World Championships must be worldly

There are too many World Championships that don’t seem too worldly, prompting questions about how World Sailing awards the opportunity to host such a title, and whether the world governing body for the sport of sailing is monitoring their standards.

According to the World Sailing Regulations, if a Class has failed to meet this requirement for two of their last three World Championships, it may only call its next such event a World Championships and award World Champion titles if the participation levels at that event meet this requirement.

When a Class has failed to meet the standards, there is a ‘begging and pleading’ provision, but it was at the 2023 World Sailing Annual Conference where the Class Review Working Parties presented a list of classes recommended to have their World Sailing Status withdrawn.

Noting the work of the Working Party, the Equipment Committee has recommended to Council the following Classes for withdrawal of their World Sailing status:

• Ocean 65
• Swan 45
• Splash
• Enterprise
• X-41

Of that group, the Swan 45 is remembered for its World Championship which were mostly held in Italy but not held in 2022 and attracted just two boats in 2023.