So it looks like the insane decision to drop the multihull from the olympics could be reversed. I will be one of many sailing fans around the world that applaud this re-emergence of common sense in the ISAF.
In fact the decision is not yet made – it has to be finalised at the ISAF md year meeting in May next year – but the indications are that there will be a “Mixed Multihull” class – effectively this means one male one female on the boat. It is unlikely that it will be a Tornado – there are more modern and faster potential boats – but it will be a fast cat around 18 foot long. The full list of events proposed for the 2016 games are:
Men’s Board or kite board – evaluation
Women’s board or kite board – evaluation
Men’s one person dinghy – Laser
Women’s one person dinghy – Laser Radial
Men’s skiff – 49er
Women’s skiff – evaluation
Mixed multihull – evaluation
Mixed two person dinghy (spinnaker) – 470
Women’s keelboat – Elliott 6m (format of racing TBC)
Men’s 2nd one person dinghy – Finn
The video above shows the Tornado in action – surely a better spectacle for those all-important TV viewers than many of the slower classes. With the emergence of the Extreme sailing series on 40 foot catamarans, and of course the recent announcement that the next Americas Cup will be fought in multihulls, there is no doubt that multihull sailing provides a fantastic spectator experience and is at the pinnacle of the sport in so many respects.
It was shere lunacy that caused the Tornado to be dropped from the 2012 games and there are many regretting the decision. Bring it on!
Having been a supporter of the movement to put Rugby in the Olympics I am encouraged to read today on that august website BBC that rugby and golf are on the list for potentlal inclusion.
“Golf is set to return to the Olympics after a 112-year absence in 2016, and rugby sevens will also be recommended to be part of that year’s Games.
The International Olympic Committee’s executive board voted to include both at its Berlin executive board meeting.
The recommendation must be rubber-stamped by a full meeting of the IOC congress in Copenhagen in October.”
Golf was played in 1900, and again in 1904, but not since. Now – I am a bigger player (and in a way fan) of golf nowadays than I am rugby, but I wonder if that is the right sport for the olympics. It has such a huge circuit outside the olympic movement. Then you have the nanas at ISAF dropping arguably the most entertaining sailing discipline – multihulls (yes – I am rather keen on them) and one has to wonder where sanity lies.
The 15-member board selected the proposed sports for 2016 by secret ballot over several rounds, with the sport receiving the fewest votes eliminated each time. Rogge, who chairs the board, did not vote.
Rugby was the clear winner overall, getting seven votes in the first round and a majority of nine in the second. In a separate ensuing vote, golf needed four rounds to get through.
Anyway – i think 7s will make a tremendous Olypmpic sport and urge those of you that care to visit http://www.olympic-rugby.org/ and cast your vote.
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