Ask the President - ISAF head answers questions - Part 2

ISAF President Göran PETERSSON (SWE) answers more of your questions in the second part of www.sailing.org’s Ask the President feature. Today, the President responds to your questions on the classes for the Olympic Sailing Competition as well as the sport’s points system.

Following the conclusion of the 2006 ISAF Annual Conference, www.sailing.org gave sailors everywhere a chance to pose their questions about the discussions and decisions to the ISAF President.

Each question is published along with the name of the person who posed it. The President’s responses are in italics.

Towards Modern Sailing Classes
Hene Keller, Switzerland

We are particularly interested in what will be the future of the skiffs.

When will be a decision about the Olympic classes and who are the persons who will decide?

We really would appreciate if there would be a move towards the 29er. It would be so much easier to deal with the clubs and the federation if there would be an ISAF decision towards modern, athletic sailing. Most of my Opti-trainees would love to continue on 29ers if only there would be a club in the neighbourhood who offers it.

The decision about the equipment (classes) for the Olympic Sailing Competition is taken at the ISAF Annual Conference four years before the Games [Regulation 16.1.1], therefore in November 2008. The events are chosen five years in advance, in November 2007. There is also an option to select 40% of the events seven years in advance [Regulation 16.1.1(d)], although for 2012 ISAF did not take this decision, as at the time we were awaiting final confirmation that sailing would have 10 events for the 2012 Olympic Games.

The final decision on both the events and the equipment to be used at the Olympic Games is made by the voting members of the ISAF Council. The Council is made up of myself and the seven Vice-Presidents who were all elected in 2004. Then there are 28 appointed Council Members who represent the sailing regions around the world, and also one voting member from each of the Offshore Committee and ISAF Classes Committee and a Women's Representative.

However, before the Council Meeting, many other ISAF Committees will have considered the possible events and the equipment and made recommendations, and of course these Committees have the opportunity to express their views at the Council Meeting.

In respect of the 29er, there is an opportunity for the Class to display the attributes of the boat at evaluation trials which have been set up for a possible Women's High Performance Dinghy event for the 2012 Olympic Games. The evaluation trials are scheduled to be held in Santander, Spain in April 2007.

Points System
Glenn T. McCarthy and Luiz Kahl, USA

In the sport of soccer, a goal is worth one point. In the sport of baseball, a run is worth one point. In the sport of basketball, outside the ring is three points, inside the ring is two points, and a penalty shot is one point. There are not any exceptions to the points.

In the sport of sailing, the RRS do not 'fix' the number of points for scoring events worldwide. In reality, each organizing authority tinkers with the point system. For example, some organizing authorities change the number of points for DNS, DNF, or DSQ.

The following rules involve point manipulation: 30.2, 30.3, 36, 44.3, 64.1, 64.3, 67, 69.1, 78.2, 86.1, 88.3 and Appendix A. Typically scoring at most events is done in a rush and scorers typically are not experts in the rules, and do not spend the time reviewing all of the rules applicable to scoring resulting in possible incorrect results.

Add to this the fact that not only do the organizing authorities change points in the NOR and SIs, but when it comes to Protest Committees, they too can manipulate and decide final points for particular situations. For example the protest committee can order a eighth place boat scored to become the second place boat scored and all other finishers positions get shifted down one. In another situation, that eighth place boat can be awarded the score of second place, and the existing second place boat remains in position (tie) and no boats get shifted down.

When will ISAF attack this problem and put it to bed permanently? When will the Point Reward system be fixed (fixed in the definition that it can not be manipulated by organizing authorities)? When will the Penalty Points available to protest committees for penalties be fixed (fixed in the definition that the judges select the penalty from a predetermined list)? What is needed is simple logic, simple math, and a system that can not be altered by the organizing authority. Right now, logic does not prevail and no computer programmer can put in enough variables to satisfy the manipulation of points from event to event.

If you think this is a small issue, please discuss this matter with any computer programmer who has attempted to write a scoring programs taking in all potential point manipulations found by and you will find that they too can not take in account all possible point manipulation scenarios. Would that ever work in Soccer, Baseball or Basketball? Knowing the point score in sailing should be as simple as adding up some numbers in your head, just like any other sport. It should not be difficult, it should be extremely simple.

I agree that sailing definitely has a challenge in communicating its scoring system to the non-sailing world. A major part of the idea behind the new Medal Race format and moving to just one discard in the Olympic Games was to make the sport more accessible and understandable.

In respect of the specific issues you raise, the Racing Rules Committee are continually working to improve the Racing Rules of Sailing.

The Racing Rules of Sailing have this flexibility on scoring as it has been felt necessary. However, I think your points are valid and should be considered by the Racing Rules Committee. ISAF has a very open system of receiving proposals for rule changes from our members, the National Sailing Federations and the classes. We receive on average about 50 proposals (submissions) a year for changes in the rules, which the Racing Rules Committee reviews.

Moth For The Olympic Games
Koen Salden, Netherlands

Can we have the Bladerider winged Moth one-design in the 2012 Olympics?

The foiling Moths are certainly very spectacular. The Class attended the 2006 ISAF Mid-Year Meeting in Berlin and made a presentation from the Bladerider team. I also saw some of the Moths at this year’s World Championship in Denmark.

As a sport we need to make improvements from a media point of view, whilst also balancing the events and equipment on the Olympic Programme to reflect the sport around the world.

During the last Olympics in Athens sailing was right at the bottom of the table for television coverage and this is the area where the IOC generate a massive amount of their revenue. Television coverage is not the priority criteria for sports being on the Olympic Programme, but sports must take serious note of the sport’s appeal to broadcasters.

Already ISAF are already addressing this challenge and I think next year at the ISAF Worlds in Cascais we will see a terrific event, both at the venue and on the TV screens.

But looking towards the future many other sports are making some major changes and sailing cannot afford to be left behind. Of course we have a great tradition of which we should be proud, but we also have a vibrant, incredibly exciting and extremely modern side to the sport – the Moth is just one example – and I think we should be showing this to the world as well.

In respect of the process to be considered as equipment for the Olympics, I would refer you to my response in respect of the earlier question regarding the 29er.