from the A-cat site:

First reactions from several Catamaran sailors and A class sailors :

(from the petion website , see link above, read all the other reactions as well !)



Robbie Daniel : Why take the most exciting class out of the Olympics. It is one of the more cost effective classes since you can fit 10 in a container. It is a sport that applies to all ages. Sailing is doomed in the Olympics with out flash on the water


Scott anderson:An utterly disgraceful decision by the body that is supposed to represent all sailors , not just monohulls.It is an insult to all multihull sailors worldwide past and present - ISAF you are now the enemy.


Will Sunnucks: The Olympic movement strives for the ultimate - the fastest and the best, reflecting the colour and diversity of sporting activity around the world. Multihulls have superior performance, are interesting to watch and should certainly be included in the 2012 Olympics.


Glenn Ashby :
Multi Hull sailing world wide represents a large majority of sailing. There are numerous dinghy classes currently competing within the Olympics. I feel that it is only fair and just to have at least one multi hull dicipline included in the Olympic Games. The Multi Hull being excluded is an insult to Multi Hull sailing around the world!


Darren Bundock: I have lost all faith in the ISAF and especially the council decision making process. Sailing has taken a massive backwards step not only eliminating the multihull but not implementing the women's high performance skiff or the woman's multihull. Keeping the double handed dinghy and not moving with the times. Our sport had the chance to take a massive jump in London 2012 (finally a Olympics with maybe wind) but our sport has been destroyed by a council made up of inactive un-youthful ex sailors living in the past. The multihull has been discriminated against, it was the easy option. Despite multihulls making up for 25% of the sailing fraternity we have very little representation on the ISAF council. The lobbying, Pub parties and deals that go on in the corridors before the ISAF Council meeting under my definition spells corruption. How can they throw out the Events committee recommendations after all they are ISAF's experts that are in touch with the sailing communities


John Forbes: The multihull is the most spectacular of all sailing classes and should be the last to go. If they must discard one sailing class then get rid of the slow boring boats like 470, Star and Finn. The are all not interesting to watch either live or on TV.


Tom Siders:I can see that the ISAF, USSailing and the RYA all believe that having dinghies filling six of the ten open spots is a great representation of the sailing community at large. I must state that after years of supporting Tornados in the Olympic games, I am shocked at the outright contempt shown towards this discipline and to know that "back room" deals were cut with the 470 class. Shame on these MNA attendees and voters. I have been a continual member of both the ISAF and USSailing, but question what reason any of us who sail multihulls now have in supporting either of these organizations. The RYA should be added to this list.


Mark Cole: This decision demonstrates pure elitism and a crying shame for the sport, and the for the future youth of today with a sincere passion for the multihull discipline.


Jeremy Evans: like a lot of people i'm lost for words, apart from wondering why cat classes should continue to pay homage to ISAF who have followed up their unbelievable mess of youth cat selection by Olympic cat class rejection


Pim Nieuwenhuis: banning the fastest class from the olympics is possibly the worst choice they could make. Well done boys! but maybe we will see the AC in giant multi's?


Mark Bulkeley: to be a fair representation of sailing there needs to be a catamaran class. ISAF have once again thrown a completely random decision up in the air. It feels like politics and deals have decided the fate of the 2012 olympic classes not what the people want or a fair represenation of the sailing world.


Pieterjan Dwarshuis: How the F*** is it possible that cat sailing losing it's Olympic status, and there are 10 (!) 'half-boat ' classes still in the games ????? bloody politics .... Catsailing is at least 25 % of all dinghy sailing In Holland it is probably even 50 % ........or more........