The much-publicised Mixed Two-Person Offshore Keelboat Event for Paris 2024 did not get the green light from the IOC this week and remains under review.
It’s understood that one of the key factors under consideration is cost, both of staging the event and of the figures involved in mounting a successful campaign for a coveted Olympic spot.
Estimates gathered by Afloat.ie show that the latter will not be cheap — with even the most tightly budgeted duo looking at more than €125,000 to have a shot at the 2024 Games.
But it’s looking more than likely that costs will be upwards of €200,000 for any serious mixed keelboat contenders.
In the absence of full details of the proposed Olympic mixed keelboat programme, Afloat.ie has based these estimates on the cost of running a Sunfast 3300 in a season of six to seven races around Europe and training in between, with a wage of €24,000 for both skippers.
A source close to Afloat.ie says savings of some €30,000 in vessel rental coats could be made by finding an owner willing to lend their boat — something that happens on a regular basis in offshore sailing.
“In return, I would let the owner keep the sails, the polars and Sailect files that we would make and they would get the boat back absolutely top spec, with the hull faired and new antifouling, and I would offer some coaching afterwards — so the budget could even be as low as €100,000,” our source added.
Another option for those with the available capital, or an investor willing to take a chance on Olympic success, is to buy a boat outright and sell it on after the competition — something else that’s regularly done in offshore racing circles.
Our source highlights that insurance for a two-handed keelboat is one area where things might work out cheaper than alternatives, as double-handed boats qualify as crewed — whereas single-handed insurance on a Figaro can be as much as €8,000 per annum.
See below for our full estimated breakdown of costs associated with a proposed mixed offshore keelboat Olympic campaign:
| Boat | High (€) | Low (€) |
|---|---|---|
| Rental LOA | 30,000 | 30,000 |
| Insurance | 8,000 | 2,000 |
| Sails | 40,000 | 20,000 |
| Maintenance/Optimisation | 12,000 | 8,000 |
| Branding | 5,000 | 0 |
| Skipper | High (€) | Low (€) |
| Gross Salary | 24,000 | 24,000 |
| Shore Crew | 14,000 | N/A |
| Training & Weather | 8,000 | 2,000 |
| Co-Skipper | 24,000 | 24,000 |
| Logistics | High (€) | Low (€) |
| Logistics | 10,000 | 4,000 |
| Vehicle LOA | 4,000 | N/A |
| Race Fees | 6,000 | 6,000 |
| Others | High (€) | Low (€) |
| Communication | 30,000 | 5,500 |
| Accountancy | 3,000 | 3,000 |
| Total | 218,000 | 128,500 |
