Now, I can’t predict if you’ll cringe, laugh or cry when you read this. But here are the recommendations to Yachting New Zealand from its Olympic Committee.
Note in particular Point 3, which says: “NZL is currently suffering in expensive classes (Tornado & 49er) that are suited to younger (fit) sailors – so we should avoid these.”
Yes, after all, this is the Olympics. We can’t have young and fit sailors in the Games, can we!
I wonder, did Yachting New Zealand consult with any young Kiwi sailors before considering these recommendations? Also I’d suggest the YNZ offices shut down and everyone go on holiday for the week when the Tornado World Championships is going on, just down the road in Takapuna next March.
This leaked document is yet more evidence why some Member National Authorities (MNAs) cannot be trusted to do anything than vote for self-centred, short-term interests. If the MNA’s views are truly representative of what its sailors believe, then fair enough. But is that the case? I doubt it.
As for only having the top six or eight crews in match racing events at the Olympics, seriously, what would be the point? You could pretty much name those six or eight nations now. Either have a decent number of nations represented in the match racing (what about two-person keelboats by the way?) or don’t do match racing at all.
The last thing the Olympic Regatta needs is to be perceived as even more elitist and wealthy-nation oriented than it is already.
Olympic Events 2012
Olympic Committee Recommendation to Board
Note: Recommendation is based on our ability to win medals 2012
Events:
Men’s One Person Dinghy
Heavy Weight Dinghy
Men’s Two Person Dinghy
Men’s Keelboat
Men’s Windsurfer
Skiff
Women’s One Person Dinghy
Women’s Two Person Dinghy
Women’s Windsurfer
Women’s Keelboat
Brief:
1. Wherever possible, the men’s & women’s events and classes should be the same. This helps develop fleets in smaller countries.
2. NZL needs to concentrate on classes where the local fleet sizes are greatest. The classes that are more expensive, more technical and more complicated hurt the smaller countries (match racing is an exception to this).
3. NZL is currently suffering in expensive classes (Tornado & 49er) that are suited to younger (fit) sailors – so we should avoid these. This seems to be caused through lack of money to create fleets and competition in these classes.
4. The Multihull event will most likely be the Tornado. This is currently the furthest from NZL’s reach of all the classes to win medals by 2012 as explained in 2. & 3. above.
5. Given our pedigree on the world Match Racing circuit over the past 20 years, we should be pushing hard for men’s and women’s Match Racing. The Match Racing classes should be 3 person boats with the top 6 or 8 crews only being at the Olympics. Match Racing feeder series should be held earlier in year to select Olympic teams. Classes would be the same for Men & Women.
Recommendation:
1. It is recommended that the event to be dropped for 2012 be the Multihull as first choice followed by the Skiff as second choice.
2. It is also recommended that both the Men’s Keelboat and the Women’s Keelboat events be based on match racing.
Ref . . .
“NZL is currently suffering in expensive classes (Tornado & 49er) that are suited to younger (fit) sailors – so we should avoid these.”
Perhaps the older (unfit) Kiwi generation would be interested in this offer from the Birkenshaw Park Veterans Crown Green Bowling Club:
The pre-season meeting will take place in the Bowling Pavilion in the Park, old and new members welcome.
Crown Geen Bowling is an outdoor sport, you do not have to have a high fitness level and it is suitable for all age groups.
Trade in that expensive Star boat now!
Ges
By: Ges on 30 November 2007
at 3:00 pm
WOW!!!!!! The Olympic ideals compromised? Whilst we must all abhore the rationality behind the decision at least this is a credible statement of explanation. Thank you YNZ.
By: Pete Conway on 30 November 2007
at 5:21 pm
As a kiwi, and former North Island champ in a cat class, I find this quite appalling.
A few years ago I was a rep for the NZTYA, which is basically a YNZ sub-organisation, and at that time we were focussing on trying to build the sport, not destroy it!
Although I’ve spent a lot of time on sportsboats and keelboats, I’d rather they were kept away from the olympics, which are, after all, a competition to find the best “Athletes” not some geriatrics weekend gathering!!
Skiffs, multihulls, and physical boats are what I think should be in. Or shall I sell my boat now and get a wayfarer for 2016??
By: Mad Yottie on 30 November 2007
at 9:32 pm
maybe we should seek an “preemptive” IOC ban on countries whose NMAs voted against the IOC guidelines..
By: Ken on 2 December 2007
at 6:11 am
There is little point in blaming national authorities when surely it is the process at fault. National authorities like YNZ receive their funding from medals, therefore their interest is of course in producing medals. The greater interests of the sport and the IOC differs (spectator coverage etc) from that of the individual countries. Whilst Yachting Australias view is to be applauded, I don’t think the sport will move in the right direction until more weight is given to the ISAF events committee in choosing classes based on moving the sport forward and strengthening its Olympic position. Why have a specialist events committee if their views are of no interest to the voting nations?
By: Joe Bloggs on 2 December 2007
at 10:47 pm
Indeed, the process seems to me to be at fault. The Olympics are the IOC’s show, and with the sizeable income that the ISAF makes from Olympic participation, surely it is the IOC that is the “customer” here? Therefore the selection process should be driven entirely by the IOC’s requirements, and certainly not the medal aspirations of individual National authorities.
With the large number of selection criteria to be considered, each with its own relative importance level, I favour the use of a scorecard technique as basis for the selection – preferably with the results published so that events/classes know exactly what they need to do to improve their own selection chances. Maybe the events committees did employ a scorecard – I have no insight.
By: Geoff on 3 December 2007
at 2:20 pm
Perhaps sailing will be removed from the olympics, it is rapidly turning into a political game and maybe the IOC will decide it is all too expensive and we are only good at bickering. The sailing sites are usually miles away from the CITY which is holding the event, so why bother.
By: Mike Woodhead on 6 December 2007
at 1:51 pm
[...] Hallelujah! Sense prevails after all. Well done to the YNZ board members for being big enough to shift their stance to a more strategic vision rather than the self-serving approach of a few months ago. [...]
By: Pressure building for an ISAF Revote « SailJuice Blog on 20 December 2007
at 8:59 pm
Ultimately I think Joe Bloggs has a case – MNA’s by definition must act out of national interest. So it is the system that is at fault as MNA’s can’t act in the interests of the sport.
Certainly, this time round, the events committee seems to have been the only body that thought about the IOC guidelines and the interests of the sport. The closest I get to a solution at present is to suggest that this decision should be the preserve of the events committee. The executive committee should rubber stamp that decision –
or it should give precise reasons for ignoring the events committee, based on the IOC criteria AND give precise reasons for how the decision is in the best interests of the sport as a whole.
The current system of not even bothering to look at the events committee recommendations is procedurally (and probably morally) bankrupt.
By: Bill Tucker on 26 March 2008
at 1:44 pm