On June 10 we published an open letter, more than 300 racers Finn Masters President of the World Sailing Kim Andersen. Now the site of the WFTU published the response of Andersen in translation, and remarks of member of the Board WS Oleg Ilyin. We decided these documents to reprint.
Dear veterans of the Finn class!
Thank you for your open letter, expressing your concern regarding the exclusion of the Finn class of the Olympic program. As always, your opinion and contribution is valued.
Sorry I wasn’t able to meet you at the Royal yacht Club of Denmark, because at the same time raced in the Gold Cup Dragon class, held in Medemblik.
The procedure for the election “Numbers” (class yacht) and “Equipment” Olympic program described in article 23 of the rules of the World Sailing. In November 2017, the WS Board is the main body of the Federation, making decisions, – voted with the overwhelming majority of Submissions (Proposals) to amend articles of the Rules that describe the main provisions of election programs for the Olympic games in 2024.
A set of “Rooms” was approved in may 2018, including “single Dinghy in the mixed category”. But in the period from may to November 2018 is not received recommendations on how to practically implement such a “Room” program, and many national federations expressed the view that the “Number” of the program “the Dinghy alone in the mixed category” is not feasible, and the choice of Equipment cannot be implemented.
During the Annual Conference in November 2018 in Sarasota from any of the Committees, including the Finn class, there was no suggestions on how to solve this problem.
The corresponding vote was not a vote on inclusion or not inclusion of the Finn class. It was about changing the “Rooms” of the program “the Dinghy alone in the mixed category”. We don’t have a solution for this “Room” program, but had the idea to include the “Rooms” of the program “keel offshore (cruising) deuce in the mixed category,” which meets the criteria of “Rooms”, approved earlier in the review process. Such is the explanation of the decision-making process.
It is crucial that all the sailing community recognizes the facts and procedures that led us to this decision.
The International sailing Federation decisions must pass through relevant Committees, which in turn make proposals to the Council, the principal organ of the WS decision maker, which are then approved by the Annual General Assembly. In this case, in the period from 2017 to November 2018 vote has consistently carried out with overwhelmingly positive votes.
I have no doubt that many national federations have different views and preferences, but at the same time, recognize the importance of the development of our sport, using its Olympic status and opportunity, defined by the programme “Agenda 2020” IOC.
The program “Numbers” of the Olympic games in 2024 in Paris must:
– reflect the diversity of our great sport – we mean kiteboarding, Windsurfing, catamarans/Multihull shells, dinghies (single and two), the Scythians and cruising yachts;
– to provide versatility in all rooms on all continents and Nations;
– to increase the participation of women to ensure gender equality of participants “Numbers” program and medals;
– demonstrate new rooms programs, such as kites, mixed crews and cruising.
Our dilemma is that we only have ten medals and 350 exhibitors to showcase sailing, but without changing anything, keeping the status quo, we, in fact, do nothing for the development of our great sport.
As a sailing community, we confessed in order to stay at the level of modern requirements, we have to change our sport.
I am sure that the concerns expressed in your letter, are problems known to the Committees, the Council WS delegates of the General Assembly, and, accordingly, was seriously discussed.
Development and other sports that were “victims”. For example, rowing has refused to offer programs for members with light weight for the sake of gender equality.
As President and member of the Directorate I’m limited by the decisions of the Council and Annual General Assembly.
Your participation in the regatta and the high standards of the championship the Finn-masters are proof of the strength of the class.
Finn is a great class and will remain a great class!
With respect
Kim Andersen
Comments of the International Committee of the Bureau of the WFTU:
1. According to the classification of the IOC in the Olympic games sports compete for medals in:
Discipline (Disciplines) – hotel types of programs, such as the fleet races in the approved format;
Rooms (Events) – types of sailing yachts and shells, as well as the conditions of the draw of medals in this sport. For example: Dinghy-alone; Multihull – catamaran in the mixed category; Windsurfing – men, etc.;
Equipment (Equipment) – specific material part on which the medals are played in “Rooms”, i.e. classes of yachts/shells (e.g. Laser standard, 470, 49th FX, etc.).
2. As a member of the Council, WS confirmed that a specific vote on the Finn class was not conducted at any stage in 2017-2018, First through the Council, was dragged a vote in favor of the issue of “Program” “the solo Dinghy in a mixed discharge”, it was implied, but was not named in the Finn class. In the next step, in December 2018, the Directorate suddenly made a late Proposal to conduct a new “Rooms”, namely “keel cruising deuce in the mixed category”. This “Room” during the vote received the most votes as the WS Board and the General Assembly, and thus replaced the “Dinghy alone”. Unfortunately, the Directorate has managed to convince most of the Council members and delegates to the General Assembly of the need for such replacement.
3. For review of decisions require a rerun of that in favor of the revision will vote on at least 75% of the members of the Council of the WS. But even if this happens in the Olympic program will be restored not the Finn class, and the “Number” of the program “the Dinghy alone in the mixed category”. Further, the Directorate would have insisted on the assessment of the competition and there is no guarantee that such competition would win the Finn class.
4. A significant number of national federations, including the WFTU, disagrees with the policy pursued during the last three years new Directorate WS. However, so far representatives of these federations failed to achieve a majority vote in the Council.
In November 2020 will be the election of the General Assembly of World Sailing, which each Federation has the right to Express an assessment of the activities of the Directorate and for their suggestions.
Oleg Ilyin,
The President of the International Committee of the WFTU
Member of the Board WS
president
What do you think?