Olympics replace Finn
In a controversial move, World Sailing has voted for an offshore event to replace the mixed one-person dinghy class at the 2024 Olympic Games.
After a somewhat confusing decision-making process (the original submission was rejected by the World Sailing Council after being two votes short in May, but then supported at the annual conference in November), World Sailing has voted in a mixed two-person offshore keelboat class for the 2024 Olympic Games.
The 2024 Games will be hosted in Paris with the Olympic regatta held out of Marseille. The planned offshore class will race over a three-day and two-night race, with mixed doublehanded crews. This will make offshore sailing the longest event in the entire Olympic Games.
The decision will end a 68-year tenure for the Finn, traditionally the men’s heavyweight dinghy class.
For 2024 four of the ten Olympic classes will be mixed (kite, doublehanded dinghy, Nacra 17 multihull and offshore). The remaining classes will be the men’s and women’s RS:X, Laser and Radial, and 49er and 49erfx skiff.
The class of boat used has yet to be announced – it will be a 6-10m long displacement monohull (non-foiling) that should be able to perform in conditions ranging from 4-40 knots.
Reactions have been mixed – many have raised concerns about the costs involved, and how the choice of boat will be made.
But the decision is probably politically expedient – the heavyweight Finn class does not help gender parity and leaves sailing vulnerable to having the number of classes further reduced at future Games.
Mike Golding, who was invited to share his views at the World Sailing conference, said: “Personally, I’m very pleased. The simpler-to-understand format of an offshore event, which can be followed by a global audience 24 hours a day, provides a fantastic opportunity for our sport to showcase something different to the regular inshore races – that prove so difficult for non-sailors to follow.”
‘THE SIMPLER-TO-UNDERSTAND FORMAT CAN BE FOLLOWED 24 HOURS A DAY’ – MIKE GOLDING