Currently, the plan for future Olympic Sailing appears to be the five-discipline approach with equal men's and women's events for 2016. This submission, while deferred until 2011, has wide international support with countries actually arguing about who came up with it first. If that submission continues to be popular, we would see a men's and a women's multihull event in 2016. The ISAF Multihull Commission would make recommendations regarding equipment. I have been talking for a while to sailors in the US about what that the equipment should be for 2016, and discussed it with the US SAILING Olympic Committee Chair. It remains to be seen what the Multihull Commission will decide once the topic is taken up.

So far, I feel the US should support the Hobie Tiger for both men and women, with the one-design Tiger sails for men and the F18 small sail plan for Women. The Hobie Cat Company has generously proposed providing boats for the Games. The Hobie lofts already manufacture both sail plans for Tigers that compete in the F18 fleet. Provided equipment at the Games would mean that there would not be any development budget and Olympic hopefuls could compete on stock equipment.

There are some that feel the choice of the Tiger would seriously impact the F18 fleets. I personally do not think that is the case for a number of reasons. I'm not, however, the type of person to ignore advice and suggestions. So let me have it; do you like a men's and a women's event? What are your thoughts on the Tiger as equipment? Before proposing other equipment, consider the availability to all countries, class structure, etc., and whether it would help or hurt that class to become an Olympic Class.