ISAF Annual Conference - Decisions on Sailing World Cup and Rio 2016

by Daniel Smith on 16 Nov 2013 The ISAF Council met at the ISAF Annual Conference on 15 November in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman with key decisions made on the future of the ISAF Sailing World Cup and the Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition.

At the May 2013 ISAF Mid-Year in meeting Copenhagen, Denmark, ISAF President Carlo Croce announced that one of the major goals of the ISAF Executive Committee was to revitalise the ISAF events.

After a series of Presidential Forums a new mission was established and that was:

To build a clearly understood and professionally organised Olympic sailing annual calendar that each year crowns one undisputed World Champion in each Olympic Event and enables athletes, national teams, the Olympic Classes and ISAF to generate significant sporting and commercial value beyond the Olympic Games.

The desired outcome of the new ISAF event structure is:

To provide all nations, all sailors and all events with a clearer structure to operate within, clearer goals and a better way of measuring progress resulting in increased alignment and value at all levels from beginner to elite.

Following a lengthy discussion at ISAF Council the members voted in favour of the new concept and can now begin to implement

To read the Submission Paper on the new structure click here

The Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition format and qualification was approved by ISAF Council with final details to be confirmed in 2014.

Two full reserve days will be scheduled for each event before their Medal Race to ensure the competition schedule will be completed in its entirety.

The Men’s and Women’s 470, Laser, Laser Radial and Finn will each sail a 10 race qualification series with two races per day with one final race encompassing the top ten.

The 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 will have a qualification series of 12 races with three races per day and one final race with the top ten boats competing. The Men’s and Women’s RS:X will in principle race a similar format but the number of races per day may be reviewed by the ISAF Technical Delegates, the Olympic Management team and the RS:X Class following the 2014 and 2015 Olympic test events.

ISAF will make further decisions on target times, race management and final schedule in May 2014.

The Qualification System will go to the International Olympic Committee for their approval with publication in February 2014.

Nations will begin to qualify at the Santander 2014 ISAF Worlds where 50% of places will be decided. The remaining places will be contested at Continental Qualification regattas in 2015 and 2016.

The ISAF Council resume on 16 ISAF website