Olympics – One year out
From 10-20 August next summer, the French city of Marseille has the honour of hosting the sailing events of the 2024 Olympic Games. This mountain-backed Med venue – known at times for its Mistral winds and big waves, and at others for its light winds and unpredictable shifts – will see 330 athletes race across 10 classes.
This will be an event packed with firsts – most notably, the first time an equal number of male and female sailors have competed. There will also be a greater number of nations taking part thanks to a drive by the IOC to increase diversity through changes in the country qualification process.
New tech features, too, with World Sailing measurement officials introducing 3D scanning equipment to ensure a level playing field.
There are new disciplines, with the men’s and women’s foiling kiteboarding class – Formula Kite – making its debut, and the Mixed Dinghy class, which sees male and female sailors team up in the 470 rather than racing separately.
The men’s and women’s windsurfing class has new equipment, with the action-packed, iQFoil replacing the
