Yachting World — February 2018

Discussions are underway to introduce

offshore racing into the Olympics, as a

showcase (non-medal) event in Tokyo

2020, with a view to it becoming a full

medal event for the 2024 Paris Games.

The sport’s organising body, World

Sailing, also recently announced

plans to hold a future Offshore World

Championship, which would very likely

follow a very similar format to that

proposed for the Olympic event.

The proposal is for a three-day, two-

night, non-stop Olympic race on a course

around 400-600 miles long, depending

on weather forecast. The yachts would be

one-design, and sailed doublehanded by

a mixed crew of one male and one female.

The intention is that the race, which

would become the longest in Olympic

history, would have live tracking and

continuous broadcasting from on board.

“You could follow the racing, 24 hours

a day, in every time zone around the

world,” explains World Sailing’s Gary

Jobson. “And with the boats being one-

design we’re confident that the races

will be close: surely there will be lead

changes, and all kinds of crazy things

happen in the ocean. Then you finish it

by the stadium or in front of crowds, so it

would be really exciting.

“We’re trying hard to get the Japanese

to embrace it, but the French of course

are thrilled to the moon about the

concept, and I think California would be

too [as hosts] for 2028,” Jobson adds.

Any offshore class at the Olympics

would have to follow the ‘one nation,

one boat’ rule, no doubt making a fierce

selection battle inevitable in countries

such as France, Britain and Australia.

The new generation foil-assisted Figaro

would be an obvious choice of one-design

class. Jobson says he’d like to see 20

boats taking part, so a decision is needed

early next year in time to build a fleet for

a potential demonstration event at Tokyo

2020. The hope is for the first World
      Championship to take place in 2019.

Bid for offshore racing to

become an Olympic sport

The Wind Runner

Challenge will

take place in

Britannia’s fleet of

Oceanis 37s

The Figaro 3

would be

an obvious

choice for a

doublehanded

one-design

The Wind Runner Challenge, a new team
event which combines sailing in the
Solent and a running race on shore, has
been launched for March 2018.
Organised by Britannia Events and Wolf
Challenges, the Wind Runner Challenge
will take place from 19-22 March and
sees teams of eight people compete in
matched Oceanis 37 yachts.
The three-day programme includes
a sailing race starting in Hamble and
finishing in Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight,

before a road and trail run around west

Wight. On the second day the runners

will race again, before crews race in the

Solent, finishing in Cowes. On the final

day the yachts will race back to Warsash,

then drop the runners off for a sprint

back to the Hamble finish.

Skippers can be hired for the contest,

and the event is raising funds for the

Marine Conservation Society.

More info at http://www.wolfchallenges.com/

events/wind-runner/

New Solent sailing and

running event launched

The Barcelona World Race, the

double-handed round the world

IMOCA event, has announced

a new format for its fourth

edition, with two legs raced

from Barcelona to Sydney,

then Sydney to Barcelona.

Teams will have the option to

substitute the co-skipper at the

half way stage.

The race also moves from

its previous New Year’s Day

start date to 12 January for the

2019 race. Sixteen teams have

already expressed an interest

in entering the event.

Sydney stop

for Barcelona

World Race

Jerome Kelagopian

Paul Wyeth

Mireia Perello

February 2018 15