Interesting tweet from an Olympic sailor, catsailor, and if I remember correctly a member of the ISAF (IOC?) athletes-commitee.

http://twitter.com/#!/marcelien/status/581878172094464

"Still debating @ISAF AC meeting: so we are not okay on mixed teams.
Long talk but in the end it's not suitable for 'professional' sailing."

Wow. Just, wow...

I mean, really? Wow...

Mike

That's from someone on the Athlete's Council... this is coming from the 470 contingient which is solidly not in favor of getting a 'mixed' designation - interesting to note that it is led by older men. The women on the AC are NOT in lock-step.

Discussion of mixed in the Multihull meeting yesterday was much more positive. While mixed is certainly seen as a compromise, and we're still much more supportive of a men's and a women's event, the majority feel that by achieving mixed for 2016 we address the criticism against a women's event for the future; namely that there are few women skippers. Once a mixed multihull is in the Games, we are likely to predominantly see the men on the front of the boat.

I think I have found a way to to make the mixed boat idea work. We just incorporate this "sport" with sailing.

http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/dailyloaf/2010/02/25/should-pole-dancing-be-an-olympic-sport/

There's a pole (mast). This would solve the viewing problem. What could better to watch than a cat screaming downwind in 20kts with some girl doing moves on the mast.

Just curious, are we going to have a mixed 100 yard dash, basketball, etc.

Are we talking about the same commitee? I dont see a lot of older men on that board:
http://www.sailing.org/committees/2009-2012/athletes-commission.php

Not sure where u get the "470 contingient" info from, there is only one 470 sailor on that board.
Marcelien is listed as a 470 sailor (silver medal winner) but now runs a RS:X compaing,
but what makes it relevent to me is that she is also a very successful F18 skipper.

Anyway, the AC is having a vote on it and they are voting against 'mixed'.

Some more info from the conference blog: http://isafconference.wordpress.com/

http://isafconference.wordpress.com/2010/11/06/multihull-musings/
"If multihulls are selected to be back in the Olympics the Multihull Commission believe that it should be:
3 sails; twin trapeze; centreboard and a manufactures class. Size should be 16, 18 or 20ft.
If a mixed multihull were selected they think in most case it would be female helm and male crew on something like a Formula 16."

http://isafconference.wordpress.com/2010/11/06/mixed-on-mixed/
"One of the options on the table for future Olympic classes is mixed multihull and mixed 470 class.
The Athletes Commission, made up current Olympic class sailors, are mixed on mixed.
Some like the idea some don’t. These are the views of the sailors themselves.
Goes to show how hard it is to make the right decisions."

it would be daft if they specified a female helm.

Nobody is 'specifying' female helm - the long-term plan among the multihull crowd is that we're likely to see new female helms under a mixed designation which paves the way for a women's Event in the future.

The word "centreboard" indicates two things: british author and Tornado bias, one of the few cats not using daggerboards.

Depending on the context and other relevant details (I read only the post here) it could mean support for the Tornado in general, except for a mixed event, where an F16 or similar would be preferred.

Makes sense to me.

In other words, if a mixed event is chosen, boats with a female helm will probably be faster than those with men helm.
Since fame and popularity tends to be associated to the skipper and not the crew, female skippers will become the sport´s heroes - and this will certainly help get a women´s multihull event.
Makes perfect sense.

Now you're just guessing... and wrong. Written by an AUS and presented with a Dutchie.

I thought a daggerboard was a type of centerboard...... But not all centerboards are daggerboards.

Oh my Tornado had a (pivoting) centerboard, my Nacra has a daggerboard as it slides in a casing. But on my Laser they are called foils lol the middle board slides and the rudder pivots, but I think they are refering to their resistance being transferred upwards as they provide lift but arent a wing..

As an unofficial update from Athens; there continues to be significant support for a multihull event, and discussion still about the 5/5 approach in the hallways and in meetings. There is potential for submissions 096 and 097 to be deferred to the May meeting, which is a little discouraging. Some MNAs are concerned that things might be moving too quickly, and others that feel the wording is difficult to transform into Regulation. But even with all that, it seems that the overall desire to move the Olympic agenda forward is unflagging and inevitable. There will be official updates from the Multihull Commission at some point in the next few days.

The stage is set for the Council debate and voting on Saturday.

Thanks for the update
Let us know any more that you get

Keep up the good work

The lightbulb just went on for me over the weekend...

The reason mixed sailing will be unpopular at these meetings is that there are so many Olympic hopeful teams that are two men. One of them would have to go to get a woman in place.

Has nothing to do with whether or not there is mixed sailing happening in the world (forced or otherwise). And, as JW mentioned, if it's open (not forced mixed), women won't likely participate in large numbers, so the IOC will be pissed.

Great conundrum...

Mike

Since when did the Olympics become an affirmative action/ Title IX victim? This ain't Tball where everyone plays!

Moreover, the athletes that we talk with will be all for a men's event.... It's in their personal best interest as well. Look they are committed pro's looking to move up in the sport. Now with an AC Cup on the scene... they aspire to hook on with a campaign (See gasby) post Olympics. Of course they want a mens multihull event... it means nothing!

If the Multihull is Men (or Open)... and the women want a 470 event and not a multihull event... So be it! ... The IOC is happy that there is equal opportunity... Men's cat.. women's 470 .... The IOC is unhappy about having to watch and market 470 racing on TV.... THAT IS SAILING"S PROBLEM...

How long do you think the Olympic 470 women's teams would take to figure out a cat and be top 10 in the amateur ranks of ANY multihull class. ... a month.. tops.

The MNAs are just protecting their perceived edge and their existing athletes investments and trying to cover up this harsh fact with a flim flam. The IOC will see through the smoke an mirrors... What they do with the sport that won't get with the program... ... HMMMM.

This battle is strictly about politics of trying to get an edge for your country at the MNA level.... NOT AT ALL about WHAT IS GOOD FOR OLYMPIC SAILING or the integrity of Olympic Sailing.

Good news that some of the participants see through this lame proposal.

I should have guessed that UK accent is mandatory...

We're over a major hurdle; Events Committee recommends to Council to include a Mixed Multihull Event. We got 84% of the vote.

Hmm.... isn't this A BIT OF deja vu? Did not the events committee proposed Multihull's the last time only to be overturned at the council level?