Is the risk worth the reward?

As the International Olympic Committee seeks to shape the Summer Games into an entertaining made-for-television broadcast, Sailing has traded established class boats for high performance equipment used primarily for Olympic competition.

Bill Canfield, past President of Virgin Islands Sailing Association and longtime regatta director and Olympic observer, has concerns about a sport that risks its base to satisfy the needs of the IOC:

While sailing should do what it can to stay part of the Olympics, we also must draw a line in the sand somewhere in the future where World Sailing doesn’t do more harm than good for the overall health of the sport by following IOC directives.

I believe Sailing is considered a 3rd tier sport and receives about $15 million every 4 years. Some of that goes to operations, some to the 100 odd national authorities and some to support Olympic expenses. In return, we are supposed to change our sport to make TV viewers happy no matter what the cost.

Some of the results of these changes has a much younger participant racing in boats that have taken on a throw away mentality. The $50,000 49er and FX only stay competitive for about three months before needing to be replaced. The foiling iQFOiL windsurfer lasts three events and their sails just one. Nacra 17 prices increase each year to ensure foiling in all conditions and legs of the course. If a kite gets submerged, it no longer remains competitive.

My question is who is paying for this wasteful approach to our sport? The average club sailed boat stays competitive for years but they are deemed not great for broadcast viewing. We are also changing proven racing formats to ones that are unpopular with the competitors and in some cases unfair to the best athletes.

Let’s continue with this madness, but after Los Angeles 2028 a hard look needs to be taken at this crazy direction forced on Sailing by the International Olympic Committee.

Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing Program:
Men’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 7
Women’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 6
Mixed Two Person Dinghy – 470
Men’s Skiff – 49er
Women’s Skiff – 49erFX
Men’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class
Women’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class
Men’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL
Women’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL
Mixed Multihull – Nacra 17

Venue: Marseille, France
Dates: July 28-August 9

Details:
• Paris website: https://www.paris2024.org/en/the-olympic-games-paris-2024/
• World Sailing microsite: https://paris2024.sailing.org/