Andi Robertson

The idea on an Mixed Offshore event at the 2024 Olympics is a mouthwatering idea but is looking less and less likely

The writing seems to be on the wall as far as the chances of there being a Mixed Offshore event at the 2024 Olympics. arguments about the costs. “A lot of the world are under financial pressure brought on by the global pandemic and the IOC are not outside of that and so they are looking at ways

It is not that any of the IOC’s of reducing complexity and concerns about the new event reduce costs for Paris 2024” are new or have just been raised stressed David Graham. And at with World Sailing, working with the time he told us World Sailing some of my French colleagues were all the time trying to show who raised the question last how mixed double offshore

September there were serious race is neither complicated nor rumblings in the world’s hotbed expensive: “We are talking to of solo and shorthanded racing them all the time about the entire that Olympic Mixed Offshore slate and costs and complexity. was at best in for a bumpy ride, Our team has done a wonderful at worst could by sunk in the paper for the IOC which shows early months of this year. that this slate is a more simple

Make no mistake recently slate and most cost effective. The appointed David Graham, the number of days are effectively

CEO of World Sailing, is very reduced and offshore is relatively much in offshore’s corner. When I asked him last Autumn if there ‘I DREAD TO THINK WHAT simple to run, once the boats are offshore they are offshore. So it was a chance Mixed Offshore THE ALTERNATIVES WILL BE. is a fairly simple event to run.” might be under threat he said, “When you look at what MIXED TEAM RACING IN FINNS So in my mind it is not that World Sailing have been happened (the choice of Mixed AND EUROPES? PLEASE……’ somehow backwards or tardy in

Offshore for the Olympic their communication with the slate) there was a democratic IOC it is more that they have process to get that through. That ABOVE to meet the IOC’s hard headed was made by council and ratified at the AGM and so to Could the Finn class be resurrected one size fits all concepts of universality which are undo that at this stage I cannot see it. I am new to this for Olympics to being applied across all the Olympic sports, and there game but I can’t see it. And so some of the people who accommodate Mixed team racing? seems no latitude for choosing an event which would voted for it would have to now be voting against it,” actually take the whole sport forwards into a new and

At the time it was predicted by a French insider, “What exciting direction, one which reflects an increasingly may well lead to this programme being overturned popular momentum which I could only see growing would be the election of a new president in place of within Olympic sailing and in the sport globally.

Kim Andersen, who was behind this change. It is not I dread to think what the alternatives will be. so much the proposals that worry me as the election,” Mixed team racing in Finns and Europes? Please…… confirmed someone inside World Sailing. “Opponents That smacks of nothing more than sheer desperation who hope to get a new president elected, which could trying to reinstate Olympic classes which were throw into question the programme adopted for 2024 democratically eliminated from the Olympic slate. by the IOC. Apart from the current president, the three I was, and still am, absolutely looking forwards to others are ambiguous when asked about this matter. one day seeing some of the biggest names in sailing,

So it could go the wrong way if a new president cast past medallists, round the world aces, Figarists, Vendée doubts about the programme on offer to the IOC.” racers, going racing in an Olympic mixed doubles

“And within the IOC there is ongoing internal pressure class on an even playing field in supplied craft. in the IOC” the French article reporting “In particular ANDI ROBERTSON In the meantime I hope that the nations really interested from one of the vice-presidents, the representative from An offshore sailing expert, few people and focused can conspire to produce more and more high

Singapore, Ser Miang NG (former vice-president of can match Andi’s quality events, European and World Championships to

ISAF, the former name for World Sailing), who is not insight into the big boat world, both in prove this is a viable and exciting future direction for the hiding his hostility to the offshore event, putting forward the UK and globally sport.