On Sunday 19 May the World Sailing Council held some key votes at their Mid-Summer Meeting in London on the future of Olympic sailing.
In the usual way of the World Sailing organisation, where so many seem to labour for little result, they overturned some recommendations, but left the door open to future changes.
Looking at equipment for the Paris 2024 Games they rejected the Equipment Committee recomendation, and voted in favour of the Laser/Radial, if it can come up with some face-saving deal with regard to their FRAND (Anti-Trust compliant) agreements by 1 August 2019.
If ILCA/Laser fail to solve their problems then other equipment will have to be selected before 31 December 2019.
Manufacturers must really wonder if all the effort expended in the evaluation trials is really necessary, when the MNA’s are obviously going to reject anything that changes the status quo in their area.
Would it not have saved everyones time just to hold the MNA vote on the four choices before running all the other stuff?
The mixed IKA Formula Kite Class was accepted as the equipment for the Mixed Kiteboard event.
The Council also accepted the recommendation of the 470 as the Mixed Two Person Dinghy, which was expected as there was no other interest.
Urgent Submission M01-19, which proposed a way forward with the procedure for selecting the Equipment, was put forward by the Board of Directors in advance of the Mid-Year Meeting and was approved by Council.
World Sailing’s Council shall select a list of different Equipment which it considers to meet the key criteria of the event by 31 December 2019 and then make a decision on the Equipment, selecting from the list no later than 31 December 2023.
The Board agreed to amend the date to meet the key criteria of the event from 31 December 2019 to 31 December 2020 which Council approved.
The Events Strategy Working Party presented a report on World Sailing’s opportunity to develop a new strategy for 2021 – 2028.
The strategy focused on the requirements for sailors and that it must add value for all of World Sailing’s stakeholders with the Olympic Games at its heart.
Three key goals were established to promote sailors progression with a clear regatta structure, ensure a stable regatta calendar with a credible ranking system and to see that Olympic level sailing is promoted to a greater audience to drive participation.
This seemed to be what World Sailing has been trying and failing to do for the past ten years . . .
World Sailing’s Council approved the Strategy and work will now commence to implement.
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