World Sailing continues Olympic classes overhaul

The world governing body of the sport is inviting Class Associations and equipment manufacturers to tender for the Mixed Two Person Dinghy and Mixed Kiteboard events for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

With the single handers, the Laser and the Radial, already under evaluation and facing sail-off trials in Valencia in early March for the selection of a new dinghy, and the RS:X Windsurfer also out to tender for new equipment, this will put two more classes in the replacement firing line.

This latest evaluation of equipment is driven by criteria approved at the 2018 Annual Conference, when it was decided that the existing two 470 dinghy events would be replaced by Mixed Kiteboarding and a Mixed Two Person Dinghy event at the 2024 Games.

It was widely expected the the 470 dinghy would slip into the Mixed Two Person Dinghy event, but this will depend on this tender process, and could also go to sea-trials if other suitable dinghies apply.

For the Kiteboard equipment, a foiling board RAM-Air (foil-kite system) with different sized kites for men and women is required.

As yet, no final format of competition has been decided for either of the new events, nor has the World Sailing selection for 2024 been agreed by the International Olympic Committee.

Also still to be decided is the equipment (and competition format) for the Mixed Two Person Keelboat Offshore, which effectively replaced the Finn for the 2024 Games.

Only three of the ten classes to be used at the Tokyo 2020 Games – the Nacra 17, 49er and 49erFX – have so far survived for Paris 2024.

Events selected for Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing Competition:

Men’s Windsurfer – RS:X – ongoing equipment re-evaluation
Women’s Windsurfer – RS:X – ongoing equipment re-evaluation
Men’s One Person Dinghy – ongoing equipment sea-trials
Women’s One Person Dinghy – ongoing equipment sea-trials
Mixed Kite – under tender
Mixed Two Person Dinghy – under tender
Women’s Skiff – 49erFX
Men’s Skiff – 49er
Mixed Two Person Multihull – Nacra 17
Mixed Two Person Keelboat Offshore – equipment and format tbc

Tender for Mixed Two Person Dinghy

Tender for Mixed Kiteboarding

Story by Gerald New, sailweb.co.uk

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