Olympic change is a dumpster fire

by Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt Sailing News
Why do some Olympic events remain unchanged while other events can chase the next greatest development? The doublehanded 470 remains the same since the event’s introduction in 1976, as has the singlehanded event which came along in 1996 with the ILCA, yet the windsurfing event continues to evolve:

1984 – Windglider
1988 – Lechner Division II
1992 – Lechner A-390
1996-2004 – Mistral One Design
2008-2020 – Neil Pryde RS:X
2024-2028 – iQFOiL

The 470 was designed in 1963, the ILCA in 1969, and the Windglider in 1976, yet windsurfers have changed five times since becoming an Olympic event. The 470 and ILCA are 50+ year old designs… what happens when the windsurfing equipment changes?

The RS:X was created specifically for the Olympic Games, and the Class website still refers to itself as the “Olympic Windsurfing Class Association.” But the online calendar and news don’t extend beyond 2016, and the link to Class Rules is broken. The website might be alive, but the Class appears to be dead.

While the Star (2012) and Finn (2020) organizations survived their Olympic evictions, odds are the 470 Class wouldn’t. When nearly everyone in a class is seeking Olympic glory, the equipment becomes a dumpster fire.

Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Sailing Program (July 16-28):
First Week – July 16-20
Men’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class – Long Beach, CA
Women’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class – Long Beach, CA
Men’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL – Long Beach, CA
Women’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL – Long Beach, CA

Second Week – July 23-28
Men’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 7 – Los Angeles, CA
Women’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 6 – Los Angeles, CA
Mixed Two Person Dinghy – 470 – Los Angeles, CA
Men’s Skiff – 49er – Los Angeles, CA
Women’s Skiff – 49erFX – Los Angeles, CA
Mixed Multihull – Nacra 17 – Los Angeles, CA

For more details, click here.