Olympic Regatta creep - Class & Event distribution
by Nick Dewhirst on 7 May 2008
"At no stage does it appear that any objective process took place - ’’just shouldn’’t we add one of these exciting new things?" Tomeu Bibiloni /CNA
Nick Dewhirst of the UKCRA has undertaken some analysis on Olympic Class and Event distribution over the duration of the Sailing Olympics.
He comments:
It seems to me that the Sailing Events were defined not by objective criteria, but around specifically politically strong classes, eg. Finn, Star. This is not some new self-interested outbreak but a process of evolution. If you look at the table below you can see how the classes have changed over time. At no stage does it appear that any objective process took place - 'just shouldn't we add one of these exciting new things, then shouldn't we have another women event here, then there?'.
There used to be three different keelboats as late as 1972 - all Mixed, i.e. Men scams!
Only with the introduction of the Yngling for Women did any objective reason appear for having two keelboats.
Obviously the losers fought rearguard actions to keep their valuable kit from becoming obsolete (as Dean Brenner said), so the list of Events grew in a higgly-piggly manner from 5 to 11.
All that happened because the process was political not analytical. So ingrained is this approach that it seems entirely natural to ISAF insiders.
(Sail-World: NB it is a moot point as to whether the Tempest was a keelboat or dinghy - it forced a keelboat out of the Olympics, but was more dinghy like in its performance).
| Class |
Classification |
1960 |
1964 |
1968 |
1972 |
1976 |
1980 |
1984 |
1988 |
1992 |
1996 |
2000 |
2004 |
2008 |
2012 |
| 5.5 Metre |
Keelboat |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Dragon |
Keelboat |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Soling |
Keelboat |
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
| Star |
Keelboat |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Yingling |
Keelboat |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Finn |
1 Person Dinghy |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Laser |
1 Person Dinghy |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Europe |
1 Person Dinghy |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
| Laser Radial |
1 Person Dinghy |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
| 470 Men |
2 Person Dinghy |
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| 470 Women |
2 Person Dinghy |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| 49er |
2 Person Dinghy |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Flying Dutchman |
2 Person Dinghy |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Tempest |
2 Person Dinghy |
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Tornado |
Multihull |
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
| Windsurf Men |
Windsurfer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Windsurf Women |
Windsurfer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Total |
All Categories |
5 |
5 |
5 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
10 |
10 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
10 |
| Sub-Totals |
Keelboat |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| |
2 Person Dinghy |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
| |
1 Person Dinghy |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| |
Windsurfer |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| |
Multihull |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
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