World Sailing has awarded the upcoming 2022 Foiling Week Special Event status, ensuring the competition can grow, reach more people, and partner with international and national foiling programmes and pathways to create events within the event.

Foiling Week joins high profile activities with Special Event status such as the America’s Cup, The Ocean Race, SailGP, World Match Racing Tour, PWA World Tour, Star Sailors League and GKA Kite World Tour.

“Foiling Week is not just an event; it is a community and a network that is about action. We don’t only care about the foiling and greater sailing community,” said Luca Rizzotti, founder of Foiling Week.

“We create opportunities, with the goal in mind of being primarily agents of change. The event’s initiatives are well known in the sailing community and reach beyond the sport including partnerships with universities, manufacturers and non-profits in the environmental and social responsibility spaces. We are all connected and we should grow as a community, responsibly together,” added Rizzotti.

Foiling Week is the hub of the world hydrofoiling community and the only World Sailing Special Event that is community-based. It includes a well-attended Forum, where talented and creative individuals share ideas and collaborate to make connections and improve the way the event operates and the class evolves.

Special Event status ensures World Sailing formally recognizes and sanctions the events. It also means that Foiling Week will follow the targets set by the World Sailing's Sustainability Agenda 2030, which includes working with the Magenta Project to promote professional sailing opportunities for women, and the World Sailing Trust which provides funding for a diverse group of initiatives to increase access to sailing and promote sustainable practices in sport and manufacturing.

As part of the Charter, all Special Events have a comprehensive sustainability strategy, and aligned applicable principles as set out in the World Sailing Sustainability Agenda 2030, while committing to working with World Sailing to accelerate the objectives and targets.

David Graham, World Sailing CEO, said “The addition of Foiling Week to our group of Special Events is exciting for the future of sailing. The growth of the event has been phenomenal to witness, going way beyond the racing to galvanize an entire movement. We are pleased to be working hand-in-hand with them to create new avenues for partnership as well as opportunities to further the World Sailing Sustainability Agenda. Foiling Week has already taken great strides in this area and we are looking forward to learning from each other and inspiring a positive change throughout the sailing world.”

Foiling Week’s mantra is ‘connect, cooperate, change’. From the start, the event has been one of firsts. The first women’s and kids foiling trials; the first sustainability initiatives reducing entry fees for car-pooling participants and the elimination of single use plastics at the event site.

The SuMoth Challenge, part of every Foiling Week since its introduction in 2019, was shortlisted for this year’s World Sailing 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award. A global challenge, it brought students from around the world together to design, manufacture and sail a sustainable Moth.

Having hosted events in Australasia, North America and Europe, Foiling Week has become a scalable, practical presence in sport both physically and online and is moving forward with World Sailing to connect, collaborate and make positive change in sport and beyond.

World Sailing, the sports governing body has a number of employment vacancies at its headquarters in London, UK.

The organisation is looking for: 

• a social media digital communications manager
• a graphics designer
• a technical - Olympic equipment manager
• a technical specialist
• a World Sailing classes executive
• a partnership manager

All positions are based at World Sailing headquarters in London, UK. Applications should be sent to [email protected].

Applicants should provide a current CV and covering letter. The closing date for all vacancies is 8 January 2022.

More here

So many 50th Anniversaries in international sailing are being celebrated these days that you could be forgiven for thinking that all these major events - such as next week’s opening of the event’s Golden Jubilee celebration, and the staging of the Youth Sailing Worlds 2021 in Oman - are marking the successful 50 years of an event which came into being in a vacuum. And certainly, the inauguration of the annual Youth Worlds in Sweden way back in 1971 was a major development that has resulted in a globally-recognised supreme peak – a Junior Sailing Olympiad.

Thus the team of four travelling to Oman – Eve McMahon (Howth YC) in the ILCA6, Jonathan O’Shaughnessy (Royal Cork YC) ILCA6, and Ben O’Shaughnessy & James Dwyer (RCYC) in the 29er - are well aware of the weight of expectation on their young shoulders, though all are at the peak of impressive year-long achievements.

But nevertheless, in looking back over the 50 years of the Youth Worlds, the most vividly remembered will be the 2012 event which was of course staged in Dublin Bay, with Finn Lynch leaping into the limelight with a Silver Medal in the Lasers. However, others with a broader view will also remember that the challenge of staging an event of this scale and scope, with Ireland still staggering out of the financial crash of 2008, involved heroic sacrifice and the giving over of their entire summer by folk of the calibre of Brian Craig, while the defining image may well be the remembered vision of on-water organizer Don O’Dowd of the Royal St George YC looking as though he is being fuelled entirely by adrenaline through each frantic day.

Running on adrenaline…..Don O’Dowd in the thick of the 2012 Youth Worlds in Dublin Bay

The financial constraints of 2012 Ireland are not thought to be a problem in 2021 Oman, even if the Sultanate has cheerfully taken on the running of just about every one of 2021’s global sailing championships which had been COVID-shunted out of other countries, and despite the business of overseas teams getting there through the maze of international pandemic prevention providing an added challenge in getting to Oman, arguably the most maritime of all the Gulf States.

But nevertheless, Irish involvement has been a tradition since the event’s inception, and we’ve seen the metal to prove it, the last one in the 20th Century being Laura Dillon & Ciara Peelo’s Bronze in the Laser 2 in 1996 - a busy year for Laura, as she also won the All-Irelands.

As for the 21st Century, in 2014 in Tavira, Seafra Guilfoyle repeated Finn Lynch’s 2012 Silver win, and then in 2016 Doug Elmes of Kilkenny and Colin O’Sullivan of Malahide, sailing jointly under the HYC colours, won Bronze in the 420s in Malaysia.

But is it strictly true to say that it all started in 1971 in Sweden? That it should be Sweden is all of a piece, as the Scandinavian influence in international sailing was formidable at the time. So much so, in fact, that many thought the Optimist dinghy – which was starting to spread at lightning speed – was a Swedish invention, whereas the original narrative is rather more endearing.

Oman with its spectacular coastline is perhaps the most maritime of all the Gulf States – this is Shabab Oman II, the Omani Sail Training Tall Ship.

It seems a Swedish ship was taking on cargo in Florida around 1960 in the Port of Clearwater, where the local kids were sailing a little plywood box-boat, invented in 1947 and called the Optimist. The Swedish captain was impressed, and bought up two or three to take home as his own kids were keen on sailing. Thus the Optimist as an international phenomenon was launched, spreading out from Scandinavia.

So when the Swedes hosted the inaugural World Youth Sailing Championship in 1971, it was already a solidly-founded gold-plated event, and it blew away any other established but more modest championships with similar aims. One of these was something called the International Junior Regatta, which claimed world status, but whose heartlands were in mainland Northwest Europe and Scandinavia, and it was basically an inter-club event for national teams selected by the premier clubs (ie the poshest) in each country.

For twenty years from the 50s and 60s onwards, ace Dun Laoghaire helm Terry Roche of the Royal St George YC cruised the coasts of Europe in his 19-ton Hillyard cutter Neon Tetra (crazy name, crazy boat), and built up an unrivalled contact list with these top clubs and the key people in them. Thus the RStGYC became the organising club for Ireland, and staged the International Junior Regatta when it was hosted here.

George Henry (RStGYC) and Douglas Deane (Royal Munster YC) hoisting sail on their allocated Mermaid in the International Junior Regatta in Dun Laoghaire in 1955.

The late Dougie Deane of Cork remembered being sent up to Dun Laoghaire in 1955 to be part of the Irish squad, but as the racing was staged in Mermaids – at that time the only class in sufficient numbers of matched boats in Dun Laoghaire to stage an international invitational regatta of this sort - it wasn’t his happiest experience, as he was to become more accustomed to sailing to success in his own IDRA 14 Dusk with Donal McClement as crew.

However, as the 1960s gathered pace, the rapid development of Malahide as a powerhouse of rising talent began to show through in Irish participation in the International Junior Regatta, particularly when the Malahide effect began to be felt in Howth and brought forth the remarkable sailing talents of the “two sisters crew”, Margaret and Lee Cuffe-Smith, daughters of future HYC Commodore Bill Cuffe-Smith, who was no slouch himself when it came to inshore and offshore racing success.

The Irish Team at the 1965 International Junior Regatta in Denmark were (left to right) Robin Hennessy, Margaret Cuffe-Smith, Robert Michael, Lee Cuffe-Smith and Manager Terry Roche

The Irish team first leapt to fame in 1965 when the International Junior Regatta was staged at Skovshoved in Denmark, raced in International Snipes powered by as-equal-as-possible new Elvstrom sailed. The Cuffe-Smiths won the Girls Division, while the boys crew of Malahide’s Robin Hennessy and Robert Michael (a combination that later went on to win the coveted Endeavour Trophy in Enterprises in England) placed fourth to make Ireland second overall.

While Margaret and Lee Cuffe-Smith continued as the Irish girls representatives for much of the rest of the 1960s, Malahide furnished a changing lineup of top boy sailors, and in 1967 at Loosdrecht in the Netherlands, it was future Olympic Silver Medallist David Wilkins crewed by Philip Watson (yes, that Philip Watson), who provided the winning male ingredients for Ireland to win the International Junior Regatta Gold Cup for the first time, the podium points being Ireland 3415, Denmark 2973, and Finland 2747.

World Champions. The all-conquering 1967 Irish Team in the International Junior Regatta in The Netherlands were (left to right) Philip Watson, Lee Cuffe-Smith, manager Terry Roche, David Wilkins (Olympic Silver Medallist 1980) and Margaret Cuffe-Smith.

The Irish team then repeated this performance in 1968 racing Flying Juniors at Alghero Bay in Sardinia. Thereafter, our top junior talents were moving into more senior racing, and sailing was opening up to a more democratic system, even if the new World Youth Championship in 1971 continued to manifest the all-powerful Scandinavian influence, but in time its worldwide locations reflected the new reality.

That said, it’s a cherishable thought that somewhere in the world in some fusty ancient clubs where the wearing of white-topped yachting caps and the onset of premature middle age is the norm, there are old buffers still discussing the need to provide some special sport in an International Junior Regatta for the young people, even as we see in Oman the glorifying of international sport as a tool of international commerce and a weapon of global politics, with fashionable clothing styles and accessories to match.

A timely reminder of the joys of sailing – Jonathan O’Shaughnessy in action on Lake Garda

She’s struck gold! Jonathan O’Shaughnessy and Eve McMahon at Lake Garda after the Worlds in July

The Irish team fly out next Wednesday (December 8th), and as the main event officially opens on Saturday, December 11th, they’ve little enough time to acclimatize. Jonathan O’Shaughnessy has the advantage of a recent intensive training session in Valencia (Spain, not Kerry), but Eve McMahon has been much involved with school exams, making her probably the only World Champion in Ireland to have been in this past week’s exam cohort.

As for the younger pair of Ben – who is Jonathan’s cousin - and James in the 29er, they’ve been first out of the school gates down Cork Harbour way each afternoon in recent weeks for an intensive two-hour session on the boat at Crosshaven. You could call it a One-Boat Twilight Regatta, but with November slithering darkly into December, the Miner’s Lamp Challenge might be a more appropriate title.

Ben O’Shaughnessy and James Dwyer in the 29er – they have been getting in some intensive post-school training at Crosshaven in the last of the daylight in recent weeks

In Oman, the Team Leader and Head Coach will be three times Olympic sailing medallist Vasilij Zbogar, who has been involved with the Irish international sailing effort since 2018. Most recently last month, his supportive work in helping Finn Lynch out of a performance slump to take Silver at the Laser Worlds in Barcelona led everyone to conclude that though he may be from Slovenia, his home is clearly the Slovenian Gaeltacht. And if he and Support Coach Thomas Chaix of Tralee Bay can produce something similar to the Barcelona Breakthrough in Oman, Vasilij will be perceived as the Jurgen Klopp of sailing in Ireland.

Vasilij Zbogar racing an Olympic Finn – he retired from Olympic sailing after the 2016 Games in Rio, having sailed five Olympiads and winning Silver and Bronze in the Laser, and Silver in the Finn in their penultimate appearance as an Olympic Class in 2016

Olympic gold medalists Hannah Mills MBE (GBR) and Eilidh McIntyre (GBR) were voted female 2021 Rolex World Sailor of the Year on Thursday 2, December in a virtual ceremony streamed live from the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes, UK.

Australia’s Tom Slingsby has won the male 2021 Rolex World Sailor of the Year in celebration of his achievements in three competitive classes over the past two years.

Mills and McIntyre claimed gold in Tokyo in the 470 class, a victory that made Mills the most successful female Olympic sailor of all time. This was her second Olympic gold, repeating her victory from Rio 2016 with her new partner. McIntyre won her first gold medal in Tokyo and followed in the footsteps of her father, Michael, who won gold at the 1988 Games in Seoul. The pair received 37% of the votes, making them the clear choice for this year’s female Rolex World Sailor of the Year award.

Multi-discipline champion Tom Slingsby named male Rolex World Sailor of the Year 2021

Slingsby secured 29% of the votes after defending his Moth World Championship, winning 13 of the 14 races, securing back-to-back 2019 and 2021 title wins. He has also set the standard in the global SailGP circuit, earning the season 1 title as Team CEO and Skipper of TeamAustralia, which is also currently top of the series leaderboard with just two events remaining in season 2. He capped a fantastic year on the water by being part of the crew of ‘Comanche’, winners of the 2021 Rolex Middle Sea Race.

A record-breaking 40,000 votes were cast this year to honour the achievements of sailors across all disciplines.

Speaking live at the awards ceremony, Hannah Mills, who is also a sustainability ambassador for the International Olympic Committee said, "I am completely blown away. The lineup this year was absolutely incredible. I am so proud of Eilidh for everything she put into this Olympic campaign, she was the absolute best teammate. I am really honoured. I feel privileged to be a female in sailing right now, there are so many opportunities out there. I really hope to be a part of forging the pathway for female sailors of today and for the future. It is inspirational to be part of a federation like World Sailing who take sustainability so seriously and I feel so lucky to be involved in such an amazing sport."

Eilidh McIntyre added, "I just want to say thank you to Hannah, and everyone for voting for us and for all of your support. We wouldn’t be here without all of the amazing women pushing us."

Tom Slingsby said, "This is a huge honour for me. Thank you to everyone who voted. I remember when I was 15 years old, I wrote down my career goals and it was to win the Olympic Gold medal, win the America’s Cup and win World Sailor of the Year. I am very fortunate, this is the second time I have won the World Sailor of the Year award. I am so lucky to be in the position I am and to get these amazing opportunities. Congratulations to all the other guys, there were some unbelievable sailors nominated this year."

Sailing joins thousands around the world in pledging to be net-zero by 2050, aligning sport with the goals of the Paris Agreement and accelerating efforts to address climate change.

Continuing its commitment to taking a leading role in sustainability and reducing emissions in sport, World Sailing has signed up to ‘Race To Zero’, the global campaign to cut emissions to zero run by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

World Sailing was one of the founders of the UN’s Sports for Climate Action Framework and has been diligently working towards climate targets from its Sustainability Agenda 2030. Working closely with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), over 280 sports federations including FIFA, the IBU, Formula E and the Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 have committed to reporting on their climate impact and a strategy to reduce emissions following new targets set by the UN’s Sports for Climate Action framework.

Quanhai Li, World Sailing President, said, "World Sailing is proud to stand with the United Nations, the IOC, our partners and organisations around the world in taking decisive action on climate change. We have been making positive progress towards clear targets in all aspects of the sport with our own sustainability targets and internal studies to determine our carbon footprint and where we can improve. Support for this initiative has been overwhelmingly positive and it is our responsibility to do everything in our power to make a difference. The effects of climate change cannot be ignored but if we act now and act together through bold collective action, we can mitigate the impact and help to restore the balance between people and the planet."

David Graham, World Sailing Chief Executive Officer, said, "The future of sailing is delicately tied to climate change. Rising sea levels, higher temperatures and more extreme weather puts sailors at greater risk, reduces participation time and impacts grassroots infrastructure. As a responsible federation we must do all we can do reduce the effects of climate change for the long-term survival of our sport, sailors and communities around the world. We have already committed to coordinating strategic action in the sport by ensuring our sponsors, events and equipment all follows the targets set by the World Sailing Sustainability Agenda 2030. This is an important campaign for the future of our planet and we are proud to sign the pledge."

The World Sailing Executive Office has already taken steps to become carbon neutral by 2022, halving emissions across the sport by 2030 and aiming to achieve net zero by 2040 in all operations.

So far, around 70% of the world’s economy has pledged to reach net zero emissions. More than 80 countries have updated their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to reduce emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Race To Zero is the largest ever alliance committed to hitting net zero carbon emissions by 2050, already representing a coalition of 733 cities, 31 regions, 3,067 businesses, 173 of the biggest investors and 622 Higher Education Institutions. By the time COP26 concludes, the aim is that signatories for Race To Zero will account for 25% of global carbon dioxide emissions.

Efforts to make sailing carbon-positive are already well established. World Sailing partnered with 11th Hour Racing in 2018 to recognise success in maritime sustainability through sponsorship of the World Sailing 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award which has attracted more than 100 entries and 10,000 votes each year. 11th Hour Racing are a founding partner of the ‘Racing with Purpose’ programme created by The Ocean Race which contributes to scientific understanding of ocean health by using racing boats to collect data on sea surface temperature and ocean acidification.

Hempel, World Sailing’s official coatings partner and sponsor of the Hempel Sailing World Championships, joining the more than 1,000 international companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

SAP, World Sailing’s long-time analytics partner, has launched its Chasing Zero Emissions programme to assist businesses minimise greenhouse gas footprint with embedded analytics.

In 2020, SailGP launched ‘Race for the Future’, the first climate-positive sports and entertainment property, which aims to reduce the league’s carbon footprint, champion inclusivity and advocate for clean energy. SailGP tracks and verifies carbon emissions in partnership with One Carbon World and offsets emissions by contributing to pioneering Blue Carbon Projects such as the goal to plant a billion trees and mitigating 500 million tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere, delivered in partnership with the Worldview International Foundation.

Inside the Games has reported that World Sailing’s deficit for 2020 was lower than expected — and that it expects a similar dividend from the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo to what it received five years ago from Rio 2016.

Sailing’s world governing body says the “successful delivery” of Tokyo 2020 this summer after a year’s delay enforced by the COVID-19 pandemic had “alleviated the critical financial risks associated with the cancellation of the Games”.

The body’s accounts also included confirmation of an arrangements to borrow $3.1 million (€2.7 million) from the IOC, repayable without interest over five years from this December.

Inside the Games has much more on the story HERE.

An exciting final day in Palermo, Italy, saw medals awarded in all four categories at the 2021 Hansa World Championships.

Over 180 sailors from 25 nations showed exceptional technical para sailing and determination in extremely changeable conditions all week.

Sailors from seven countries made their international competition debut in Sicily as para sailing continues to go from strength to strength.

Racing was interrupted by rain on the first day but the weather improved throughout the week, leading to an intense weekend of racing.

In the Hansa 303 Single class, Piotr Cichocki (POL) led throughout to seal victory from Cecile Venuat (FRA) and Rory McKinna (GBR) in the overall rankings. Violeta Del Reino (ESP) finished first in the women’s competition – eighth overall - ahead of Olga Górnaś-Grudzień (POL) in second, 13th overall, and Miray Ulas (TUR) in third, 17th overall.

The team of Symonds-Klinger (AUS) claimed victory in the final race, finishing ahead of Górnaś-Grudzień-Cichocki (POL) by just one point in the Hansa 303 Double class. The team of Guyon-Ducruix (FRA) finished third.

In the Hansa Liberty class, Vera Voorbach (NED) won by three points from Gerard Eychenne (FRA), who ended the races ahead of Paul Phillips (GBR) by a single point. It was a Netherlands clean sweep in the Hansa Liberty Servo class. Vera Voorbach finished first ahead of teammate Hanneke Deenen in second and Wilma Van Den Broek in third.

Jan Sefke Holtrop (NED) finished ahead of Cedric Castaldi (FRA) in the Men’s Liberty Servo classification.

Star of the week was Piotr Cichocki (POL) who won four out of five races to finish 10 points ahead of second place in the Hansa 303 Single class and 18 points ahead of third.

"I am very happy with the results obtained by my sailors. Piotr Cichocki won the World Championship in the 303 singles class, Olga Górnaś-Grudzień took 2nd place in the Women’s section in the 303 singles class and, finally, the team of Piotr Cichocki and Olga Górnaś-Grudzień took second place in 303 Double class," said Grzegorz Protopowicz, Para Sailing coach at the Polish Yachting Association. "We will take three medals to Poland! We also had a great week of training before the competition and now go home happy. We are already waiting for the next challenge."

Vera Voorbach, winner of the Liberty Class, said, "At the last Worlds in 2018 in Hiroshima I was 3rd, so I hoped that I could be in top 3 again, but I won gold and I’m very happy with this result Although we had to be patient this week with the difficult weather circumstances, we did 5 races. For me it was perfect circumstances, about 3 Beaufort and pretty much wind shifts."

"Due to my spinal cord injury, I do not have enough power in my arms to steer and pull the sheets manually. Therefore, I have servo equipment in my boat, so I can adjust my rudder and sheets electronically with a joystick. To handle my boat this way is more difficult than doing everything manually. I can’t feel pressure on my rudder or sheets this way. But I did it! It is the first time that a sailor who handles the boat with servo equipment has won the World Championship!"

Massimo Dighe, Para World Sailing Manager, said, "This was an excellent exhibition of para sailing in single and double competition. We commend the Hansa class for creating a boat for all sailors and promoting inclusion within the class. The growth of para sailing around the world is great for the future of the sport. Congratulations to the winners, and everybody for being able to take part in the Championships – especially those making their debut. We look forward to seeing more sailors competing at tournaments around the world in the coming months."

Prior to the 2021 Hansa World Championships, World Sailing supported sailors from Brazil, Chile, Czech Republic, Estonia, Ireland, Lithuania and the Philippines with travel costs, accommodation and providing boats as part of the Para Sailing Development Program (PDP). The teams also received coaching support as World Sailing aims to increase worldwide participation and expand the competition.

More than 32 nations participate internationally each year at various World Championships. By 2023, World Sailing aims to have 45 nations from six continents participating in all levels of Para sailing and inclusive events.

For a second year, World Sailing will hold its 2020 Annual General Meeting and General Assembly online only due to the global challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Abu Dhabi in the UAE had been scheduled to host World Sailing’s annual conference in 2020 and then it was postponed to October 2021. Now delegates have been informed this month that these plans too have been scrubbed. 

World Sailing’s board of directors will again hold the AGM and General Assembly electronically, in accordance with a written special resolution approved by its member national authorities.

In addition, all commission, sub-committee, committee and council meetings that would normally take place during the conference will also be hosted electronically.

Cork's Marcus Spillane is serving as a World Sailing Vice President.

The Northern Hemisphere edition of Steering the Course, World Sailing’s global women’s sailing festival, will run from today [Friday 21 May] to Sunday 30 May.

Countries, classes and sailing clubs across the world will be holding special events throughout the next 10 days, aimed at introducing more women and girls to sailing and providing information on different pathways available in the sport.

Antigua, Barbados, Croatia, Denmark, Great Britain, Hungary, Hong Kong, Iceland, Japan, Malta, Slovakia and the USA are amongst the Member National Authorities which have actively planned and promoted a variety of activities.

From dinghies to keelboats and windsurfing to kiteboarding, all disciplines are welcome to be part of the festival.

After the IOC informed World Sailing that they are continuing their assessment of the Mixed Offshore Event to address challenges raised but formally requested that World Sailing propose alternative event(s).

Following a request from the IOC for such proposals, MNAs, Class Associations, Committee Chairs and the Board were invited to propose alternative event suggestions in the form of submissions.

World Sailing received 26 submissions, and these were considered by the President and the Board with respect to their adherence to Regulation 23.1.11 which includes the IOC criteria framework.

The World Sailing Board and President approved three alternative event proposals in the 30 April 2021 Board Meeting. These are: - Individual Men's and Women's Kiteboard Events - Formula Kite - Individual Men's and Women's Two Person Dinghy Events - 470 - Mixed Team Racing - ILCA 6

The Board discussed and agreed there wasn't strong enough alignment to the IOC criteria for all other submissions and one submission did not comply with the requirements of Regulation 23.1.11.

The Board's considerations regarding all submissions received is available (as a PDF) to download below. Where submissions were identical, these were consolidated to one joint submission in the name of all submitters.

At the 2021 Mid-Year Meeting the Constitution, Events and Equipment Committees will each meet on 10-11 May 2021. They will consider the submissions on alternative event(s) and make their respective recommendations to Council.

World Sailing's Council will meet on 14 May 2021. They will discuss and vote on the three approved submissions. The outcome of the process will be a decision of two alternative event proposals, ranked in order of preference, ahead of the IOC deadline, which is 26 May 2021. -- Daniel Smith, Director of Communications and Digital