Take any boat building company in the world and give them a ten year exclusive contract to provide boats for the Olympics.... You will have a forceful plan that will be good for the winning company and the official that picks them. Will that plan be good for the sport? or Class?
That is the argument the F18' s are debating. Their answer is NO.. but there is not much we can do about it.
This is a cart before the horse problem though. I don't see how you solve the gender equity issue. I have to think that mixed multihull or pairs multihull is a loser! ... ISAF continues to think that they kill two birds with this stone and pacify the IOC while keeping the "traditions" of sailing.
Just count the number of unique women competing in Hobie 16, F18's and Tornado Worlds over the last cycle. ... not even those on serious campaigning... just competing. Narrow the filter to those sailors under 30.... Narrow the pool even more to those that scored in the top 20 at their worlds.... If you can come up with 18 sailors... I will be amazed. The IOC is just not going to be impressed with this outcome.. They hate mixed sports teams... They want young athletic looking olympians.
