Absolutely. This is a sensitive issue.
Argentina has a history of voting against Brazil for irrational reasons. What else could you expect from people who actually believe that Maradona, a known cheater and drug addict, is greater than Pele, the most famous name in sports?

Anyway, ISAF placed the two countries in separate groups for this reason. The American continent has four groups:

Group M: Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Equador and Peru
Group N: Brazil and Paraguay
Group O: Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico and lots of smaller countries in Central America and the Caribean.
Group P: US and Canada

Take care,

Im pretty sure the biggest challenge for anyone who wants to get on the US Olympic team sailing cats is beating you, Rhody!! Seriously though, finding enough time to be on the water and racing a lot is a start. That means money which means sponsors, which seems to be harder here in the US than in other places where sailing in more ingrained (EU, AUS, NZ) in their cultures. How does anyone else here manage to finagle sponsorship on any real basis? I know a few guys who get hardware (Ronstan, Harken etc) sponsors, but its really only for a small equipment budget. Im sure if you went to them and told them you needed a new boat, they would be laughing for the rest of the day. It seems tough even for guys like Mischa, who jumped off Hobie for Cirrus, as Hobie wasent willing to cough up some real loot to keep a top guy on their brand. I dont think that was a great move and we shall see how many times he puts the Cirrus on a podium over a WildCat...Anyway Im still just trying to figure out how to get someone else to buy me a new mainsail...better get back to begging!!

Minutes from the meeting where all this was decided....

No.... I don't think your joke is accurate. It was not irrational.

For all of the noise that the powers that be screwed the Multihulls and sailing in general… Consider this slate.

Executive Committee/ Puerto Rican submission

Men’s sail board or kite board – Evaluation
Women’s sail board or kite board – Evaluation
Men’s one person dinghy – Laser
Women’s one person dinghy – Laser Radial
Men’s 2nd one person dinghy – Finn
Men’s two person dinghy (spinnaker) – 470
Women’s two person dinghy (spinnaker) – 470
Women’s keelboat Match Racing – Elliott 6m
Men’s keelboat – Star
Mixed multihull – Evaluation

So basically the Exec committee wanted to replace Skiffs with Keel boats. They argued for continuity in the games and the rock stars of the sport are in keel boats. The high performance niche would now be held up by the Mixed Multihull which feeds into the big AC spectacle.

IMO this would have elevated the Mixed Multihull as the High performance Star of the Olympics and Made more sense to me as consistent with the 5 disciplines then what we now have)

Instead… ISAF rejected this proposal and selected a slate with THREE high performance boats to include
Mixed Multihull Evaluation
Men’s Skiff 49ner
Women’s Skiff Evaluation

My point that ISAF voted their best interest was made by Jim Champ from Andy Rice’s Blog
He summarized what each nation wanted in their submissions.

37 suggested some sort of board, both exceptions being in the NA region
39 suggested M & F Lasers
32 suggested M & F 470s, and just 4 mixed 470s
34 suggested the Finn
35 suggested a mixed multihull
37 suggested the 49er
32 suggested the women's skiff

His point… they voted their self interest. Keel boats only got 10 votes. (too expensive… too elite)
The third most expensive boat in the Olympic quiver… the Tornado was killed off the last time… (Too expensive… too elite)

My read... the High Performance niche won out over the Keel boat niche because the ISAF countries voted thinking they have a shot at competing where before... they had no shot.

The good of the sport notion is in the eye of the beholder.... Hell.. many don't think the AC on multihulls is good for the sport. So... if you can't agree on the basics... you vote your self interest.

Regardless, props to anyone who can sit in these types of meetings.

I've been in quite a few (not sailing related) and I felt like the guy who's head pops off...

People are smart. Committees are stupid. Ask any camel (which is really a horse that was designed by committee)

Chill out Luiz...
This is Catsailor.