Sailing: Selection of Equipment for Paris 2024

Three Events and Equipment have been confirmed for the Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing Competition with Equipment decisions to be made for the remaining seven Events.

At World Sailing's 2018 Annual Conference, the following Events were approved:

Men's Windsurfer - RS:X*

Women's Windsurfer - RS:X*

Men's One Person Dinghy - TBC

Women's One Person Dinghy - TBC

Mixed Kiteboard - TBC

Mixed Two Person Dinghy - TBC

Women's Skiff - 49erFX

Men's Skiff - 49er

Mixed Two Person Multihull - Nacra 17

Mixed Two Person Keelboat Offshore - TBC

*subject to ongoing equipment re-evaluation

The Men's and Women's Windsurfer were put under the re-evaluation process. The authority for the re-evaluation procedure is World Sailing's Board of Directors who shall make the final recommendations to World Sailing's Council.

The second process is the selection of new Equipment. For new Events and for those where the outcome of an earlier re-evaluation is to select Equipment, World Sailing's Equipment Committee will make a recommendation to Council.

Events under this process include the Mixed Two Person Dinghy, the Mixed Kiteboard, the Mixed Two Person Offshore Keelboat and the Men's and Women's One Person Dinghy following its re-evaluation.

For all Events, except for the Mixed Two Person Offshore Keelboat, the reports and recommendations from the appointed Evaluation Panels to the Equipment Committee will be reviewed at World Sailing's Mid-Year Meeting in May.

A verbal report will be given on the Mixed Two Person Offshore Keelboat and Submission M01-19 from the Board proposes to Council a new way forward with the procedure for selecting this Equipment.

Men's and Women's Windsurfer - Re-evaluation

World Sailing's Board of Directors considers that the RS:X, the Equipment proposed by Neil Pryde, fits the Equipment criteria considered by World Sailing's Council. As part of the re-evaluation process, the Board has considered the relevant information and commitment from Neil Pryde to allow other manufacturers to access the market under the terms of World Sailing's Olympic Equipment Policy included in the updated Olympic class contract.

As a result, the Board will recommend to World Sailing's Council that they should retain the RS:X, subject to the Olympic class contract, as the Men's and Women's Windsurfer at Paris 2024.

Men's and Women's One Person Dinghy - Re-evaluation / Selection of Equipment

World Sailing launched a tender process in May 2018 which invited Class Associations and Manufacturers to tender for the Men's and Women's One Person Dinghy.

Eight tenders were received and a Board of Directors appointed Working Party recommended to select Equipment from the Laser, D-Zero, Melges 14 and RS Aero.

The recommendation was approved by Council as the outcome of the re-evaluation and the remaining process moved under the selection of equipment process outlined in Regulation 23.1.3 (e).

The four boats were put through their paces over the five days of sea trials. Each boat was evaluated against the criteria in the Invitation to Tender and the Evaluation Panel looked into multiple areas to address suitability for the event.

The appointed Evaluation Panel has written a report and recommendation that will go forward to the Equipment Committee at the Mid-Year Meeting before they put forward a recommendation to World Sailing's Council.

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Mixed Two Person Keelboat Offshore - Selection of Equipment

World Sailing's Board of Directors have put forward Submission M01-19 for the 2019 Mid-Year Meeting that proposes a new way forward with the procedure for selecting Equipment for the Mixed Two Person Keelboat Offshore.

The Submission proposes that World Sailing's Council shall select a list of different Equipment which it considers to meet the key criteria of the event by 31 December 2019 and then make a decision on the Equipment, selecting from the list no later than 31 December 2023.

MNAs, Classes and Manufacturers will be invited to propose Equipment for the list. A Working Party with members from the Equipment Committee, Offshore Committee and Events Committee will evaluate the Equipment against the key criteria and present the recommended list for Council approval in November 2019.

The list will provide event organisers, MNAs and sailors with diverse opportunities to train and compete in Equipment that is tested, readily available and affordable in their continent. Postponing the decision of the Equipment that will be supplied at the Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing Competition will also promote fair opportunities for all MNAs.

The Submission will be discussed and debated at the Mid-Year Meeting before World Sailing's Council decide on the steps forward.

Mixed Two Person Dinghy - Selection of Equipment

World Sailing invited Class Associations and Equipment Manufacturers to tender for the Mixed Person Dinghy in February 2019.

Tenders were to be evaluated against World Sailing Policies and the approved Equipment

Criteria around the following areas: Equipment criteria and technical considerations, Event considerations, Cost, durability and sustainability considerations and Market considerations.

World Sailing received tenders from the Melges 15, a concept design from Melges Boat Works, and from the 470 Class Association.

Melges Boat Works withdrew their application resulting in the 470 Class as the sole tenderer.

Having found the 470 Class tender compliant with all requirements, the Evaluation Panel will recommend to the Equipment Committee that the 470 is selected as the Mixed Two Person Dinghy Equipment subject to the Class Association agreeing to updates to the Olympic Classes Contract for 2024.

Mixed Kiteboard - Selection of Equipment

Class Associations and Equipment Manufacturers were invited to tender in February 2019 with the evaluation of the Equipment driven by Equipment criteria approved at the 2018 Annual Conference.

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Tenders were received by the International Kiteboarding Association (tendering with the IKA - Formula Kite Class equipment), Fly 4 all (Tarooa) and Ozone Kites.

Fly 4 all withdrew their tender and the Evaluation Panel considered the IKA Formula Kite Class and the Ozone Kites tenders in their evaluation.

Following Phase 1 of the process, the Evaluation Panel shortlisted the IKA-Formula Kite Class to further evaluate their tender. World Sailing will visit the IKA-Formula Kite Class World Championship to gather further information.

World Sailing's Mid-Year Meeting will take place at Chelsea Football Club in London, Great Britain from 17-19 May 2019.

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