There is a big machine in place that determines what events and classes are in the Olympics (ISAF). It is a heavy machine that is hard to move. It has many moving parts. We (multihull sailors) are a small part of that old machine - we certainly don't own it and we have control over very little of it right, wrong, or indifferent.
The machine has provided a square hole, a round hole, a star shaped hole, a triangle hole, and a rectangular hole for the Olympics. The machine has identified that it/we need a rectangle hole (mixed class) and they don't currently have an event that fits it. All the other holes already have events in them. We have a choice to A) beat out one of the other pegs that is already in a hole or B) shape our peg to fit the open hole.
We have about a 5% chance (or less) to beat out one of the other pegs and gain that opening (Option A) or an 80% chance if we form our own peg to fit that open rectangular hole (Option B)....which is a mixed Olympic event. John is right to ask us to help shape the rectangular peg - otherwise, we're not going to get a slot again.
PS - quit arguing about the color of the peg. We're working on getting an event in the slot and get back in the show. We'll worry about the color of the peg later.
