The AC guys have actually proposed a 20ft cat with a wing mast for the Olympics. While it does seem quite a leap from what we have currently, there are some very good reasons why it does make sense. They are saying the cost is something like 3,000 Euros (from memory - please don't take this as gospel) more than a soft sailed boat.

I too was pretty sceptical about the issue of damage during capsize, but if you have watched the videos from Plymouth you will see that the only issue is when a crew member falls into the wing - the same problem as if you fall into a soft sail. Compare this to when the guy fell into their carbon mast in Qingdao and broke it in two in the Extreme 40's.

And the skin material is extremely strong and quite inexpensive. $NZ67 worth of material to reskin an AC45, and it is a low skilled job to reglue a new skin.

Would be a kick in the pants, but just not sure if it is what we need in the Olympics.

I would be the first to put my hand up for a sail on one!

So PLEASE, everyone, have a good read of the spec. I didn't write it, but read the details. If a boat doesn't meet all the criteria, then it is NOT AUTOMATICALLY EXCLUDED. Manufacturers just have to come up with reasons why their boat is the best, and they may lose points if they don't fully meet all the requirements in the spec.