Are the Olympics critical for Sailing?

Despite being a founding event of the Olympic Games, Sailing continues to worry. This concern comes as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) reshapes the competition to insure its relevancy in the sports world.

For Sailing, tinkering began at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, with more change coming for Los Angeles 2028. While the equipment will be the same as Paris 2024, the regatta formats continue to pursue a more “watchable” schedule.

A Facebook post on the topic closed with this statement:

We need to do everything which can help making sailing more attractive (TV/spectators) and more understandable as a part of the Olympic family. Of the present 312 events, sailing has among the lowest TV-ratings. We must change for the better. That’s in the interest of all sailors, as the Olympics provide our sport with best possible promotion towards new sailing generations.

Send comments to editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com.

Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Sailing Program (July 16-28):
First Week – July 16-20
Men’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class – Long Beach, CA
Women’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class – Long Beach, CA
Men’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL – Long Beach, CA
Women’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL – Long Beach, CA

Second Week – July 23-28
Men’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 7 – Los Angeles, CA
Women’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 6 – Los Angeles, CA
Mixed Two Person Dinghy – 470 – Los Angeles, CA
Men’s Skiff – 49er – Los Angeles, CA
Women’s Skiff – 49erFX – Los Angeles, CA
Mixed Multihull – Nacra 17 – Los Angeles, CA