Please select your home edition
Edition
Sea Sure 2025

Olympics 2024: Italian President erupts over Mixed Offshore Keelboat

by Michele Tognozzi 9 Nov 2018 22:36 UTC 10 November 2018
Two young Slovenian Finn sailors who at 17yrs and 22 yrs are part of a group of 40plus young sailors disappointed with World Sailing actions © Robert Deaves / Finn Class

Italian sailing website Farevela.net published an interview with the President of the Italian sailing federation Federazione Italiana Vela (FIV) soon after his return from last weekend's Annual Conference of World Sailing, where the decision was taken to effectively drop the Finn class from the 2024 Olympic sailing regatta in Marseille. The interview has been online for several days, but now an English text version of the interview is available.

Francesco Ettorre is furious, and also definitely perplexed, when he talked to Fare Vela after returning from the Annual Conference of World Sailing in Sarasota. The choice to introduce a mixed gender offshore keel boat instead of the Finn, and even more the ever more clear separation between World Sailing’s Board, of what used to be the world federation of sailing, and the real base of sailors are at the center of our conversation. Is the future of sailing at risk? Well, the president of the Italian Sailing Federation is worried…

“The 43/17 vote against the Finn and in favor of Offshore Keelboat Mixed”, emphasizes Ettorre, “is explained by the power of France, as Organizing Committee of Paris 2024, the change of the United States, with Gary Jobson engaged in a disproportionate endorsement in favor of the keelboat, the last announcement by Great Britain and many votes collected from small MNA.”

The FIV voted against the keelboat and for a transparent and strategic vision of the management of World Sailing. “The issue is not just Finn, yes, or Finn, no, but the current Board only pursues commercial objectives, and does not take into account the reality of the sport, the growth paths, the daily practice of the clubs,” says Ettorre.

To think badly is a sin but often you can guess… it is very likely that Mixed Offshore Keelboat is destined to become the most resounding own goal in the history of Olympic sailing. “We were baffled by the vagueness of the project”, Francesco Ettorre urges, “it has not been clarified which boat, how it will be selected, and by what means the Olympic campaign would be tackled. Jobson (one of WS’s vice-presidents, Ed.) has vaguely said that national fleets can be used on site … Well, anyone who knows about sailing will agree that in terms of management, scope, credibility and above all, accessibility for many countries, it appears absurd.”

So, will this be a medal for rich people only? “Let’s imagine a sixty-year-old wealthy, and not very fit, man, who takes an Olympic girl and puts her at the helm and “buys” the Olympic ticket, buying and tuning the keelboat. At a media level it would be disastrous for sailing. Totally different from the image given by the powerful athletes with sculpted muscles of the Finn. The Board of World Sailing wants to sell this as a renewal, when in reality it is an affront to the Olympic tradition, where talent, merit and commitment are the only way to get to the Olympics.”

“Mind you, we would not be opposed to a keelboat, but to vote for it, without knowing anything about the hull or the size, it seems like a senseless leap into the dark, made by those who do not take into account the reality of our sport but only follow commercial logic”: Ettorre is a river in flow and does not hesitate to list likely agreements already in progress with sponsors such as Volvo or others with shipyards to manage this event.

“Ng Ser Miang, IOC vice president and former ISAF executive, has been and is very critical of such choices. It is likely that, unless there is very strong pressure from Paris 2024, the keelboat can be blocked, especially for the issue of the accessibility of many countries and management costs, with boats that will cost about 90,000 euros. It is an event tailored for the French and within the reach of only a dozen countries, no more, which at IOC level will have some impact. Besides us, we know for sure that Spain, Turkey, Hungary, Slovenia, Germany and Russia voted against but, I repeat, many MNA votes were decisive, countries that were never before seen at the Meeting. It is surreal that countries that can never afford a keelboat have voted yes”. “There is no logic in what they are doing, except the commercial one”.

And finally: “We are impressed by the fact that in WS Governance there is a total absence of sporting design, and knowledge of the real sporting dynamics that regulate our sport, the awareness of the growth paths. It is only and solely business. Beyond the boats, this governance is the real problem.”

And now? The dangerous road taken by World Sailing can only be saved by the sailors themselves, but will they have the power to do it?

For the full interview by Farevela's Michele Tognozzi

Click here and then scroll down to see the full English translation

Related Articles

World Sailing's inaugural Impact Report
Charting a new course for a sustainable future in sport World Sailing, the global governing body for the sport of sailing, today released its first Impact Report, a comprehensive overview of the federation's significant progress in environmental sustainability and social contribution. Posted on 24 Jul
Tristan triumphs to win 2nd eSailing World title
Tristan Péron became eSailing's first double world champion after qualifying for five finals The 2025 eSailing World Championship has concluded with a dramatic final live from Gdynia as part of the Gdynia Sailing Days festival. Posted on 20 Jul
World Sailing Nations Cup to make grand return
After a seven-year hiatus, World Sailing has officially opened the bid process for host cities After a seven-year hiatus, the World Sailing Nations Cup, the ultimate event to crown the world's top match-racing nations, is making its much-anticipated return. Posted on 18 Jul
Nominations open for World Sailing Awards 2025
Presentation to be held at the Royal St. George Yacht Club in Dún Laoghaire on 5th November Many of the sport's biggest names will be in attendance at the World Sailing Awards 2025, held on Wednesday 5 November at a gala ceremony at the Royal St. George Yacht Club in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland. Posted on 16 Jul
World Sailing announces split venues for LA28
The boards will be at Long Beach, with the dinghy events at the Port World Sailing has said it welcomes the confirmation of sailing venues for the Olympic Games LA28 the boards will be at Long Beach, with the dinghy events at the Port. Posted on 30 Jun
World Sailing launches the World Sailing Academy
A new online learning platform for the global sailing community World Sailing officially launched the World Sailing Academy, an innovative new online learning platform designed to provide comprehensive educational resources and training to sailors, coaches, officials, administrators, and the global sailing community. Posted on 17 Jun
Summer Youth Olympic Games equipment confirmed
Dakar 2026 will feature 2 sailing events in the Techno293 World Sailing is pleased to announce the selection of Techno293 as the equipment used in competition at the upcoming Summer Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026, being held from 31 October to 13 November 2026. Posted on 29 May
Steering the Course kicks off to #AccelerateAction
World Sailing's global women's sailing festival gets under way soon The 2025 edition of Steering the Course, World Sailing's global women's sailing festival, gets under way on 23 May with a week-long focus on #AccelerateAction in support of this year's International Women's Day theme. Posted on 22 May
NYYC hosts 2025 World Sailing Mid-Year Meeting
Board conducted a series of productive strategic meetings The gathering brought the World Sailing Board and Council together in person at the Club's historic 44th Street Clubhouse in Manhattan—an iconic venue designed by Whitney Warren, renowned architect of Grand Central Station. Posted on 19 May
World Sailing Inclusion Championships preview
Event will bring together an expected 215 sailors from around the world, to Oman The Sultanate of Oman has been chosen to host the first edition of the new World Sailing Inclusion Championships. Posted on 14 May
Doyle_SailWorld_728X90px_cruise BOTTOMArmstrong 728x90 - Wing FG Board Range - BOTTOMAllen Dynamic 40 Footer