Sailing competitions at the 2024 Summer Olympics were held from July 28th to August 8th at Marseille Marina.[1][2] The number of sailors competing across ten different events at these Games has been reduced from 350 to 330, with an equal distribution between men and women. Furthermore, several significant changes are instituted in the sailing program for Paris 2024 to reinforce gender equality and vast diversity among the nations in the qualifying process.
Medal events and equipment
For the Men's Single-handed Dinghy event, the equipment will be the ILCA 7
For the Women's Single-handed Dinghy event, the equipment will be the ILCA 6
For the Mixed Double-handed Dinghy event, the equipment will be the 470
For the Mixed Foiling Catamaran event, the equipment will be the Nacra 17
For the Men's Skiff event, the equipment will be the 49er
For the Women's Skiff event, the equipment will be the 49erFX
For the Men's Windsurfer event, the equipment will be the IQFoil.[3]
For the Women's Windsurfer event, the equipment will be the IQFoil.[3]
For the Men's Kiteboarding event, the equipment will be the Formula Kite.[4][5]
For the Women's Kiteboarding event, the equipment will be the Formula Kite.[4][5]
Events Selection Controversy
Events were top of the agenda again with Kiteboarding, Windsurfing, Keelboats, Match Racing and Offshore Racing all looking for inclusion in the games. Sailing took the approach of introducing a number of new mixed events to reach gender balance while still showcasing as many disciplines of the sport as possible. The two person boats of the 470 and Nacra 17 and yet to be chosen Offshore were going to be mixed. In addition and more controversially the single person Kiteboards was going to be two person mixed gender event.
However the IOC had concerns over Mixed Offshore, this was a bold format involving competition taking place over days something not done in Olympics before in any sport. France is very much the leading nation for short handed offshore sailing with the Solitaire du Figaro and Vendee Globe so were keen to have the event.
When the IOC put World Sailing events up for review rather than accepting their recommendation, they choose to carry on backing their initial choice stating "The Mixed Offshore Event was democratically selected by our members and remains our first-choice event for Paris 2024; we have made this clear to the IOC and will continue to do so."[6]
It then after direction that it was likely not to get it's choice took the unusual step of proposing alternative events should the IOC not endorse its recommendation.[7] The IOC dropping the mixed offshore event allowed for kiteboarding to have a male and female competition rather than a combined event.
Event Management
The weather was very light and variable during the second week of the event making race management difficult. As always this lead to winners and loser due to the decisions of the race management committee. Of particarlar note were abandonment of races both during there running and in the case of kiteboarding at the start.
Windsurfing and kiteboard both had finals format not done at the Olympics before in an attempt to create a more meaningful final for the media. With the windsurfing single race format final series inparticular coming under critism as Emma Wilson despite dominating the opening series in a way that would have certain gold medal lead to her getting bronze and the associated stress this causes[8].
The number of sailors competing across ten different events has been reduced from 350 to 330, with an equal distribution between men and women. Aiming for vast gender equality and diversity among the nations, the International Federation, World Sailing, has ratified several amendments to the qualifying process.[2]
The qualification period started at the 2023 Sailing World Championships in The Hague, Netherlands, where 107 places, about forty percent of the total quota, had been awarded to the highest-ranked NOCs across ten different sailing events. Seven places will be distributed to sailors representing the highest-finishing, not previously qualified NOCs at each of the 2024 Men's ILCA 7 and Women's ILCA 6 World Championships. Each ILCA continental qualifiers will award two quota places with the exception of Asia, which will award one quota place at the 2023 Asian Games in China and two quota places at the Asian Olympic qualifier in Thailand.[2]
The remainder of the total quota was attributed to the eligible MNAs through the 2024 Last Chance Regatta in Hyères, France (39 boats in total) and as part of the World Sailing Emerging Nations Program (two boats per gender each in windsurfing and dinghy). Four quota places (two per gender) were entitled to the NOCs competing in the men's ILCA 7 and women's ILCA 6 under the Tripartite Commission.[9]
As the host country, France reserves one quota place in each of the ten sailing classes.[2]
