Does the Wheel Need to Be Reinvented?
Olympic competition once highlighted prominent class boats, but it is now more common to create new boats to fill certain event concepts.
With a mandate for a more dynamic broadcast product, event formats no longer resemble recreational racing.
Nick Bailey is confused why World Sailing is ignoring the one option in sailing that already exists and would meet the needs of the International Olympic Committee.
A Team Race Format
A team race format is not being advanced, despite offering a small closed course, continuous action, collisions, and easy TV formatting.
- Continuous action, including collisions
- Easy for a TV format
- Much easier to follow for non-sailors than foilers and planning skiffs spread across the course
Author's summary: Olympic sailing needs a dynamic format.