FYI below from Mike Grandfield. Please visit the site.

HTTP://WWW.USMULTIHULL.ORG

Hi All,

The issues are quite stark.

US SAILING has put forward a slate of 6 dinghy events, 2 keelboat events, and no multihull events
• 1 of the dinghy events does not yet exist
• 1 of the dinghy events has yet to produce an Olympic medal for the USA.
• 1 of the keelboat events has yet to produce an Olympic medal for the USA.
• The multihull event has produced Olympic medals for the USA in 4 of the 7 Olympic Regattas attended by the US Team.
How could anyone feel that US SAILING has been fair, or rational, or impartial?

The submission also states: “This slate of Events is representative of the sport as it is practiced around the World. As a result, it is likely that this slate will increase the number of countries competing in the Olympic Regatta.”
These statements are not true:
• Approximately 25% of the racing in the world is done in multihulls. A slate that reduces multihulls to zero is not ‘representative’.
• The slate will do nothing to increase the number of countries at the Olympic Regatta. The data has been clear for years:
Increases in the number of countries at the Olympic Regatta result only when there are increases in the size of the single-handed fleets
At Athens, sailing failed to meet the IOC country target so the size single handed events will be increased at the expense of the multi-handed events – which will get fewer entries
For comparison, here is what happens if more countries are allowed into the double or triple handed events:
1. say that the 5 current double-handed boats each had 35 entries,
2. that would take 350 of the 380 athletes for only 5 medals… and fall more than 20 countries short of the IOC target of 67 countries.
3. The other 5 events could then have 6 sailors each…

The US SAILING submission fails to give multihull sailors any representation; it fails to tell the truth; it fails to demonstrate that US SAILING understands how fleet sizes and competitive opportunity in the various Olympic events will be managed.
However, despite its failings it will succeed at hurting multihull sailing. And, it will be joined by no-multihull submissions form other countries (Canada, Denmark, and perhaps others).

If you are fouled in a race, you should be able to expect the other guy to acknowledge the foul and take a penalty or withdraw, If not, you can and should protest.
If you are not willing to defend your rights, and keep the sport clean, then don’t be surprised when your rights are abused – or when you discover that you don’t have them anymore.

The US SAILING Board did not have the right to discard the multihull event from the slate of Olympic Events. Many of us asked the Board to acknowledge the foul, but instead they have suggested that we support them for having discarded us.
If you won’t defend the right to have a multihull event at the Olympic regatta, then what would you defend?

It is not ‘going too far’ to protest the actions of the Board; in fact it looks like multihull sailors have already lost some very basic rights.
And unless we enjoy being abused, we should perhaps be more concerned that a protest could be too little, too late.

Here is a link to the website where you can read the submission, read the complaint, and defend what rights you have left by calling on US SAILING to be accountable.

HTTP://WWW.USMULTIHULL.ORG
Regards,
Mike Grandfield

Short comments:
Dean seems to quite unaware of the level of talent among the young Tornado sailors.
Regardless of event sailors must commit 200 days per year for 4 to 8 years in order to get close to an Olympic medal.

Some day there might be a lighter, faster, more durable boat than a Tornado. When there is it might be time to consider a change.
But, Olympic sailing is already losing some of its claim to being at the pinnacle of the sport. In the high performance events, boats that are heavier, slower, less durable, and less exciting would only lessen the importance of the event.

I went to the site and added my name to the complaint, and I hope that everybody who frequents this web site does the same.

After decades of belonging to US Sailing and urging other multihull sailors to do so, I feel betrayed by our governing body. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Ditto.

I guess I should have said "people from the United States" who frequent this web site should add their names to the complaint.

Those of you from other countries should find out what your own National Governing Bodies are doing on this subject and complain to them if they are planning on dropping the multihull from the Olympics.

Takes all of 10 seconds, done.

9.25 seconds... <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Done

If you want to spend a little more time and write to people directly about this, here are some e-mail addresses:
dmbrenner@ussailing.org, Dean Brenner, chairman of the U.S. Olympic Sailing Committee
katiekelly@ussailing.org, Katie Kelly, U.S. Olympic Director
jcapron@capron.com, Jim Capron, President of U.S. Sailing

It is great that the U.S. Tornado Association is fighting this decision by US Sailing, but they need the vocal support of the entire U.S. multihull community.

And be sure to include your US Sailing membership number!

Just added my name with my number! Shame on them. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Bob

BHAM!

Me too.

Doug

+1 more, keep it going.

I just sent e-mails to Dean, Katie and Jim. Among other things, here is what I said:

"Even if the rest of the countries vote to keep the multihull in the Olympics, how can the United States multihull sailors ever again trust US Sailing to support us? Why would our young catamaran sailors dedicate the time and financial resources necessary to reach Olympic level, when they know the rug might be pulled out from under them at any time by their own National Governing Body?

"Setting a goal for the Olympics requires a lot of trust and faith on the part of the sailors that their own country is going to support them."

I add my name to the list.

Matt J.

I knew there was a reason I never joined US Ailing.

After being told I wouldn't receive a class certificate because I belonged to a Hobie fleet instead of a yacht club I quit.

What's a class certificate?

I took a USYRU PRO class at the St. Francis YC in '91. Took the test and passed. Turned in my info form to get a certificate of completion. The guy running the class said no YC membership no class certificate.

USYRU had been pushing hard to get the multihull and board guys to join. It appeared that USYRU viewed us as potential revenue opportunities and were not about to let us play with the "big boys."

I said sayonara sucker.

I took your issue to the Race Management guys - that requirement is long since out the window, but your test results were out-dated by several years by that time. All I had for you at the end of that phone call was an apology and the opportunity to test again for a widely expanded program that includes free liability insurance for you and your whole race committee on and off the water.

Bad experiences like this make it tough to see the good stuff, I agree.

Looks like we've entered circular logic land. USSail won't get a dime of my money until I get the certificate I earned. As for the apology, it's too little and waaaaay too late.