A Jaw Dropping Move

Performance - Kiteboarding -  ISAF ©

In a completely unexpected move, the ISAF Council has voted to have Kiteboarding as an Olympic Event for the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

The vote to make the switch was by 19 votes to 17 votes for the Windsurfer, meaning that one less vote for the Kites would have carried the day for the Windsurfer

Kiteboarding was the third Olympic event to undergo Evaluation Trials at Santander, Spain in March. However unlike the other two - being the Womens Olympic Skiff and the Mixed Multihull - which were givens as Events in the 2016 Olympic equation, the Evaluation Trial for the Kiteboard was to determine its suitability for the 2016 Olympics.

We have much more in this newsletter on the Kiteboard, the 49erFX and the Nacra 17 and we have been talking to numbers of the players in this rapidly evolving landscape.

Anyway ... its situation normal as Tom Slingsby is tracking towards his fourth world title in Boltenhagen Germany. A long way to go, but Tom is extending in light conditions abd his major foe Paul Goodison is having a horror regatta

ISAF Sailing World Championship. medal races Laser AUS Tom Slingsby Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships, 3rd - 18th December 2011. Perth 2011 image For further information please contact ajmck2008@live.com 0413 456 408 © Alex McKinnon. Images may be used for editorial purposes. Any other use of these images must have written approval from the photographe  Alex McKinnon

Next up we will have Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen in Zadar Croatia at the 49er Worlds.

We have a feature story on the Melbourne to Port Fairy Race Rescue at Sea – Part One today and Part Two on Wednesday .. definitely worth reading..

While we are following the Australian Olympic Squad in detail, there are some other Olympic athletes we are watching with interest. While the Western sailing world rarely discover anything about Chinese athletes, we have been able to talk to the Laser Radial star of 2012 Lily Xu a number of times across the last six months. She has so far won three Laser Radial World Sailing Cup events in 2012 and her bronze medal in Qingdao could easily turn to Gold in Weymouth.

And in offshore news, Puma Ocean Racing continues to hold onto a waxing lead in Leg Six of the Volvo Ocean Race (VOR), which is taking the sailors from Itajai, Brazil to Miami, Florida. Just astern of Puma's Mar Mostro is Emirates Team New Zealand's Camper and then Telefonica.

Tom Addis studies the radar from the nav station, looking for a way out of the large rain cloud right in the middle. Onboard PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG during leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12, from Itajai, Brazil, to Miami, USA. (Credit: Amory Ross/PUMA Ocean Racing/Volvo Ocean Race)   Amory Ross/Puma Ocean Racing/Volvo Ocean Race©

At the time of this writing, Mar Mostro was thirty-plus miles in front of the pack, having worked hard to extend their lead over the weekend. 'I'm not going to say much about the weather... it's more than cooperating and I don't want to jinx it,' reports Puma's Media Crew Member, Amory Ross. 'We have one more area of projected drifting on our way to Miami, and I worry that if I go off talking about how nice of a surprise yesterday was, how incredibly perfect the sailing was – especially when the early outlook looked so bleak – I worry I might eliminate the chance of it happening again when we hit the final hurdle of high-pressure tomorrow.'

Get the full VOR reports below and in the morning from Sail-World.com.

Have a great week

2016 Olympics: Kiteboarding ousts Windsurfer for 2016 Sail-World, In a completely unexpected move, the ISAF Council has voted to have Kiteboarding as an Olympic Event for the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.... [more] Share this story

Mackay FX confirmed as Women's Skiff equipment for Rio 2016 ISAF, ISAF has now confirmed that the FX by Mackay Boats has been selected for the Women's Skiff event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition. ISAF Council considered the recommendations of the Evaluation Panel, the Equipment Committee and the Events Committee and, after a comprehensive discussion, voted with the majority of members in favour of the Mackay FX.... [more] Share this story

China's Lijia Xu – firming as London 2012 Laser Radial favourite Rob Kothe and the Sail-World Team, The top performing Women's Laser Radial sailor on the 2011- 2012 World Cup circuit has been China's 24 year old Lijia Xu, who just won her third Gold medal of this season at the Semaine Olympique Francaise. This now positions her atop the ISAF Laser Radial Standings.... [more] Share this story

Laser World Championships - Slingsby extends Craig Heydon, The conditions shook up the Laser World Championships leader board on day three of racing in Boltenhagen, Germany. 'Today was another good day of racing for me and once again we had five to six knots of breeze and it was very shifty,' said Slingsby.... [more] Share this story

Melbourne to Port Fairy Race 2012 - Rescue at Sea Part 1 Grant Dunoon as told to Dr Peter Ball, The rescue at sea of the crew of Inception by TryBooking.com, another competitor in the Melbourne to Port Fairy Race 2012, is a gripping story. At 1800hrs, the second front hit them with full force as the wind blasted in from the northwest at 40 to 50kts with gusts up to 70kts ............ [more] Share this story

Codi-K II latest addition to Marine Rescue NSW fleet Ken McManus, Codi-K II, a $260,000 8.5 metre Gemini Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat, is the latest addition to the Marine Rescue NSW fleet. The formal commissioning ceremony for the Codi-K II will take place at Port Stephens today, Monday 7th May. Marine Rescue NSW Commissioner Stacey Tannos said the Codi-K II would be a valuable addition to marine search and rescue capability in the Hunter region... [more] Share this story

Exemplar Clipper Cup Regatta, Port Douglas May 23rd to 27th Mick Gwilliams, Port Douglas Yacht Club hosts the Exemplar Clipper Cup Regatta May 23rd to 27th 2012. Entries are rolling in with this years fleet expected to be the biggest in many years. Racing starts on Wednesday May 23rd in the three division (PHS) six race series with the winner in each division staking their claim to be recognised on the prestigous Clipper Cup trophy.... [more] Share this story

NeilPryde Racing Series a success at 2012 Top of the Gulf Regatta Infinity Communications, The RS:One Class features a new, attractive, and dynamic race format: One sail, one board - everyone on the same equipment allowing male and female racers of all ages to compete together with equal chances. Courses were set inside Ocean Marina, just metres from the Regatta Lawn, providing a unique spectator experience and allowing for some exciting close-quarter competition on-the-water.... [more] Share this story

Airlie Beach Race Week - Will Team Vodafone defend title? Ian Grant, Team Vodafone regularly set the speed sailing pace in the high 20 knot range and logged a peak of 33 knots when skipper Simon Hull and his thrill seeking crew dominated the overall regatta line honours trophy last August.... [more] Share this story

Australian Yacht & Boat Club Managers Forum at CYCSA Laura Cowley, The Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia will welcome delegates from across the country this week to the inaugural Australian Yacht and Motor Boat Club Management Forum.... [more] Share this story

Huey II proves light breeze specialist in Melges 24 Winter Regatta Tracey Walters, The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club hosted the Melges 24 Winter Regatta over the weekend. North American Melges 24 Champion Nathan Wilmot, who has been sailing extensively in the Melges 20, 24 and 32 classes in Europe and the USA, sailed onboard Arriba Arriba.... [more] Share this story

Yacht feature: Salona 38 - heading for Australia Lee Mylchreest, Croatian company Salona has used the latest technology and high tech materials in their newest release, the Salona 38. They've benefited, they say, from the experience building all their previous models from 34 to 60ft. But you'll b able to judge for yourself soon, because she's heading for Australia.... [more] Share this story

Star Worlds - Light winds and suspense on day 3 + Video Iasonas Georgaris, At the 2012 Star Worlds in Hyeres, once again the wind was too light. However, there was lot of suspense in the one and only race with Robert Scheidt losing the lead a few meters before finishing.... [more] Share this story

Laser World Championship - Goodison yellow flagged again Deike Mary Flemming, On day 3 of the Laser World Championship 2012, Olympic Gold medalist Paul Goodison (GBR) earned his third yellow flag. Tom Slingsby (AUS) increased his lead over the fleet.... [more] Share this story

UK Finn Nationals - Postma wins the day but Scott still leads Robert Deaves, On the second day of the 2012 UK Finn Nationals, despite race wins for Pieter-Jan Postma (NED) and Jonathan Lobert (FRA), Giles Scott (GBR) still leads the fleet into the final day by four points from Postma. Ben Ainslie (GBR) sits in third place, on equal points with Postma.... [more] Share this story

49er World Championship - World's top sailors prepare for battle Jerelyn Biehl, The 2012 49er World Championship is set to get underway in Zadar, Croatia on the 7th of May with the prizegiving ceremony to take place on the 12th of May. Some of the world's best sailors will be on hand in Zadar to do battle. Seventy eight teams representing 32 nations have arrived in Zadar not only to claim the remaining five country slots for the 2012 Olympics but to test their skills... [more] Share this story

Top Of The Gulf Regatta - Easy Tiger Racing grabs the lead Lulu Roseman, At the 2012 Top of The Gulf Regatta, despite juggling a demanding social schedule, the crew onboard The Ferret powered by Easy Tiger Racing pulled out all stops to take the overall lead after the second day of the Platu Coronation Cup.... [more] Share this story

PWA Ulsan Korea World Cup - Exciting second day Chris Yates, PWA Ulsan Korea World Cup second day started in much the same fashion as the opening day, with winds coming from almost every direction as the wind failed to establish itself. However at 2pm the wind swung cross shore and picked up to 15 to 18 knots, ensuring an action packed afternoon, which saw both the men and women's first elimination's completed.... [more] Share this story

Top of the Gulf 2012 – Day 2 - Challenging all round Guy Nowell, Sail-World Asia, Not so much breeze as yesterday, but brief bursts of sunshine to make everything look that much more sparkly. RO Jerry Rollin summed up the day as 'challenging for the competitors, and challenging for the race management.' The wind had died off a little overnight, but still blew a good 10kts all day with enthusiastic gusts of over 16kts, all out of 240? - give or take 30? of swing... [more] Share this story

Volvo Ocean Race - Life is good onboard Puma's Mar Mostro + Video Amory Ross, Volvo Ocean Race, Day 14 of Leg 6. Amory Ross, MCM for Puma Ocean Racing powered by Berg, reports on the crew's progress: I'm not going to say much about the weather... it's more than cooperating and I don't want to jinx it. We have one more area of projected drifting on our way to Miami, and I worry that if I go off talking about how nice of a surprise yesterday was... [more] Share this story

Audi Winter Series - Race 2 light conditions Jennifer Crooks, Audi Winter Series - What a difference one week makes. Winter's fickle nature showed its renowned form today in race two with light westerly winds, a significant change from the southerlies breezes over 20 knots in race one. 136 starters lined up on a chilly but sunny Sunday morning with the Sydney 38 Division first away at 11.25am.... [more] Share this story

Star Worlds - Light winds on day 2 + Video Jason Georgaris, On the second day of the 2012 Star Worlds, there were light winds which allowed for only a single race to be sailed. Xavier Rohard was victorious is scoring a bullet whilst the shifty and gust weather brought an abundance of ups and downs with top sailors facing troubles.... [more] Share this story

Volvo Ocean Race: A Naviguesser's nightmare as fleet creep to Miami Sail-World and Volvo Ocean Race, When the the results of the sixth leg of the Volvo Ocean Race are analysed there will no doubt be experts by the container full as to where the boats should have headed and when. But right now it is a mess, as wind systems collapse and projected routes change dramatically - with the assumption that a boat can just 'port' itself to wherever she needs to be to take the vital leg points. However P... [more] Share this story

Laser World Championships - Slingsby continues to lead the way Craig Heydon, On day two of the 2012 Laser World Championships, Tom Slingsby continues to lead the way at the top of the ladder. The four-time World Champion finished Saturday's two races with a first and a fourth and has been joined in the top three by fellow Australian Tom Burton.... [more] Share this story

Beneteau Pittwater Cup - Images by John Curnow Anna Parker, Sail-World.com, The 2012 Beneteau Pittwater Cup, hosted by Royal Prince Alfred YC, attracted some 31 yachts of varying sizes towards the end of April to the annual Sydney northern beaches fray. John Curnow was on hand to capture this stunning gallery of images.... [more] Share this story

Top of The Gulf Regatta - Sensational start for Easy Tiger Racing Lulu Roseman, In the 2012 Top of The Gulf Regatta, The Ferret powered by Easy Tiger Racing had a cracker of a day clocking up a third and a bullet in the highly contested one design Platu class. In 15 knots of breeze Nataya, skippered by Rolf Heemskerk, got off to a strong start with a first in Race 1 followed by Short Time, skippered by Ian Short and The Ferret powered by Easy Tiger Racing... [more] Share this story

Top of the Gulf 2012, Day 1 – more than a capful of breeze Guy Nowell, Sail-World Asia, Cue PRO Jerry Rollins' in-house Speaking Clock, and with a ‘three, two, one, go' off went the Cruising division on a windward/leeward course, followed by the Platus, Ocean Multihulls, IRS 1 and 2 and then IRC 3 and the Sportsboats. For the smaller boats a 2nm beat against the tide seemed a long haul, but the bigger boats made mincemeat of it,... [more] Share this story

Rio 2016 Olympics - Kiteboarding to replace Windsurfing ISAF, Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition final event and equipment selections has been confirmed by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF). The ISAF Council voted that Kiteboarding will replace Windsurfing for the men's and women's board events and confirmed the equipment that will be used for the Women's Skiff and Mixed Multihull Events.... [more] Share this story

2016 Olympics: NACRA17 chosen as the Mixed Multihull class for 2016 Sail-World, On the second day of its Mid-Year meeting in Sestra, Italy, the ISAF Council have voted in favour of the NACRA17 being the class/equipment for the new Mixed Multihull event to be sailed at the 2016 Olympics. The Council vote was decisive at 20 votes to 15 - an improvement over the Events Committee where the NACRA17 only made it as preferred boat by virtue of the Chairman, Chris Atkins' casting... [more] Share this story

Volvo Ocean Race - Out of control onboard Puma's Mar Mostro Amory Ross, Volvo Ocean Race, Day 13 of Leg 6. Amory Ross, MCM for Puma Ocean Racing powered by Berg, reports on the crew's progress: It's a good thing we're floating in a lawless land because closer to shore someone might charge our sails with assault and battery for the inflicted violence it continues to exact on our rig.... [more] Share this story

49er World Championship 2012 - Outteridge aims to make history Craig Heydon, Australian Nathan Outteridge is out to create history at the 2012 49er World Championship in Zadar, Croatia, next week as he aims to become the first sailor to win four world titles in the class.... [more] Share this story

Four times Laser World Champ Slingsby starts title defence in style Craig Heydon, Tom Slingsby's World Championship title defence is off to an ideal start, with the Australian ending day one of the 2012 Laser World Championship with a perfect scorecard.... [more] Share this story

Olympic Skiff Selection for 2016 - RS900 dream ends Martin Wadhams, Naturally, we are hugely disappointed that the RS900 has not been selected as the women's Olympic skiff. It was recommended for selection by ISAF's Equipment Committee who carried out the most detailed examination of all the entrants and judged it to best fit the criteria – a spectacular boat that would suit the size of sailors specified.... [more] Share this story

2016 Olympic Womens Skiff chosen after tense political stoush Richard Gladwell, The FX by Mackay Boats carried the day after a tense debate over the choice of the selection of class, for the Olympic Womens Skiff, on opening day of the ISAF Council Meeting in Stresa, Italy. The FX had undergone eight months of development, particularly in the rig, which is carried on a 49er hull, designed by Julian Bethwaite and selected for the Mens Skiff event at the 2000 Olympics in Sydn... [more] Share this story

Sailors are online – is your marine business advertising? Rob Kothe and the Sail-World.com Team, We live in a ‘now' world, sailors want NOW news! Forget about an audience waiting two months for print news, many of them can't wait two hours!!... [more] Share this story

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