Are Sailing Professionals Potential Scammers?

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Are Sailing Professionals Potential Scammers?
Are Sailing Professionals Potential Scammers?

Video: Are Sailing Professionals Potential Scammers?

Video: Are Sailing Professionals Potential Scammers?
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Paul Henderson, ISAF President

It's about the rules about unauthorized propulsion equipment and the prohibition on wearing weighted vests. Henderson has identified glaring violations, attributes them to increasing professionalism and demands more control.

According to racing rule 42 "… a boat may only use wind and water in a race to increase its speed …". Pumping, rolling, drifting or sculling are prohibited with a few small exceptions. In rule 43 it is forbidden to wear weighted vests, which are used to increase the trim weight.

Paul Henderson has now found that almost no one adheres to it in the Olympic boat classes. In times when sailors receive money for their services and the professional career of the coach is more dependent than ever on these services, the limits of what is permitted are being exceeded more and more often.

Henderson has seen major regattas, most recently the Miami Olympic Classes Regatt and the Hyéres Olympic Week. "I always go through the boat park and talk to the sailors while they quietly take off thick sweaters and weighted life jackets. Cheating is rampant."

It doesn't look any better on the water if you comply with the propulsion equipment rule. The worst are the conditions in the Star, Finn, Europe and Laser classes. Yngling is also a problem. In contrast, the Tornado and the 49er are exemplary, but only because not much can be achieved with these types of boats with unauthorized movements. The 470s had recently introduced a "yellow flag", with which violations, similar to soccer with the yellow card, are punished on the water

"I was shocked," said Henderson, "that the Starboat class allows their crews to stand in front of the mast and rock their boat in front of the wind with very simple movements. Can't they control it simply by asking for that no crew member is allowed to stand in front of the mast or stand on deck, except for maneuvers?"

The solution to the problems with the classes Finn, Europe and Laser were obvious in Hyéres. The Finn fleet was completely out of control and when asked how it could be that a Canadian falls back on a corridor from 5th to 25th place, one of the top participants replied: "You Canadians are too honest" (Henderson is Canadian).

When Henderson then looked at the course of the Lasers and Europes, he could hardly believe how strict the rules were followed there, after these fleets were still out of control in Miami. The answer was simple. "Luciano Giacomi, 'The Hanging Judge'" (the executioner). "The sailors know," says Henderson, "when Luciano is on the course, he demands that they sail by the rules, and that is the challenge for the World Sailing Federation."

The ISAF is currently not equipped to monitor compliance with the rules on the water. You have to establish a team of rule guards for all major Olympic regattas. These would have to be in rubber dinghies on the water and hand out yellow cards as a warning and red cards as disqualification for repeat offenders.

So that the costs do not explode through additional helpers, Henderson suggests reducing the international protest jury from five to three members.

"Olympic level sailing is out of control," concluded Henderson in his statement on the ISAF website, "and the World Sailing Federation must act before sailing completely loses its reputation."

Henderson's article has sparked a lively discussion among racing sailors. The two madailles winners from Sydney, Mark Reynolds and Luc Devoti, declared that they could only win because the jury in Sydney cracked down on them and sailed strictly according to the rules. Other sailors are of the opinion that pumping and the wearing of weighted vests should be completely exempted, that Olympic sailing is a top sport and that someone who does not have the necessary condition for these energy-sapping accelerators has no right to victory.

What's your opinion?Should compliance with the rules be monitored more closely?Should propulsion equipment such as pumps, drifting or swings and wearing weight vests be generally exempted

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