An Olympic Skiff for women: the six contenders
by Gael Pawson, Boats.com 20 Mar 2012 01:25 PDT
Blasting downwind in the RS900 © Tom Gruitt / Creating Waves
With the ISAF trials event in Santander imminent, Gael Pawson considers the contenders for the Women’s Olympic Skiff spot
The sport is crying out for a women’s Olympic skiff. I have had so many conversations with young female sailors over the last few years, especially after the Europe was dropped in favour of the Laser Radial. Quite simply none of the women’s boats are particularly fun to sail. The men on the other hand have had the 49er and they still have the Finn. While we can understand the reasoning of moving the women’s singlehander to the Radial, quite simply it is a boat designed for the full rig and it is way, way less enjoyable to sail than the Europe.
Finally it seems ISAF are set to decide on a women’s skiff class for 2016 – mind you we have been here before, and many of the manufacturers put in a lot of time and effort into the last women’s skiff trials in 2007, before the possibility of the event for 2012 was dropped in favour of women’s match racing. But this time it looks like the move will happen. A women’s skiff class would bring a sense of logic to the line-up for 2016 – with men’s and women’s singlehanders (Laser/Radial), doublehanders (470) skiffs (49er/TBC) wind or kitesurfing (TBC) and a mixed class (the multihull) – with just the Finn remaining as a bit of an anomaly as an extra men’s singlehander.
The trials for both the women’s skiff and the mixed multihull are due to kick off on March 17 in Santander… so which boats are in contention for the skiff slot?
Read on at Boats.com for the full run-down on all the designs.