Sailing World Cup: Prize money for the best in class

He had announced it and is now following up his words with action. The new Italian Isaf President Carlo Croce is driving forward the modernisation of Olympic sailing. The latest move by the dynamic leader and his fellow campaigners in the World Sailing Federation: the Isaf Sailing World Cup will have a "Grand Final" with prize money for the best in class. The premiere of the grand final is to take place in the Middle East this December.

In future, 20 teams per Olympic discipline will be able to qualify for the grand final according to a fixed key. The winners of all Isaf Sailing World Cup 200-point regattas, the most successful continental crew (measured by success at the World Cup "home regatta"), the best three teams at the Class World Championship, the top six in the world rankings and starters who receive a wild card from Isaf are automatically included. If this procedure does not produce 20 teams, other teams will move up in the order of the Isaf world rankings.

For the first "Grand Final" in the Middle East - for example, the extremely sailing-orientated Oman, where the Laser World Championship was organised with great success at the end of 2014, or Abu Dhabi - the fields of participants will be put together somewhat differently: The decisive factors for qualification are the performance at the Isaf World Championship of all Olympic disciplines in Santander in September, the ranking at the Isaf Sailing World Cup in Qingdao (China) and the position on the Isaf World Ranking List on 22 September 2014.

Isaf is accepting applications to organise the Grand Final from 2015 onwards. German organisers could also come back into play at this point. Kiel Week had lost its World Cup status due to its traditional date in June and overlaps with other regattas. Nikolaus Rickers, Managing Director of Point of Sailing in Kiel, said: "The new Grand Final is fundamentally a very exciting topic for us as supporters of Kiel Sailing City. But there are still too many details missing to decide in favour of or against a bid. We would certainly be well equipped in terms of content, but we would have to examine the financial possibilities with sponsors, the city and the federal government in order to be able to compete against possible competitors such as Qingdao or countries in the Middle East."

DSV Sports Director Nadine Stegenwalner also welcomed Isaf's initiative. At the Sailing World Cup in Mallorca, Stegenwalner said: "There is much more to the innovations than meets the eye. We welcome many of the ideas. It is the right step into the future. However, we also know that many of the criteria have not yet been finalised in detail and first need to be brought to life. These details are important. The new concept can strengthen the Eurosaf Circuit as a supplier for a more compact World Cup."

World Championship bronze medallist Philipp Buhl said of the new "Grand Final": "If they can really filter out the best 20 per class without penalising those who can't compete in every World Cup, then I don't think that's a bad thing, in fact I think it's very good! Anything that promotes general interest in sailing is good."