Madrid, Spain: Following discussion and recommendations in the Match Racing, Women's Sailing and Equipment Committee meetings earlier in the week, the Events Committee approached the selection of equipment for the 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition head on.All the recommendations from different Committees will be collated and compiled tonight ready for the start of the ISAF Council meeting, which begins tomorrow and continues through until Saturday. The key decisions on Submissions and Olympic equipment are scheduled for Friday.
In looking at the Olympic equipment, the Events Committee followed the same procedure in selecting the equipment as the Equipment Committee. This was based upon the shortlist of equipment (drawn up from Submissions received) and the voting procedure agreed by the ISAF Council at the ISAF Mid-Year Meeting in May (see Tuesday's report for full details). Most of the discussion centred around the choice of equipment for the Women's Two Person Dinghy and the Women's Keelboat Match. The vote in the remaining eight events followed the votes of the Women's Sailing and Equipment Committee to select equipment used at the 2008 Olympic Games.
On the topic of the equipment for the Women's Two Person Dinghy, the choice was between the 470, equipment at the Olympic Games ever since the Women's Two Person event was introduced in 1988 and the 29er XX, a skiff from the same designer as the 49er successfully introduced at the Games in 2000.
Several Committee members spoke in support of the 29er XX as a move to develop the sport and create a new pathway for young female sailors.
Ballot results:
Ballot 1: Women's Windsurfing - RS:X
Ballot 2: Men's Windsurfing - RS:X
Ballot 3: Women's 1 Person Dinghy - Laser Radial
Ballot 4: Men's 1 Person Dinghy - Laser
Ballot 5: Men's 1 Person Dinghy (heavyweight) - Finn
Ballot 6: Women's 2 Person Dinghy - 29er XX
Ballot 7: Men's 2 Person Dinghy - 470
Ballot 8: Men's 2 Person Dinghy (high performance) - 49er
Ballot 9: Women's Keelboat Match - equipment decision to be made at a later date
Ballot 10: Men's Keelboat - Star
ISAF Events
Following on from the decisions relating to the Olympic Sailing Competition, the Events Committee received reports on the progress of the 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships and the up-coming ISAF Sailing World Cup.
The ISAF Sailing World Cup will launch at Sail Melbourne in December 2008. It will bring together seven events across Oceania, North America and Europe, with sailors scoring points at each event to count towards their overall World Cup Standing. Committee chair Bjorn UNGER (SWE), also a member of the World Cup Working Party, explained the aim was to build the series up, working under the collective banner of the ISAF Sailing World Cup to enhance the individual strengths of each of the World Cup events. More on the ISAF Sailing World Cup can be found at www.sailing.org/isafsailingworldcup.
The 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships will take place in Perth, Australia in December 2011.
ISAF Meetings microsite - www.sailing.org/meetings
