Mark, you do realize that Sara is our Youth U.S. Sailing Multihull Youth Champion - right?

Yes

Do you really think she should be excluded?

She would not be... She would find a big crew and the team would be at 300 lbs. Or her team could add weight ( I thnk)
I agree that the class rule must allow everyone an opportunity to compete on the field.. She still has that opportunity.

I really don't see a "looming problem"; The wind hardly blew in the last Olympics - why were things different then?

The Last two Olympics were light air. ... but the expectation and history of the venues was for breeze that AT LEAST met Tornado championship standards. Most important is the fact that the Tornado Class Min wind speed rules were in effect. SO... the game was identical to every international regatta. Every team took their best shot at showing up at the optimal crew weight.

This is NOT THE CASE for CHina... The rules were changed for the event... The playing field is not level anyomore.

Moreover... I stress... the Sailing Authority, can put their BEST TEAM in the Olympics... Why would they not take their best shot... Do you think the 20th ranked country has anything to loose by putting their best helm out there with a child?


Do you feel like the best teams did poorly?
red herring question. ... not on point.

EVERY single day we go out and race on the water there is a large degree of variability - it's why most of us keep coming back.

No... You only come back to the game when you believe it to be fair.... would you bring a knife to a gun fight...

This is not like the worlds... If space permits... you can go racing. The Olypics are not a sailor controlled events...

I don't have any other solution then a min crew weight..But if you don't like this one... What is your proposal.

Put weights on ALL boats and add or remove to compensate heavy AND light crews to the wind strength.

For this Olympics, because they have dropped the minimum wind requirement, allow the use of paddles.<img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Just put it in the sailing instructions...and paddles to be provided at the event so they are all identical. (One paddle per boat.)

I don't have a proposal because I don't perceive a problem. I think these professionals highly underestimate themselves and their abilities and the need for two experienced professionals operating the boat. Where is the proof that there really is a problem in that a lightweight team consisting of a kid and an adult wins unfairly in the Tornado class?

PS - I really doubt that Sara has a laundry list of 220lb crews waiting for her call. The sport is exclusive enough.

This is very alarming to me, Mark. Are you saying that winning the U.S. Trials does not necessarily mean that you (or you and your crew) are going to the Olympics?

That is crazy.

mbounds
i'll take some money off you too.
how do we define 'blows like stink' - 20knots+ for 90 percent of the races OK?

Paul

C'mon - let's be sporting. I'll take one single 20-knot gust. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Really, he's right - the last couple of quadrenniums have shown you simply cannot get lost on weather guessing two years out. With or without weight restrictions, I would be surprised if any of the top teams make radical changes in crew selection. I'm not a member of the class, but I am generally in favor of fewer rules. And this proposal seems to be even further into the realm of crystal-ball, tarot card, frog guts prognostication. No offense to a certain voodoo queen down around the bayou. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Every country is different. They have complete freedom to design their own selection process.

The Aussies had a terrible battle over who to send several years ago. Booth and Forbes had broken up ... the choice was between bundy and forbes and booth and XXX (I don't know the details). in the end... Aus sided with bundock and forbes and after some legal action. So, Booth moved to Holland.

So, my understanding is that the US Olympic committe gives US Sailing, the MNA, wiggle room. Its advisory!

Again.. its just like Ice skating... Michell Kwan did not compete in the trials... She did compete in the Olympics. It was the US Olympic committe decison... not the equivalent of the ice skating class.

In Sailing, You will remember Randy Smyth suddenly getting back into the class for the 96 trials... It was believed that if he had a strong showing... they would choose him over the trials winner. He had medals and experience.

Being proffesionals have NOTHING TO DO with their going to the olympics. it's not their option... its the COUNTRY's.
These rules change quitely so I may be off base... but I don't believe so.

As Bundy said... it stops him from sailing with a child at the Olympics!

So the answer is Yes... you should be worried!

Nothing stops one of the Olympic committes from going... Hmm.. Odds are... no trapeezing this event.. We win if we send midget sailors! It's only about medals... not about fair competition. The effects are liekly to be silly then.

The Olympic dream BS is actually great marketing. Many an athlete is at odds with their MNA and despite being the best in the world... may not get to compete. You must be a suck up!

(Think about the bobsled designs that each country spends millions and to come up with the fastest sled.... its not about the sled team as a team racing similar sleds.. ... the Olympic committe y can change those people out at the last minute.)

Hmm. We could send our best team for the expected conditions, as you worry the Chinese will. That seems better than introducing discriminatory rules that further weaken the class and consequently risk its Olympic status. That's more important to me that protecting the medal chances of the current top ranked Olympic sailors.

A USA Olympic shot putter once told me that the frustrating and compelling thing about the Olympics is that any of several shot putters could go out there and win the Gold if they happen to have a really good day when others don't.

The worst case in Qingdao is that the best sailors for the conditions take home medals! Only phenomenal light air sailors will win.

The Olympics (or any championship event) are not coronations of the top ranked sailors: they rewards the winners of the individual event. They are unpredictable, and stressful, and everyone has a chance. That's what makes the award so interesting and covetted and makes so many work so hard for the chance to try to win. It's also why no one gets excited about or makes big trophies for the worlds rankings: they are too abstract, statistical, political, and impersonal.