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Rod Davis


Beware the bandwagon


Spare a thought for ISAF and their crusade to keep sailing part of the Olympic Games for the next 25 years, and beyond. It is not an easy task. In fact, while many, as in too many, bloggers are busy bag- ging the sailing governing body over class selection, racing formats or doing too little about the water pollution in Rio de Janeiro, the International Sailing Federation is walking a fine line between the sport staying in the Olympic Games, and the sailing competition that we sailors live for. When it comes to maintaining sailing as a discipline at future Olympic Games, few would argue that it’s not of the highest priority. But take sailing out of the Olympic Games and that will change sailboat racing for ever.


The Olympics Games, along with the five interlocked coloured rings, are a brand; the IOC are the board overseeing that brand. Sports get voted off; new ones get introduced each cycle. Call it natural evolution. All well and fine until you find it’s time to pack your sailing bag and leave the family. A bit like that show Survivor: Redemp- tion Island. Voted off – you don’t come back. Neither do your kids. The sports that have been added to the Olympics in recent years have massive appeal to TV viewership. Golf and tennis, for example, have extensive followings – and some of the biggest names in all of sport. Add basketball, with the USA’s dream team of highly paid NBA superstars, and you have the biggest show on earth with the biggest names to watch. Never mind the collective incomes that would put whole nations to shame.


You can argue it’s not right… an Olympic medal should be the pinnacle of a sport, the most important award you can earn in your sport. You can argue that it feels somewhat at odds with Olympic values.


And you’re right, but you’re missing the point: the Olympic brand feeds off TV rights and advertising. Thus what the public wants to see is big or bigger than big. The household names, in super-popular sports like swimming, athletics and gymnastics, rule TV time, thus the show. To understand the IOC, think Olympic branding.


22 SEAHORSE


OK, back to ISAF and sailing at the Olympics. Here are the challenges facing anyone who wants to keep sailing as a brand, which is what the IOC also wants (which should be just about everyone!). And what has been and is really being done to improve our chances of staying in the Olympics for the next generation.


Sailing is seen as an ‘elitist’ sport


It does not matter if you and I think it is or isn’t. Sailing is seen that way. It used to be called ‘yachting’ – at least we got rid of that title a while ago. No denying sailboat racing is not the easiest of sports to get into, but then neither is rowing nor competitive swimming. The fix: the Rio Games will have 38 different countries on the Laser class startline. Thirty-eight countries competing in a single sport at the Olympics is massive, a statement few other sports can make. ‘Look, sailing has a worldwide appeal!’ A perfect counter to the ‘elitist’ tag.


Sailing is expensive for the organisation and competitors Yep, tough one to argue, because the sailing venue is often away from the main venue, thus becomes its own Olympic venue with housing and facilities all of its own. Also boats, campaigns and travel expenses are what they are, and they are not cheap. The fix: strict one-design classes like the Laser and RSX have gone a long way to containing the costs. Eliminating the keel boats, like the Soling, Star and Yngling, has a double benefit, as they are the most expensive to compete in and for the organisers there is no need for hoists to lift the boats in and out of the water, or dockage.


Worldwide public appeal for sailing is low We simply don’t have an easy sport to watch or sell tickets to. Not a great percentage of the world even sail. The image of Olympic athletes is more of rowers, swimmers and triathletes than archers, equestrians and sailors.


The fix: selecting newer Olympic classes has helped move sailing to being a more definable ‘sport’. The skiff sailing, boards and cats


MAX RANCHI


RICHARD LANGDON


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