Consider yourself warned…

by Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt Sailing News
The ten Olympic Sailing events are tinkering with racing formats to attract an audience for the Los Angeles 2028. The panic of Sailing getting dropped from the Summer Games is making the administrators crazy, and there is a very good chance their decisions will make the rest of us crazy too.

Can you imagine trying to follow a sport in which the events are scored differently? That’s where we’re headed, each pursuing a system suitable for their equipment in which the first boat across the finish line wins the Gold Medal. Of course, no one talks about how to attract the “sports fan” to sailing. Build it and they will come? Not likely.

It’s all watering down the tried and true which allows the cream to rise through a series of races, with the lowest score winning. Our playing field is varied, and the law of averages is needed for the most deserving to win. The International Olympic Committee, however, doesn’t like how a boat getting fifth in the last race is the winner.

If you watch SailGP, the broadcast continually updates the overall standings during the last race to keep the viewer engaged. The New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup did this too, and it was changing throughout the final race until San Diego Yacht Club approached the finish line. It worked!

If you want your head to spin, a report by Sail Canada (click here) tries to explain the format for the 2025 49er, 49erFX, and Nacra 17 World Championships to be held October 7-12 in Cagliari, Italy. Consider yourself warned…

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Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Sailing Program:
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

Dates: July 16-28