IOC is pretty clear on what it wants to see, and that is a Mixed gender boat. So men's and women's equipment is probably non-viable. Keeping this in mind is helpful to moving the discussion forward.
redexton
I disagree... I think the IOC wants men's only and women's only sports and is very clear that they are focused on the elite level of performance. They do not want compromises.
They also want photogenic and exciting action.
Mixed events are NOT the right way forward. They are a political compromise and mix a social/polticial policy into the elite performance game. (Name one top mixed doubles tennis team.... versus name a top men's or women's tennis player... The country club sports, Golf, Tennis, Sailing Swimming can only work when they are Open or M/F... Setting a sport up as Mixed is a craven compromise on the Olympic ideal of excellence )
ISAF floated the mixed events in order to keep as much of the vested interests happy. (Male - female opportunity and the good old boy network)
Catamarans...get back in the games... Not as open.. but as mixed... 470's don't get totally screwed... they become mixed... (not open). ISAF makes the best case possible but they throw elite performance out the window and they make lousy compromises. They preserve slots for the major factions of sailing Finns and STars still have a remote shot at staying in the games.
I would not buy this ISAF compromise in the slow walk to being eliminated. ... our sailing championships are OPEN... (Can you imagine if the F18 worlds were forced to be mixed!) We should stay with OPEN for the olympics... The only compromise would be to accept Men's.
The winning move is to demand a men's (or open) high performance multihull. The women should get a women's High performance class.... probably a skiff like the 29ner X
My guess is that the IOC will not be impressed with this plan and they flush sailing.
