Delta Lloyd 470 World Championships - Globalising the 470

by Delta Lloyd 470 News on 15 Jul 2010 ISAF Olympic Commission report the number of nations taking part was identified as being one of the shortcomings of sailing as an Olympic sport. For example at this week’s 470 World Championships there are 39 nations represented. This is a very high number when compared to other events in sailing, but up against other Olympic sports it is small when for example you consider that 205 nations competed at the 2008 Olympic Games.

A significant plus point for the 470 is that its reach does span almost the entire globe. At the World Championships this week there are sailors from most continents – the Americas and Europe obviously, as well as Australia and New Zealand, Russia, Ukraine, the Far East and Asia with Japan, China, Singapore and Korea, with even Pakistan and India represented, South America with Brazil and Argentina, etc.

'We have new nations coming,' reports 470 Class President, Stanislav Kassarov. 'We are now focussing on several key regions. One is the Gulf and we go with our Junior World Championship to Qatar in December.'

To encourage for participation, the Junior Worlds will introduce a new format of ‘pay and play’. Equipment will be provided by the organisers, who will have 40 boats available, while sailors pay a discounted entry fee that covers everything from the charter of the boat to food, accommodation, transportation around the venue, etc – essentially everything from the moment sailors land in Qatar to the time they leave. 70-80 teams are expected to take part.

A clinic to help 470s sailors develop their skill is to be held in Qatar prior to the Junior World Championship, one example of how the 470 class is attempting to coax new nations into its ranks.

In 2009 the class held just one clinic such as this, but this year they have increased this to nine, set to be held at different venues around the world, the class particularly focussing on Asia, India, China, Hong Kong, South America, and also the most elusive of them all when it comes to sailing – Africa.

Two of these clinics this year will be held as a joint initiative with the 420 class. One will be in Angola where recently some 470s and 420s have arrived, while the other will be in Buenos Aires in October. More will be set up for next year, including India. The 470 class is providing coaches to run these clinics in countries where a basic level of skill is required and more experienced coaches such as double Olympic medallist, American Kevin Burnham, at clinics where sailors are at a more advanced level.

'We are trying to introduce the 470 class to the African nations and we would be very happy if they selected the boat as one of the equipment for the Pan African Games,' says Kassarov. 'In the next few weeks there should be a development on that issue - we already have an agreement with one of our boat builders and we will support Africa by supplying equipment at a really good price and what we would like to arrange is that this equipment stays in Africa after that.'

Kassarov also has targets for growing high end participation in the class. While for example there are 180 boats racing at this World Championship in the Hague, he hopes 200+ will take part when the Worlds are held in Barcelona in 2012. 'Let’s hope numbers will grow and grow. The reality also is that at most of the Sailing World Cup events this year, the 470 class was the second largest fleet after the Laser.'

But as the ISAF Olympic Commission report indicates, the healthy globalisation of a sport is not measured by the number of competitors from different nations at the Olympic Games, nor even a World Championship, BUT the number of nations that could be competing at them.

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