments, particularly for sailors below age 15.  It's critical to provide more opportunities, to accomodate a wide range of physiques and weights, to address the desire of some sailors to do double-handed rather than single-handed sailing, and to provide more opportunities for learning core sailing skills through the diversity of platforms. Some countries are making substantial efforts in that direction. For example, the first video features the 2018 French national championships for sailors under 15 - and the variety of equipments is significant. It includes several...

Could a foiling singlehanded dinghy such as the Wazsp supplant the Laser for the 2024 Paris/Marseilles Olympics? This May 25th, World Sailing issued an invitation to tender for the 2024 Olympic single-handed dinghies, both for male and female sailors. While the tenders have to be submitted to World Sailing in a short time frame, by June 27 2018, the selection process could last well over a year, up to November 2019. There are many considerations in the tender documents, including professional qualifications, technical qualifications, retail pricing, competition law, to name just a few. We will not cover these here, but they may become paramount, as World Sailing is apparently being put on notice or sued for anti-trust / competition reasons (there is a report that it was served at its recent London meeting). There are also unknowns regarding how World Sailing will derive fees from the selected equipments (hulls, sails), as the organization seems in dire need for increased rev...

Here are selected short videos of what might be the single handed boats for the 2024 Olympics. They are into three groups : key contenders, other possible boats, and much less likely yet worth noting. Note that none of the manufacturers and classes have officially indicated they will make a submission to World Sailing. Note also that this is not intended to be a comprehensive list. At the same time, the 2024 Olympic singlehanded dinghy is very probably in this list. Here is our previously published blog post with some analysis about the selection criteria and potential contenders for the 2014 Olympics . MAIN CONTENDERS LASER   RS AERO MELGES 14 DEVOTI ZERO WAZSP OTHER POSSIBLE BOATS EUROPE BYTE  MUCH LESS LIKELY YET WORTH NOTING DEVOTI ONE RS 700

Why is World Sailing Targeting 70 Kg (155 lbs) for its new single-handed female event (part of its new single-handed mixed event)? Today, the World Sailing Council adopted the M22 submission, overruling the vote of its events committee, for the 2024 sailing Olympics, to be held in Marseilles, France. The M22 submission is from the Romanian Sailing Federation. It keeps several categories: Laser Standard, Laser Radial, 49er, 49erFX and foiling Nacra. It also keeps the windsurfing, but on new equipment. The 470 is still there too, but as a mixed event. There is a new « mixed kite event » on « new equipment ».  And finally, there is another new event — a bizarre « Mixed One-Person Dinghy » - that will allow for the Finn to remain in the Olympics as equipment for men, and there will be new equipment for women. After much back and forth, the 470 and Finn would remain in the Olympics, but at a cost: the 470 would be a mixed event (2 sailors instead ...

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...