Without a 3 person boat in the Olympics, what does everyone think of the Viper as an Olympic Class?
NOOOOO!!!! We will die..
It's a moot point since I can't imagine them adding a keelboat or 3-person boat back again. Doesn't do anything for expense, co-ed numbers, developing countries, etc.
World Sailing is sending off all kinds of confused signals.
The fact that they are even considering introducing an offshore race in an ocean going boat sounds completely out of synch with IOC's mandate for expense, numbers and developing nations.
The problem with WS is that they have relapsed to selecting equipment on an event by event and class by class basis which creates incredible politics and an overall selection that looks strange and in-cohesive.
I have argued that WS should first define categories and then let selection committees fight over which boat will enable the Olympics to determine the best sailors in the world in each category.
In terms of categories, competitive sailors around the world race in:
Dinghies
Keelboats
Multihulls
Boards.
It seems blindingly obvious to me that there should be at least one event in each of the major categories.
In 2012, political event selection meant that there was no multihull.
In 2016, political event selection meant that there was no keel boat (it took that to dislodge the Star).
The absence of either meant that a major component of the sport was absent.
In the largest, most competitive, most athletic category....dinghies....there should be room for double handed, single handed, mens and womens. But should the entire category of keelboats and the hugely popular and growing sport of kiteboarding be excluded so that we can have 4 events Mens 49ers, womens 49ers, Mens 470s and Womens 470s ??????