Progress in efforts to ensure sailing's place at Olympics

SAILING: STEPS BEING taken to ensure sailing remains an Olympic sport appear to be having an effect following comments made at the World Yacht Racing Forum (WYRF) in Estoril, Portugal earlier this week. Pressure has increased in recent years to make the sport more spectator friendly and better suited to TV coverage.

Aside from demands to increase female participation, restrictions on numbers have also seen the number of disciplines reduced to 10 which has added to scrutiny of traditional classes/equipment.

The 100-year-old Star keelboat was recently slated to be dropped from the format for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro in a decision that is subject to ratification by the International Sailing Federation in next spring.

The gap left by the venerable Star has been filled by reintroducing the multihull to the Olympic Regatta in a decision many observers suggest only returns the field to where it was before pressure to modernise the sport came from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). But even with the reintroduction of a multihull discipline that joins the 49er skiff as a visually exciting as well as athletic event, the other remaining classes and traditional courses are also facing review, especially with the emergence of new techniques and equipment.

The Moth dinghy class that uses a foil to lift the sailor and hull clear of the water to create high-speed racing is gaining a worldwide following while the outright world speed sailing record has been set by a kite-board that broke the 100 km/h barrier.

Added value is needed from sailing, IOC head of sports operations Pierre Ducrey told WYRF delegates on Wednesday. “The IOC is trying to push for formats that are as simple as possible,” he said.

The drive for change runs against the traditional grain of the sailing regatta though change is in the air.

Meanwhile, there was good news for the organisers of the Dún Laoghaire Regatta this week as Volvo Ireland announced their continued sponsorship of the biennial regatta that takes place from July 7th-10th, 2011.

Around 500 boats and about 3,000 participants are expected by the organising committee, led by chairman Adam Winklemann for the four waterfront clubs.