Farewell Finn, Tokyo will be the last act. Here’s how Olympic sailing is changing

Is performance more important than technical and human content? Is sailing a freak “phenomenon” that must be expendable in the media at all costs, even at the cost of partly distorting its essence? The ideas of World Sailing, the world sailing federation, on the matter are unclear, and they seem rather to prefer the “show at all costs” option. This seems to emerge from the last Council meeting, where decisions were to be made regarding Olympic classes for Paris 2024. ‘

Let’s cut to the chase: the Finn will no longer be an Olympic class from Paris 2024. Male sailors weighing over 90 kg in short are currently cut off from the Olympic program. In fact, the tonnage of Finns is ill-suited to the other classes in the regatta, and since there is no longer the Star, which was the other “heavy” sailor’s boat, today thousands of fans around the world are permanently cut off from the Olympics. Therefore, the Finn’s last appearance will be in Tokyo 2020. In Paris 2024 this “infamous” offshore, mixed and doubles class will make its debut. With what boat? A final decision has not been made. In pole position seems to be the “famous” Luka 30, which from multiple tests and comparisons with other boats around 30 feet, however, proved to be very underperforming. In the meantime, World sailing communicates little and poorly about it; in fact, a European class was held that passed almost in anonymity. In short, an operation that sounds so much, excuse the expression, like a favor to French sailing, which in the offshore movement has its strength.

This is not the only news. Also gone is the RS:X, the sailing board, which will be replaced by the I foil, still a board but flying. In short, once again World Sailing’s decisions appear somewhat disconnected from what is the common feeling of the sailing community, it is always the sailors who come out the losers.

THE OLYMPIC CLASSES FROM RIO 2016 TO PARIS 2024

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