Multihulls in the Olympics need our help

[ZAX]

Some of you might have heard that the Olympics in London set for 2012 will be one without multihull boats. That is right it is a mono only event. Please see the link below for the news of this matter.

http://www.a-cat.org/id132.htm

Sailing in all it’s forms needs to be recognised at the highest level and thus there has been a partition started to try and get the multihulls back into the Olympics. Please sign the partition and pass it on to others that would wish that Catamarans continue to be represented in the olympics.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/multihullinolympics/index.html

you might need to cut and paste those links into your browser if you cannot directly access those sites.

[ZAX]

A number of concerned sailors from Mannering Park (amongst many others) attended a meeting on the decision to take catamarans out of the 2012 olympics. The following minutes were taken from the meeting.

The Australian Multihull Council

12 December, 2007

To Australian Sailors

The recent decision by ISAF to drop a multihull from the 2012 Olympics has galvanised the Australian sailing community and in particular the multihull fraternity into action.

In Australia, Yachting Australia and in particular its CEO Phil Jones has been at the forefront of a global action to have the decision reversed.

Yachting Australia has now been joined by the Australian Multihull Council, a wide group of concerned sailors, clubs, associations and manufacturers who like most fair minded sailors are concerned about the future of sailing and believe that the decisions made by ISAF last month on the 2012 Olympic Events are not in the best interests of the sport of sailing throughout the world and should be reviewed.

At its inaugural meeting the Australian Multihull Council has agreed to action three key objectives:

• A multihull in future Olympics and ISAF Youth Worlds;

• A strong and united multihull sailing presence in Australia;

• Developing youth sailing.

The retention of a multihull in future Olympics and ISAF Youth Worlds is a short-term objective and must be our immediate priority.

To this end an interim management team including Darren Bundock, Rod Waterhouse, John Goldsmith, John McCormick and Anthony Duchatel has been formed. The team will focus on:

• Continuing to build consensus and support in Australia and the South Pacific

• Liaising with Yachting Australia to ensure the views of the multihull fraternity are heard along with the rest of the Australian sailing community.

• Writing directly to the ISAF delegates in the South Pacific.

• Generating a positive media program

• Establishing a dedicated Australian Multihull Council website

It has become clear that many ISAF delegates including those in Great Britain, America and New Zealand that voted on the basis of winning medals in other sailing classes now see the decision to eliminate a multihull as short sighted. It is a decision that threatens the very future of sailing at all levels, elite to youth, and fly’s in the face of the IOC’s direction for sailing. The multihull represents everything that the IOC asked for and that ISAF needs. It’s the high performance boat, its spectacular, its relatively inexpensive, it has global popularity, it will allow new nations to break into the Olympics, it has a strong youth appeal with strong development opportunities and it has a huge media appeal that has generated great media coverage. All of the things the IOC and ISAF need.

The Australian Multihull Council will be working with the Yachting Australia and you the multihull sailors of Australia and the South Pacific to increase the reach and appeal of the sport of sailing and to ensure its future as part of the Olympic Games.

We will keep you up to date and involved. We need you to make the difference and help achieve our objectives

Sincerely,

Rod Waterhouse

for the Australian Multihull Council