What do you think our chances would have been if we'd been voted out today?

I'm not keen on forcing mixed crews for both 470 and Multi, and why the choice between board and kites... drop the fin and let both be in!

From valencia sailing:
[Source: IASF] It was the most packed session we have had this week to hear the Events Committee’s recommendation on the provisional Olympic events and equipment for 2016.

This is how the voting went. The Events Committee recommends:

- Board or kite-board for men and women – equipment evaluation
- One person dinghy men – Laser Standard
- One person dinghy women – Laser Radial
- Two person dinghy (skiff) men – 49er
- Two person dinghy (skiff) women – equipment evaluation
- Second one person dinghy men – Finn
- Two person mixed multihull – equipment evaluation
- Two person mixed dinghy with spinnaker – 470
- Women’s keelboat – Elliott 6m

In so doing the committee’s voting recommends taking out the men’s keelboat. The second one person dinghy for women was the other option not to be selected.

The Committee’s recommendations are of course just that. They will go to the ISAF Council for consideration this weekend. After Council vote they are then subject to confirmation at the ISAF Mid-Year meeting in May 2011.

I wonder why the keelboat for women and not men? That is an event that could be mixed, on something like a Viper.

I just think the idea of mixed is wrong, should be open, or one for each... how many teams out there (in 470 as well) are now broken up.... Maybe it will work.. who knows.

It does open up the possibility of a Viper (F16) becoming the cat for the olympics though....

Maybe I'm wrong on this... so much of this seems wrong (mixed 470, mixed cat, board OR kites, still has Fin, has a women's keelboat but no mens....) I predict this won't get voted through unchanged.

Actually... much better had this vote not come out this way!

Had we held firm... not accepted a mixed multihull... The Committees and Councils would have faced going to the IOC without a Multihull again... IMO... they would not have done this suicidal move.

NOW... the Council has cover... they can say.. well the athletes have approved a MIXED Mulit and a MIXED 470... We keep the Finn and dump a keel boat.

The athletes input and the committees have (as usual) been self serving...

WHY women's keel boat? ... answer... because the old women want to find a way to Professional sailing ... It's their priority.... has been for years.

Why Finn.... answer.. Olympic political clout!.... the fig leaf... is they tell the IOC that they are supporting individual athlete events.... (The women's committe wanted NO PART of this Hiking BS... so they get their wish... a women's Keel boat for match racing.)

These people act like sailing a catamaran is like piloting an alien space ship... Tell the old broads to get in shape and hike or trapeeze! ITS A FEAKING ATHLETIC COMPETITION.

The Olympic ideal SHOULD have been
Boards
Skiffs
CATS
Laser/Laser
Finn/Europe

This gives you gender equity... (IOC CHECK) shifts the majority of the sport to individual events (6 of 10) (IOC CHECK) NO Keel Boats... (IOC CHECK). Visually exciting.. Skiffs and Cats. (IOC CHECK)

As always John... Your milage may vary. I would not have compromised... the cost /benefit ratio is not good.

If it does go mixed, there are still 2 different way it could be [depending on the equipement]

Mixed on a performance cat - Something like an F16 would make Olympic sailing a specialist sport that requires a special boat and training squads. This would dilute the sailing that we do

Mixed on a 'Popular' cat - Something like a Hobie 16 would mean that classes like F18 and A class would still flourish and sailors would jump onto the H16 as a sideline for Olympic selection. This would ADD to the sailing that we do at the moment.


Olympic sailing will never be a sideline, there will always be pro sailors taking it very seriously. What I am trying to consider, is how it will effect overall [rank and file] cat sailing across the board

My vote would be for Hobie 16

Uh oh! Now you've done it!

At least he didn't say Hobie 16 with a spinnaker...

Mike

But that was what he meant.......

Correct!... Fact of life... the Olympic sailors will not be competing in many regional regattas. they have no time.

So for a popular class like the Hobie 16... no spin!
That means.. they show up for your NA's... When you have 60 to 70 boats on the line for NA's... do 2 Olympic team boats make a difference...
IMO... No.

For a small performance class...eg the Tornado, does it make a difference... IMO Yes... you will never grow the class beyond the Olympic Sailors.

The problem with being the pinnacle of the sport... is that pinnacles are small... IF you have a large pyramid... to support the pinnacle.... great! If you have a narrow cylinder of a class... it is hard to grow this fleet.

I think that with mixed multihull... you take the Laser philosophy (Simple boat) and pick a Hobie 16 no chute.... You value popularity over performance.

or a prindle 16; maybe a solcat?

found it..

anyway- happy that first step is done to get multihulls back into the olympics

Im not trying to blame anyone here but, there still seems to be a lot of shitty boats recomended by the commitee IMO. Nothing really seems to have changed...what a shame. Isaf has a chance to do something good and its just the same old ****.

This could be interesting if the Star lobby started to push the 5&5 proposals as a way to survive.

The Hobie 16 is the introduction cat to the olympics eg youth worlds so I really dont think it will be chosen, anyhow the decision to go mixed cat is just as bad as dropping the tornado, If we summerise the pros and cons mixed = epic fail!
ISAF = bunch of monohull dinasours and the multihull council that is allowing the ISAF to dictate to them = piss weak
And that isnt because it isnt what I want, it is because its true! Any how if it happens to be in mixed hobie 16 I will get the chance to smash any olympic gold medalist team in my 10 yr old 17 ft nacra 1 up or 2 up or even if im drunk as a skunk and fall overboard, no challenge!

John Willams, thanks for all you do for Multihull Sailing World wide. Remember,John is there fighting for our cause, and deserves all our support.
Caleb Tarleton

I was thinking the same thing!

From Ben Barger: "Voted on submission 96 passed for new event selection procedure. Now to 97 and the vote."

Mark, your input is, of course, appreciated. But I think you're just wrong. We tried the "no compromise" approach and it was an abject failure. When there was still a chance of getting to Weymouth, we ruined it by allowing naïveté and bullish behaviour to guide our effort. For Christ's sake, we threatened to sue!

It is too easy in righteous indignation to dig in your heels and refuse to budge. Is 5/5 the right way to go for sailing as a sport? Of course it is. And we are on record in a positive and constructive way as saying so, steadfastly and consistently; but not to the exclusion of all else anymore. Watching the classes struggle to stay alive in the Olympic arena was, for me, a tremendously humbling experience. The truth is that they are all, every one, in the same state as us. There are no rock-solid alliances, lobbying juggernauts, or perfect strategies. We have had equal presence at ISAF meetings for the last three years, and THAT is what did the trick. We just have to show up to stay topical and visible, smile and start conversations, and keep a positive outlook.

For now and through 2015, we are the mixed multihull event. The groundwork for a men's and a women's event in 2020 is laid, and mixed is a part of that strategy. I'm sorry you don't like the plan, but your way of doing it wasn't working. Varying mileage? Your no-compromise approach kept us at the ramp, looking on. By playing the game, we got all the way to Rio.