So are we going to change our racing format to comply with the new olimpic format, sailing the last races as a medal race, scoring double points. But this being for the top 10 only.
A bit of a bummer if you're 11th.

I suppose it means I might be first to the showers??.

But can the committee promise that the race will be on TV?

"This seems like a good compromise to me, weighting the final non-discardable race will give it the media prominence that sailing needs and will ensure that the regatta is also as fair as can be."

I take it that this is a move to make the sport more media friendly and less participatory.....?

Whilst I welcome anything that's done to increase the sailing coverage and lessen the rhythmic gymnastics, I hope we don't adopt this.

Make great spectator sport for the rest!

If the rest can understand it,

Can you see a beer swigging couchpotato, understanding why we need to tack and work the wind shift's.
His answer would be put a blo$££$%y engine on it??

This format will not help these people to understand sailing, they will just watch the totty playing beach volly ball insted.

don't watch, join in!!!!

For the general sports/footy public I'd agree but for our use why not? An extra title decider at the end of a championship to decide who has the best boat speed,the best tactical brain, the best sailors! take the prize. I lost an overall title in Cowes week one year when a boat from a differant class decided to act the pratt, why not clear the clutter(no upset intended) and let the top guys & girls really go for it? The interested spectators group would hopefully be swollen by those who didn't make the top ten.

this format is being introduced to try to stop people sailing other people down the fleet ainslie/schieght esk in the final or penultimate races and also to prevent competitors winning events with races to spare.

at least at olympic level anyway.....

How about doubling the points for all the races, then the competitors will try twice as hard on all the races!

Actually - the reason for changing the format is more sinister....Sailing is an expensive Sport not only to compete in but to host as well. They are trying to make it more commercially viable by attracting the media. The only way to do that is to make the format a little simpler and to ensure that the guys and girls sail in the final race for medals. If there's no money to be made then they will get rid of sailing at the Olympics.... they're not changing it for the sake of it...they have to do something to boost the sports appeal or we won't be seeing it at the Games in the future!

So One again the world of sport is being controlled buy the big wigs in TV and buy money.

You seemed surprised at that!

I'm not, all thoes years of sportsman of the year going to the faces most on TV rather than accivement.
The year springing to mind, Deamon Hill won the award, but that year in sailing one man got 2 wold titles and a national title, and Deamon only came second in his one event?????
And its probley the same with other non Televised sports.

I've had an awful nightmare of Murray Walker doing the commentry on a MR Team Race!

The best commentary has to be from Awesome Aussie Skiffs:

"It's win or swim"

and

"One more wave like that and he's going down the mine"

and

"Let's have a Rippa Replay"

there are no surprises with the TV pepole driving change in our sport. It is far more interesting to participate in than it is to watch. It is very difficult and expensive to get the right footage(Ashore, Afloat & Helecopters)to keep tv audiences interested when you have already won with 2 races to go and the like or even worse sailing competitors off the coarse. the normal TV punter has not got a clue about the rules etc.
But I am all for our sport exposure to the main stream media if only 1 or 2 kids takeup sailing or racing as a result of the tv coverage in my view it is a sucess.
 For far to long some sailing clubs and classes have been too exclusive & elitist to the point that joe bloggs either didn't known they existed or worse were not welcome!
I have been racing on and off for 27 years and have in my time seen may improvements in the whole sailing comunty but in the time of the x-box and play station we must make our sport visable accesable and affordable to all.
this is one area the Merlin wins through this web-site and the old boat handicaps some fantastic old rockets are still making it to the start line every weekend although not cutting edge still great FUN!!!!!!!!!
Bring on change but keep control and manage it.

Actually a non-sailing friend at work said the most interesting bits of the televised sailing he saw was when one boat was pushing another out of the race. Luckily the commentary explained the rules.

Seems he had no interest in speed in a straight line.

I take part in a try a sail day every year this is attended by visiters, day tripers, spectators of our sport and everyone in between.
the consistent message before launching is "I wish I could do this! it looks great"
But coming off the water the coments are "how much does it cost, where and when can I start"
My crew never sailed any boat in his whole life, we discussed the idea to try a race the following weeekend, and he hasn't missed a race yet(incidently he is a offshore trawler captain)

and for the record the merlin gets the most requests for the try a sail day, much to the disgust of the plastic and mastic crowd in the laser's and RS's. 
its all about bums in boats and we may all have to accept a little change now and then but keep it fun.

Demolition racing ,much better ,head to head .clear the dinghy parks and marinas.

STUPID BOY!!