The Race Committee here at the ISAF Sailing World Championships in Perth Western Australia have made the decision to divide the RS:X men into 3 groups of about 30 racers in each.[more]
This unprecedented decision has been made despite class representations to ISAF asking that the fleet be divided in two as usual. The given reason is that the diameter of the centre course is a mere .90kms.
It seems that the idea of rotating fleets into the centre course to give spectators a variety of sailing classes to watch has not been fully considered neither has the possibility of falling behind the schedule. When and not if this happens, 9 starts will be required on a windward leeward course in a maximum of 6 hours.
No way can there be more than one fleet racing on the same course at once.
So what does this mean for the sailors themselves?
Well, if they have ambitions to race in the gold fleet it will mean that every result they have in the qualifying round will probably have to be in the top 10
And if, due to light winds or thunderstorms, we fall behind schedule someone is bound to suffer. That is to say that when the hard choices are made the bronze fleet will be short of racing.
Ask the sailors, our clients in fact, if they are happy about this and to a man they say NO…
We’ve asked nicely and we have been denied so we’re going public with our request to the powers-that-be to reconsider their decision and build more flexibility into the program by splitting the RS:X men’s fleet into two groups and rotate other fleets into centre course so all sailors in all fleets have some experience of racing on centre course before their medal races…
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