More than 300 riders, their friends and uchastnitsami Finn World Masters 2019 sent an open letter to the President of the World Sailing Kim Andersen, to Express his concern about the decision to bring a class “Finn” from the Olympic program in 2024. Below is the translation of the letter:
Dear Mr. Andersen,
After a controversial decision by the World Sailing in November 2018, to remove Finn from the Olympic program, and the scandal with the ballot associated with this decision, we respectfully ask you to support by any means the return of the Finn class in the Olympic program.
We are writing to Express our concern on the following issues:
In spite of world politics, sailing and the guidelines of the IOC, the removal of “Finn” means that sailors weighing over 85 kg now face discrimination in the Olympic movement. After the loss of Soling and Star class, Finn was the last remaining boat, suitable for heavy boaters. The data of the world Championship sailing Aarhus in 2018 show that sailors finnity unique in the current Olympic classes, with their weight more than 85 kg.
Remove “Finn” sacrifices, perhaps, the fastest sailing class in the Olympic program, which is most closely connected with the Olympic ideals. Sailing should cover advertising and larger athletes than the rest, and not reject them. What other sport will miss this great opportunity?
After the Olympic games in 2020 to the Olympic sailing in General will not be competition for male athletes over 85 kg, so these athletes will be lost to the Olympic movement. Even combined keel cruising yacht inevitably gives preference to athletes with lower body mass.
The class “Finn” has a great pedigree, history and heroes in sailing. Remove it from the Olympic program would be a huge loss to the sport. The class is a great interest of the media because of his heritage and because of its sporty and strong riders. To remove it from the Olympics — a huge risk for sailing and the IOC.
The elimination of “Finn” kills a vital place in the way young people from the start of classes sail to the America’s Cup and Ocean Race. As soon as riders become too old to race on the “Laser” in Olympic swimming there will be no next step for them. Future path of development will be destroyed.
Perhaps it is worth noting that never in the history of sailing was not so much anger, frustration and dissatisfaction with the decision taken by the World Sailing. If you look in the context of a number of other recent critical remarks in sailing in the world, it seems to us that many changes have been made and entered against the will of a large number of yachtsmen in the world.
The removal of “Finn” from the Olympics will be deprived of the right to vote a huge group of racers from sailing the Olympic movement and to the global sailing.
We, as members of the Finn Masters, this decision is not affected, but greatly affects the opportunities for hundreds of young riders, which we see in our class, and those who may join the class later in life because they grew up being competitive. Something very valuable for sailing may be lost.
We believe that this is injustice and discrimination, and we therefore respectfully urge you to support a class “Finn”, he was again included in the Olympic programme after 2020, as the only class in the Olympic sailing program is really suitable for sailors weighing more than 85 kg.
What do you think?