The Guardian on sailing & Olympics

[dgadee]

Sailing​

How many of you own a boat? How many of you could get access to a boat and – checks notes – a sea to sail it in? Of all the many anachronisms at the modern Olympics, sailing is perhaps the most conspicuous of all: a continuing sop to super-rich men who founded the Games and still just really love yachts, basically inaccessible to most of the countries in the world, even the ones with a viable coastline.

But socio-demographics is actually not the biggest issue here. For an event whose defining motif is bringing people together in a place to celebrate sport, sailing is basically extraneous to the whole thing: marooned hundreds of miles away in some well-heeled harbour, basically unwatchable as a spectator sport, liable to be postponed if there is either no wind or too much wind, and with a set of penalty rules indecipherable to all but the most avid boat people, which as we’ve established, you are almost certainly not.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Sailing​

How many of you own a boat? How many of you could get access to a boat and – checks notes – a sea to sail it in? Of all the many anachronisms at the modern Olympics, sailing is perhaps the most conspicuous of all: a continuing sop to super-rich men who founded the Games and still just really love yachts, basically inaccessible to most of the countries in the world, even the ones with a viable coastline.

But socio-demographics is actually not the biggest issue here. For an event whose defining motif is bringing people together in a place to celebrate sport, sailing is basically extraneous to the whole thing: marooned hundreds of miles away in some well-heeled harbour, basically unwatchable as a spectator sport, liable to be postponed if there is either no wind or too much wind, and with a set of penalty rules indecipherable to all but the most avid boat people, which as we’ve established, you are almost certainly not.

The Guardian at it’s left wing finest. A track bicycle costs about 4 times as much as a laser, and there are far fewer velodromes. Admittedly it’s easier to watch, but rules? That one they start with a little moped is odd, to say the least. And it’s not always the first to finish who is first. Sailing is at least straightforward there.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

Whats your complaint dgafee?

That the Guardian covers it?

That Olympic sailing is irrelevant to almost all leisure sailors? The same incidentally is true of Olympic climbing which is a speed gym sport unlike anything seen on cliffs or mountains.

That the Guardian doesnt call it out as stupid?

What then?

 

[flaming]

The Guardian at it’s left wing finest. A track bicycle costs about 4 times as much as a laser, and there are far fewer velodromes. Admittedly it’s easier to watch, but rules? That one they start with a little moped is odd, to say the least. And it’s not always the first to finish who is first. Sailing is at least straightforward there.

I was told yesterday that one of the rules of Track cycling is that the bikes the teams use can be specially developed, but then have to be on sale to the public. The GB bike is now on sale for £55k. + VAT Uncovered: Team GB’s secret Olympic track bike that costs £55,000

The most expensive boat at the Olympics is the 49er. It costs £30k, but of course that's £15k per athlete.

A laser is £7k brand new. Perfectly sailable versions suitable for getting into the sport are available for a few hundred quid.

As to the sailing being extraneous to the whole thing, it wasn't at Sydney, or Athens. It's not sailing's fault the chosen host city wasn't near a suitable sea.
And I'm not sure anyone has ever called Portland "well heeled" before.... Or Marseille for that matter...

And of course the sea is already there. All that's needed is somewhere to launch the boats, and to borrow some committee boats. Both of which probably also already exist. Contrast that with the construction costs of a velodrome. Or an athletics track. And then those venues require power etc....

But cycling is the mid life crisis of choice with a certain type of professional.

To be honest, the far bigger question, argued on the front page of Anarchy today, is whether sailing actually benefits from being in the Olympics...

 

[RunAgroundHard]

GB sailing team spent the 3rd biggest lump of money, after rowing and cycling, of the +£245 million that the UK spent on the Olympics and have less to show for it than others years. It would be interesting to read why this campaign was disappointing.

Paris 2024: Team GB Olympic medal winners - the stats.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

... To be honest, the far bigger question, argued on the front page of Anarchy today, is whether sailing actually benefits from being in the Olympics...

In so far as any sport benefits from the Olympics by general population up take, no they don't. The Olympics pics as a motivator to enter sport has been shown to be failure.

 

[flaming]

GB sailing team spent the 3rd biggest lump of money, after rowing and cycling, of the +£245 million that the UK spent on the Olympics and have less to show for it than others years. It would be interesting to read why this campaign was disappointing.

Paris 2024: Team GB Olympic medal winners - the stats.

In terms of sailing, the change of classes, with no Finn, was not a plus for team GB. GB sailors are generally considered to be among the best in strong winds, and weaker in light winds as well. Beckett, the laser sailor in particular suffered some appalling luck in the medal race, and that's before we talk about the absolutely stupid rules that cost Emma Wilson the gold she absolutely deserved.. Add in a number of top performers retiring after Tokyo and the return is ok.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

The Olympics is actually day to day irrelevant to 99% of the human race. Its niche entertainment but happens, the Guardian is free to report it.

 

[dunedin]

In so far as any sport benefits from the Olympics by general population up take, no they don't. The Olympics pics as a motivator to enter sport has been shown to be failure.

Have you got any evidence to support that assertion? Everything I have seen is that the Olympics raises the profile of all of its sports and results in an increased takeup - albeit less clear how long sustained.

 

[awol]

Sailing is meant to be sailors sailing identical boats (aye, right!) in an ever-changing environment of sea and wind. Track cycling has a fixed environment with the equivalent of a box rule for the bike. I have done both but not because of the Olympics.

 

[doug748]

Sailing​

How many of you own a boat? How many of you could get access to a boat and – checks notes – a sea to sail it in? Of all the many anachronisms at the modern Olympics, sailing is perhaps the most conspicuous of all: a continuing sop to super-rich men who founded the Games and still just really love yachts, basically inaccessible to most of the countries in the world, even the ones with a viable coastline.

But socio-demographics is actually not the biggest issue here. For an event whose defining motif is bringing people together in a place to celebrate sport, sailing is basically extraneous to the whole thing: marooned hundreds of miles away in some well-heeled harbour, basically unwatchable as a spectator sport, liable to be postponed if there is either no wind or too much wind, and with a set of penalty rules indecipherable to all but the most avid boat people, which as we’ve established, you are almost certainly not.

I guess you could say similar things about many of the sports represented in the Games, for example all of the snow disciplines.

Of all the serious questions around the IOC and games they latch onto something bizarre in order to push an agenda.
The Guardian seems to exist to provide a background wining noise on behalf of a self elected group who fear their mandate is slipping away from them.

.

 

[dunedin]

Sailing​

How many of you own a boat? How many of you could get access to a boat and – checks notes – a sea to sail it in? Of all the many anachronisms at the modern Olympics, sailing is perhaps the most conspicuous of all: a continuing sop to super-rich men who founded the Games and still just really love yachts, basically inaccessible to most of the countries in the world, even the ones with a viable coastline.

But socio-demographics is actually not the biggest issue here. For an event whose defining motif is bringing people together in a place to celebrate sport, sailing is basically extraneous to the whole thing: marooned hundreds of miles away in some well-heeled harbour, basically unwatchable as a spectator sport, liable to be postponed if there is either no wind or too much wind, and with a set of penalty rules indecipherable to all but the most avid boat people, which as we’ve established, you are almost certainly not.

Perhaps somebody should tell them you don’t need access to the sea to sail. All of the Olympic classes are very much at home on inland lakes.
And the ILCA - or men’s and women’s dinghy - are pretty inclusive, globally. Most countries have boats to learn / train in, and I believe the Olympic fleet is supplied by the organisers. There were 43 boats in each fleet, but that was after a country qualification process which had huge numbers of countries entered. Competition for an Olympic slot was very fierce.

Equestrianism is rather more elitist than sailing methinks, and as Flaming points out sailing requires less infrastructure than managing sports - including diving as well as velodrome cycling.

 

[flaming]

Equestrianism is rather more elitist than sailing methinks, and as Flaming points out sailing requires less infrastructure than managing sports - including diving as well as velodrome cycling.

You can absolutely level charges of elitism against a number of sports.

But whilst we have dancing horses in the Olympics I don't think Sailing has too much to worry about in that respect...

 

[dunedin]

Sailing is meant to be sailors sailing identical boats (aye, right!) in an ever-changing environment of sea and wind. Track cycling has a fixed environment with the equivalent of a box rule for the bike. I have done both but not because of the Olympics.

Olympic sailing is pretty much in identical boats, or as close as it is possible to get. The ILCA are a supplied fleet and take lots for each boat. The other dinghy classes are strict one design, with only the 470 having a bit more variation in allowed suppliers. Even this is very strictly controlled - which you would see if you had ever been to an Olympic or World championship scruitineering.

 

[Stemar]

May I add most Winter Olympic events to the list of inaccessible sports? Skiing? Yes, plenty of people in Europe go skiing, but how relevant is it to Jamaica or Singapore? So what? Skating? I'd guess that no more people in the UK skate than sail.

I expect the Express to witter on about "millionaire yacht owners", it's the politics of jealousy, at which they excel, but I expect better from the Guardian

 

[Puffin10032]

Typical unresearched journalistic drivel. Since when have yachts competed in the Olympics? They don't even have keelboats any more.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

Have you got any evidence to support that assertion? Everything I have seen is that the Olympics raises the profile of all of its sports and results in an increased takeup - albeit less clear how long sustained.

Yes, it is easily researched and has been widely reported in previous years.

Does success in the Olympic Games boost public participation in sport? - Economics Observatory

 

[capnsensible]

Mmm. So one journalist writes a poor opinion piece and the whole Guardian world is rotten. Sorry I don't buy that.

Anyway it's clear the guy has no clue about the subject he decided to write about and is clearly confusing dingies with superyachts. Perhaps he has failed to do any kind of research into the large amount of sailing clubs all around the country that encourage newcomers and kids into the sport. I have a cousin who lives in Manchester and has just qualified as an instructor and he tells me what is really happening.

All the countries that enter Olympic level training have dedicated managers, trainers, coaches, yadda yadda to support the ambitions of these athletes. A Danish friend of ours has two daughters that are olympians and she has told us of the cost and struggles to get them there. Even with subsidies.

Every year here Lanzarote for 3 months over the winter there is a huge number of training camps and dinghy racing running from Marina Rubicon. We remarked, whilst watching some of the sailing events that we had probably seen most of them..... I've posted pictures of this on here before. Its a huge event.

So with all due respect Mr. Journalist, not only are you talking out the wrong end, you are giving the usual suspects a stick to beat your newspaper.

 

[flaming]

At this year's ILCA (Laser) world championships in Portugal, 235 competitors from 49 nations were represented.

I'd be interested to know how that compares to countries represented in other individual, sports. Especially ones where most of the competitors will be amateurs.

 

[TLouth7]

You can absolutely level charges of elitism against a number of sports.

But whilst we have dancing horses in the Olympics I don't think Sailing has too much to worry about in that respect...

In fairness the (very tongue-in-cheek) writer of that article did also suggest dropping all equestrianism.

How handball avoided the list I do not know