Rio 2016 - Plain speaking by triple-medalist on Olympic sailing moves

by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com NZL on 25 Aug 2016 In contrast to 2008 and 2012, the Medalist Media Conferences at the 2016 Olympic Regatta were generally lacklustre affairs, often with some medallists not even showing up.

The exception was that of the Nacra 17 class, with the new class and new style of event – the Mixed Team – dropping on its feet.

The latter got the seal of approval from the International Olympic Committee a month or so before the Olympic regatta when the Agenda 2020 report made an approving reference to the concept of mixed gender events.

Santiago Lange, a six-time Olympian and Bronze medallist in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, won his third medal – Gold sailing in the Nacra 17 class.

With that length of experience at an Olympic level, having sailed the Laser, Tornado and now Nacra 17 classes his comments on the future shape of the Olympic regatta was one of the highlights of the Medallists Media Conferences.

Lange started the 2016 Olympic campaign as the coach for his sons who were competing in the 49er class. He was the only parent competing in the same sport as his sons (who competed in the 49er class) and was also the oldest Gold medallist at the Rio Olympics.

“I started this Olympic cycle as the coach for my sons,” he said. “In the summer I was running on the beach here in Brazil and decided that it was too much responsibility to coach my sons.

“Then Cecilia had broken up with her partner in the Nacra and came to me for advice. I said you could either go back to the Laser or keep sailing the Nacra and maybe try with this old man!

“She accepted, and we went sailing for two days. On the second day we were practicing tacking and gybing, and I realised I still had the will to work hard.”

“So I am here really because of my sons.”

“Now we realise how privileged we all are to be sharing this experience.”

Medal races too short and sharp
Since competing in his first Olympics in 1988 in Korea, Lange has seen and experienced the changes in format from long courses sailed over the horizon to the mix of ocean, inshore and stadium racing that was the sailing regatta in Qingdao, Weymouth, and Rio de Janeiro.

The first question on the future of the sport was hinged around inshore course racing.

“The sport is going in that direction, and we have got to learn to sail in those conditions. As long as there are many races I am fine with it,” he added.

“I wouldn’t like a couple of long races followed by a Medal Race.”

Then the now triple-Olympic Medalist opened up on the Medal Race, having just sailed the race of his life to win the Gold Medal. That was despite being twice-penalised in the final three round, double points scoring Medal race, sailed on the controversial Pão de Açucar stadium course, with its big shifts and variances in wind strength.

“The only thing I would change is the Medal Race because I think it is unfair to have a small race with double the points,” said Lange, who was also part of Artemis Racing in the 34th America’s Cup.

“I like the idea of having the ten best sailors to race against each other, but I would rather do it over two days over four or six races.”

“I don’t like the double points. I think there is the time in the schedule to have two medal races. Then we decide the medal on the last day. Double points for the last race is a system I don’t like.”

Pick another class to be the hydrofoiler

Lange along with Australian Silver medallist Lisa Darmanin were not in favour of the Nacra 17 being turned into a full hydrofoiler to satisfy rumoured dictates of the International Olympic Committee, said to be wanting an America’s Cup style class in one of the 2020 Olympic sailing events.

“There are so many Nacras out there now, and it has taken so long to get the boats fast, and with so much equipment, if we went foiling it would be more change and more equipment,” said Darmanin. “We have an awesome fleet and awesome racing now, why not just let it run and get more people into the Nacra 17 class?” she asked.

Santiago Lange, now on his fourth Olympic regatta in a multihull class, has been burned by design changes made the then International Sailing Federation in moves to add spectacle to the Sailing Olympics while adopting a policy of minimal change elsewhere.

“My story goes as follows,” Lange began. “I campaigned the Tornado for 2000 and had to change the whole boat with a spinnaker/gennaker and other reconfigurations. That was expensive. Then for the Olympics in Athens they changed to a carbon mast – that was expensive again.

“Then I heard that World Sailing was going to keep the core classes the same for 2020 – I thought this was the best statement from World Sailing, as we need a steady sport. Now that too, has changed.

“World Sailing has a responsibility to have a good vision for the future, whether they consult with designers or athletes or whoever, they have to be able to see 20 or 30 years out.

“Now we invest a lot of money in these Nacra 17's. We have for boats. We have 15 mainsails, some mainsails we only use for one hour, we have four spinnakers with the flag, a couple of them we only use for a couple of hours.

“All the equipment we have got, we have something very cheap for the young people and that is the future of the sport.

“We need young people. To change the class, that is fine – if we are to go flying. I love going faster through the water. But if I take back my old Nacra, and they give me a brand new foiling one for the same price, I am happy.

“In 2020 when we are in Tokyo, and there is an America’s Cup boat going at 30kts upwind, they turn around and say 'Oh, we forgot, we want the Nacra to fly upwind as well', so we go and change the boat again. C’mon!

“They have to have some long vision – keep some classic boats so that we can have a big number of nations. Have the development classes. But if there was a mistake made in the past it should not be the sailors that have to pay for it.

“The Nacra is what it is. The maximum we can do is add winglets.

“If they want a hydrofoiling class, you have to pick the best boat – like say the Waszp or the foiling Moth. Or, pick another foiling catamaran.

'World Sailing should have done their thinking before-hand. We have to respect the young people coming into the sport.

“If the young people do not know which classes they will sail tomorrow, then no-one will bother. We are giving them a hard time. We need to support the young people.

“If it is really true that the IOC says we need a flying boat, then at least pick one that will last more than one or two Olympic cycles.”

The decision on Olympic events for 2020 is not expected until February 2017.