Please select your home edition
Edition
X-Yachts X4.0

ISAF points system cops a spray from Sailing Super coach

by Rob Kothe and the Sail-World Team on 2 Apr 2013
Belcher and Ryan 470’s on Day 1 - Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mapfre 2013 Thom Touw http://www.thomtouw.com
Australia´s 470 Super coach Victor Kovalenko angrily criticizes ISAF Sailing World Cup scoring system.

Today at the first World Sailing Cup in Europe, the 44th Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia Mapre in Palma, Mallorca, Spain, Australia 470 Gold Medalist Mat Belcher and his new crew Will Ryan won both races.


Victor Kovalenko, Australia´s head coach is guiding the Australia´s 470 squad once again. His charges have won five gold medals over four Olympics and Australia is keen to make that seven over five Olympics.

Victor was plain-speaking today.

‘Mat and Will are sailing quite well and this is their first racing day in Europe so to get two bullets this is quite good. It is good for confidence and partnership but not rewarding at all. That is a shame.

‘The new ISAF World Sailing Cup scoring format is flawed. The events must respect effort, this new scoring format does not do that.

‘What is the point in the top sailors, across all the classes, pushing hard, exhausting themselves wearing out sails and risking overall equipment? One team could have six wins and the next team could have six fifth places and after the qualifying series, there would be just one point between them carrying forward. (And you can discard that result - so its meaningless.)

‘What is the point of sailing hard? It is senseless, it’s better to preserve body, sails and equipment for the second part of the regatta. Another team or sailor that does not try in the first part of the regatta can easily snatch victory in the medal races, because they are rested.

‘Is that good for the event? The media will soon tell everyone, oh ignore the first part of the event, it hardly matters.

‘ISAF should think a little bit more, because they think their only customers are spectators on the shore. Their customers include the sailors and if the sailors are not happy and tell the Worlds sports community, not the just the sailing community, that ISAF scoring system is unfair - that is a very bad message.

‘New rules and new scoring methods should be tested at a lower level, where the overall results matter to a lesser degree.

‘This new experimental format must be thrown out immediately. It devalues the first days of the regatta,' he concluded.

If Kovalenko´s assessment is correct, then all the top crews have to do, is just make the Gold fleet cut.

So potentially three days of a Sailing World Cup have effectively been turned into a training regatta, for for the top teams.

Was that ISAF's intention?

Hyde Sails 2024 - One DesignSelden 2020 - FOOTERMaritimo S Series

Related Articles

Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cup Day 2
Philip Köster triumphs again in Pozo Izquierdo The 37th edition of the Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cup delivered a thrilling second day this Sunday, once again marked by strong winds and the talent of the world's best windsurfers.
Posted today at 8:47 pm
A perfect start to the 5th annual AEGEAN 600
Cloudless blue skies, crystal clear waters and perfect 12-15 knots of northerly wind At the very southern end of the Greek mainland at Cape Sounion in Attica, today's start to the 5th edition of the AEGEAN 600 was perfect: cloudless blue skies, crystal clear waters and perfect 12-15 knots of northerly wind.
Posted today at 8:39 pm
29er Europeans at Lake Garda day 4
One race, one storm, and one big lay day vibe With qualification wrapped and the fleet now split into six groups—Gold, Silver, Bronze, Emerald, Purple, and White—Day 4 of the 29er Europeans kicked off with early optimism and an earlier-than-usual launch in pursuit of the morning breeze.
Posted today at 7:09 pm
iQFOiL Worlds a Aarhus day 1
Full foiling conditions launch the World Championship with four high-intensity races for both fleets The iQFOiL World Championship kicked off today in Aarhus with dynamic and demanding conditions that truly tested the world's top foiling windsurfers. The wind was anything but steady, shifting in both direction and intensity throughout the day.
Posted today at 7:01 pm
Rolex TP52 Worlds in Cascais overall
American Magic Quantum Racing win Rolex TP52 Worlds after breezy week in Cascais. Doug DeVos' American Magic Quantum Racing crew were crowned 2025 Rolex TP52 World Champions today in Cascais, Portugal.
Posted today at 6:54 pm
Red Bull Sailing Academy Opens
A new hub for current and future superstars to reach the top of their sport Marina Monfalcone, North Italy, made waves yesterday, as sports superstars gathered to open the Red Bull Sailing Academy, marking the beginning of a new era in the sport.
Posted today at 12:53 pm
Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cup Day 1
Philip Köster edges out Marcilio Browne in one of the closest finals ever Philip Köster edges out Marcilio Browne in one of the closest finals ever as Pozo delivers 50 knot winds and waves.
Posted today at 11:42 am
America's Cup: French give the Brits the "Hurry-up
Frustration builds between Cup factions over lack of progress with Protocol. Last weekend's missive from the French America's Cup challenge team is further evidence over the building frustration with progress towards the 2027 America's Cup in Naples.
Posted today at 11:12 am
The oldest video footage of Moth sailing
A look back into our video archive, to when the name of this class first settled down We delve into our video archive to find the oldest possible videos that show Moth racing. Are these International Moths, British Moths... or was the name still Olive, Inverloch 11ft, National Moth or Brent One-Design?!
Posted today at 11:00 am
GKSS Match Cup & Nordea Women's Trophy overall
It is the first time the Match Cup Sweden title has been won by a Danish Skipper Denmark's Jeppe Borch/ Team Borch Match Race, and France's Pauline Courtois/ Match in Pink by Normandy crowned the new champions of Marstrand in a day of fierce weather for the final of 2025 GKSS Match Cup Sweden and Nordea Women's Trophy in Marstrand.
Posted today at 7:14 am