Decisions made for Paris 2024 Olympics

London, England (May 19, 2019) – World Sailing’s Council made key decisions today on the Equipment to be used at the Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing Competition as the Mid-Year Meeting came to a close.

The Laser was selected as the Men’s and Women’s One Person Dinghy, the IKA Formula Kite as the Mixed Kiteboard, and the 470 as the Mixed Two Person Dinghy. Also, the process on selecting the Equipment for the Mixed Two Person Offshore Keelboat was also confirmed.

A Board of Directors recommendation to select the RS:X as the Men’s and Women’s Windsurf Equipment was rejected meaning a new proposal will be required.

For background on how decisions are made within World Sailing, click here.

Paris 2024 Equipment
Before Council made its decisions on the Paris 2024 Equipment, the Board of Directors updated Council on its current plans for the Olympic Classes Contract. This included the position on implementing World Sailing’s Olympic Equipment Strategy (FRAND) agreed by Council in November 2018.

In order to provide certainty for Member Nations (MNAs), sailors, and teams, the Board will engage in contractual discussions only until August 1, 2019. If by that time no agreement is reached, the Board will report to Council that no agreement has been concluded and Council will then have to select new Equipment for the relevant Event.

Ahead of the debate, 21 Council members voted in favor of all votes on the Olympic Equipment being held in secret with 20 against. As a result, every vote cast was secret.

• Men’s and Women’s One Person Dinghy: The Laser was selected as the Paris 2024 Men’s and Women’s One Person Dinghy Equipment, subject to agreement of the Olympic Classes Contract for 2024, following a ballot vote.

Under Regulation 21.1.3 (e), the decision on selecting the Equipment has to be made before December 31, 2019. Council members voted on deferring the selection of the Equipment to the 2019 Annual Conference but this was rejected meaning a decision had to be made in London.

The next step was to vote on the Equipment Committee recommendation to select the RS Aero. Their recommendation was rejected.

The process moved to a ballot and Council members were able to vote on the four boats that were part of the process – the D-Zero, Laser, Melges 14, and RS Aero. The Laser won in the first round of votes.

For the Men’s One Person Dinghy, 36 voted for the Laser and five voted for the RS Aero. The D-Zero and Melges 14 received zero votes and there was one abstention.

For the Women’s One Person Dinghy, 37 voted for the Laser and four voted for the RS Aero. The D-Zero and Melges 14 received zero votes and there was one abstention.

• Men’s and Women’s Windsurfer: As the Men’s and Women’s Windsurfer Equipment is under a re-evaluation procedure, World Sailing’s Board of Directors have authority on making recommendations to World Sailing’s Council.

The Board of Directors recommendation was to select the RS:X as the Equipment. Nineteen Council members voted to accept the recommendation, 23 voted to reject and there were zero abstentions. As a result, the recommendation was rejected.

The Board of Directors will now have to propose a new recommendation to the Council.

• Mixed Kiteboard: The Equipment Committee recommended to Council that they should approve the IKA Formula Kite Class as the Equipment for the Mixed Kiteboard Event. Forty Council members voted to approve the recommendation subject to agreement of the Olympic Classes Contract for 2024. One member rejected and one abstained.

• Mixed Two Person Dinghy: World Sailing’s Council approved the 470, subject to agreement of the Olympic Classes Contract for 2024, as the Equipment for the Mixed Two Person Dinghy following the recommendation from the Equipment Committee. Forty-one members voted in favor of the 470. One member was against the 470 and there were zero abstentions.

• Mixed Two Person Offshore Keelboat: Submission M01-19, which proposed a way forward with the procedure for selecting the Equipment, was put forward by the Board of Directors in advance of the Mid-Year Meeting and was approved by Council. Thirty-nine members were in favor with two rejecting and zero abstentions.

The Submission proposed that World Sailing’s Council shall select a list of different Equipment which it considers to meet the key criteria of the event by December 31, 2019 and then make a decision on the Equipment, selecting from the list no later than December 31, 2023.

The Board agreed to amend the date to meet the key criteria of the event from December 31, 2019 to December 31, 2020 which Council approved.

MNAs, Classes, and Manufacturers will now be invited to propose Equipment for the list. A Working Party with members from the Equipment Committee, Offshore Committee, and Events Committee will evaluate the Equipment against the key criteria and present the recommended list for Council approval in November 2020.

The list will provide event organizers, MNAs, and sailors with diverse opportunities to train and compete in Equipment that is tested, readily available, and affordable in their continent. Postponing the decision of the Equipment that will be supplied at the Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing Competition will also promote fair opportunities for all MNAs.

Any changes to the Regulations that Council makes must also be ratified by the 2019 Annual General Meeting in November.

Paris 2024 Events and Equipment:
• Men’s Windsurfer – TBD
• Women’s Windsurfer – TBD
• Men’s One Person Dinghy – Laser Standard
• Women’s One Person Dinghy – Laser Radial
• Mixed Kiteboard – IKA Formula Kite
• Mixed Two Person Dinghy – 470
• Women’s Skiff – 49erFX
• Men’s Skiff – 49er
• Mixed Two Person Multihull – Nacra 17
• Mixed Two Person Offshore Keelboat – TBD

Governance Reform Presentation
The Independent Chair of the Governance Commission, Maria Clarke, a sports lawyer and sports governance expert, presented the Board of Directors Proposal for wholesale governance reform of World Sailing.

The Proposal was prepared by World Sailing’s Governance Commission after more than a year of consultation, feedback, and research with MNAs, Class Associations, Council, committee, and commission members and the wider sailing community.

Click here for the Proposal.

Clarke took Council delegates through the proposed reforms and highlighted the need for Council members and World Sailing’s stakeholders to provide further feedback as part of the consultation process.

Following a review of that feedback, the Commission will adjust the Proposal as necessary and make its final recommendations to the World Sailing Board, which, if approved, will then prepare and finalize a whole new Constitution for voting on. This is expected to occur at the Annual General Meeting in November 2019.

Events Strategy
Alastair Fox, Director of Events, and Sarah Kenny, Chair of the Events Committee, presented an Events Strategy Working Party report on World Sailing’s opportunity to develop a new strategy for 2021-2028.

The strategy focused on the requirements for sailors and that it must add value for all of World Sailing’s stakeholders with the Olympic Games at its heart.

Three key goals were established to promote sailors progression with a clear regatta structure, ensure a stable regatta calendar with a credible ranking system, and to see that Olympic level sailing is promoted to a greater audience to drive participation.

On May 17, the Events Committee endorsed the principles of the paper providing similar levels of World Sailing support were provided to class events, that a definition of, and how to become, a top-ranked regatta is established and how to make the events sustainable and cost efficient.

World Sailing’s Council approved the Strategy and work will now commence to implement.

The next meeting of World Sailing will be the 2019 Annual Conference. Bermuda will play host to delegates from October 26 to November 3.

Additional reports:
• Interview with World Sailing President Kim Andersen.
• Detailed plan for the Mid-Year Meeting.
• Editorial about the Paris 2024 Olympic Program.
• Events Committee report on May 17.
• Equipment Committee report on May 18.

Source: World Sailing