I notice my sail number is AUS433. No idea where that came from. I’ve never used it and never will.

Suggest if indvidual class associations (wally, FW, Raceboard) want to institute an AUSonly policy, they can; but it seems very heavy handed to blanket all windsurfers with such a policy.

It will be interesting to see how the world votes!!

But windsurfing is only present as an event (or class) in the sport of sailing. This distinction is not just pedantry. The olympic equipment needs to highlight the board, and most importantly, the sailing skills of the competitors. Not sure what the answer is, but I doubt pure fw fits the bill - though it does have the advantage, as others have pointed out, of ending full course pumping. But I’d add that sailing a board (relatively) fast in non-planing conditions is also a worthwhile skill, so maybe the fugly RSX is a decent compromise that should be peserved for at least one more olympiad.

In the ten years of having an interest in windsurfing the only constant has been the continuous debate over the vexed question of olympic equipment. It seems to me to be an inevitable grind to FW. I just hope the concerns, highlighted by Chris, don’t also grind us towards inevitable exclusion.

I have no plans to get an RSX myself but feel that as they have already gone there they should at least support it for the next 2 olympiads. I DO NOT support Formula Windsurfing as the Olympic board at all.

However, IMHO Luke’s right, we need continuity for the sport. Looking at other decisions by ISAF confirms that they feel the same way. The last time there was a class in for only one Games was 1956, so it’s obvious they don’t like quick changes even when it’s obvious the craft is a flop.

The submissions from national authorities arguing for the second-last class to be dropped (the Europe) showed strongly that smaller nations do not want to be involved in extra expense. If we force them to dump their existing (albeit small) RSX fleets and build new fleets of FOD the overall expense would probably be greater.

The IOC Olympic Programme Commission reports seems to indicate that the global spread of a sport (ie being in more countries on more continents) is currently a major priority. The existing gear, for all its faults (IMHO) is more widespread than FW in terms of class associations and countries at worlds. Sure, that’s because it’s already Olympic but still it is a fact. If we don’t look out for smaller countries who want to preserve their existing fleets, then why would they look out for us?

The “Formula is better TV” argument is similar to the one that some of the cat sailors relied on. The cat is now out of the Games, so that’s not a good selling point!

The cities bidding for 2016 all seem windy but as others have pointed out, other Olympic regatta venues aren’t like that and that’s a potential problem for FOD (when do you get a reliable 6 knots at SIRS????)

Formula is a great class. Going Olympic kills a class’ local fleets (with only two exceptions). In the past, the Tornado and Mistral were both created out of open development classes. One of those classes (B Class cats) died long ago and the other (Raceboard) is not as big as it was. So the “Olympic selection death syndrome” seems to affect even related classes, and the great FW class may be hurt if FOD goes ahead.

I have major concerns about the fact that the IWA made this decision with apparently almost no consultation among our sport. Secondly, considering what happened to the cats where (according to private correspondence with one of the leaders of the new official cat movement) poorly-researched submissions were a major factor in the dumping of the Tornado, I hope that the FOD submission is trustworthy.

I am concerned about a submission that makes claims such as ‘racers want to see FOD in the Olympics’ since there’s no proof; in many major countries other classes form the majority of national fleets. No one I know (i.e. the leader of the German windsurfing association etc) was asked what racers wanted.

Saying “The current windsurfing Olympic class is considered irrelevant by all but the racers who have dedicated themselves to Olympic windsurfing” is arguably false since several Olympic windsurfers are significant stars. If Olympic windsurfing was considered irrelevant would Nikos have seen been given the honour of lighting the Olympic flame, or would Babs Kendall have been ranked in the top 10 most trusted Kiwis in a national poll????

Secondly, ISAF created the RSX so is it really good politics to say that it is considered “irrelevant”??? Few committees like their own creations being criticised.

Isn’t saying that Olympic windsurfing is (for whatever reason) irrelevant pretty much asking for ISAF to dump our sport from the Games to allow a spot to let the catamarans back in?

Last time the FW class was put up for Olympic selection, it used its inclusion in the PWA as support and its submission spoke of 57,000 boards being sold in 2 years…..now its official report to ISAF speaks of 1,000 boards being sold per year. On the face of it there seems to be something inconsistent there and any ISAF member savvy enough to look at the last submission (and I think there are plenty of them) may wonder about the IWA’s credibility.

Sorry to rave on, but watching the huge fight over the cats has made me very aware of the political implications of this sort of stuff, and I am very deeply concerned that the IWA may (note the “may”) be acting in an un-representative fashion without consulting us, the sailors (and also the office-holders).

So for 2012, keep the RSX and start looking for something new in a few years.

PS - and no, it WASN’T me who suggested on the Starboard forum tha thte Olympic board should be the Windsurfer One Design…….. that would be terrible for EVERYONE!

We need continuity with our Olympic windsurfer not a change every 4 years.

Thanks,
Luke Meyers

I’m not sure if the rig “weight” will be lighter as the size is bigger than a 9.5m, but you will find it ‘lighter’ in terms of being more responsive and easier because if there is no sub-planing mode you will always sail the sail with high downhauls and lots of twist, which makes the FW sails very light in the hands. I always found the RSX sails very tiring because we would always sail with minimal downhaul even in planing conditions to get the most power out of the sail with such a small RSX fin.

London will great on FW, but I wonder what Spa or Kiel would be like. You ain’t gonna make it out to the startline in Kiel if you can’t move in <6 knots! (you know it Brendan!) Are they going to make the wind minimum applicable at ALL Grade 1 regattas or just in London?!

Just to clarify some points.

The Formula Windsurfing One Design is already in production, so nothing to compare to the RSX change.

You have all the details in the proposal concerning the price and the weight.

Allison Shreeve and Reutemann Mariano who going the the game in one month try already the full production equipment and seems to be verry happy.

For sure FWOD will not stop completely the pumping but reduce by far this action, you get no benefit to pump when you get planing already. So the pumping will be limited to get planing, after tacks and jibe only.

The FWOD is deliver with a Deboichet Custom fin to have the better quality, nothing to compare to a fin built in Cobra.

Yes you fully right the FWOD will be perfect for 2012.

All the best and much more

Rémi