After the recent changes in the Olympic sailing disciplines, will there be another swap? According to the results of a five-day series of tests conducted by World Sailing in March 2019, the RS Aero is the new favourite for the 'equipment' vote for the Olympic single-handed discipline. The aim of the test series was to determine the ideal dinghies for the two core solo disciplines of Olympic sailing. The series was also part of the review of all Olympic boat classes for their compliance with EU anti-monopoly laws and the general modernisation efforts of the World Sailing Federation. Boats from the Laser, RS Aero, Melges 14 and D-Zero classes were used in the tests. They were tested by eleven international sailors and an evaluation commission.
The task of the commission was to draw up a report on the results at the end of the test series and make a recommendation for the Olympic single-handed disciplines, which are currently occupied by the Laser and - for women - the Laser Radial (Olympic since 2008). The results of the report and the working group's recommendation to World Sailing on the line-up for the solo disciplines for the 2024 Olympic Games have now been published.
According to the test sailors and the evaluation committee, the AS Aero narrowly beat the Laser. The Melges 14 and the D-Zero came a distant third and fourth. Here are the percentage results of the tested classes:
- RS Aero: 80 %
- Laser: 69 %
- Melges 14: 54 %
- D-Zero: 52 %
The decision on the replacement or retention of the Laser and Laser Radial could be made as early as the World Sailing Federation's mid-year meeting in May. This is when the decisions on the line-up of disciplines for the 2024 Olympic Games are to be made in London. The Equipment Committee will form an opinion based on the recommendations of the Evaluation Commission and submit a proposal to the Council of the World Sailing Federation for a vote. It will also be necessary to weigh up whether the Olympic single-handed disciplines need a new and more modern boat class for 2024 or whether the Laser, by far the most popular boat class in the world with opportunities for participation for less traditional sailing countries, represents the Olympic requirements more effectively. World Championship bronze medallist Philipp Buhl said: "A new Olympic boat class would first have to achieve the worldwide distribution that the Laser can boast. This usually takes 10 to 20 years. The appeal of the Laser class lies in its one-design character, which has now been achieved with boats entered in major regattas. It is precisely the competition on the comparatively simple boats that makes the Laser so exciting and challenging." The outcome of the World Sailing Federation's decision will remain exciting at least until the mid-year meeting in London.
YACHT tested the RS Aero and presents the results in this clip
As a reminder of the sailing fun in the Laser, a clip of the 2019 World Championship final in Aarhus, in which Philipp Buhl won bronze with a furious performance
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
