Paris 2024: Trouble for new Kite event

The Sailing Program for the Paris 2024 Olympics has faced very light winds, with each of the ten events having standards for how much wind is needed to compete. This has led to races being postponed when the wind does not meet the minimum, but problems are occurring for the new Kite event when the wind is near the minimum.

Keeping the kite airborne in very light winds is not easy, and if it hits the water, it is likely not coming out. For the Women’s Kite fleet in the sixth race, eight of the competitors dropped their kites, all getting scored DNS which prompted a this redress submission by an impacted competitor:

Protest details:
On the starting procedure of race 6, the wind dropped below 4 knots. It was impossible for me to fly the kite. 40% of the fleet could not start the race. RC made an improper action by starting the race, this made my finishing order significantly worse.

Facts found:
1. Before and during the start of race 6, the Race Committee measured more than 6 knots of wind in average from the starting vessel, the finishing vessel and the windward mark vessel.
2. The Race Committee uses a handheld anemometer on the starting vessel in order to avoid wind shadow caused by equipment on the vessel.
3. The Women’s Kite fleet has 20 entries.
4.The kites of CHN, GBR, MRI, NZL, POL, SUI, THA and TUR were in the water before the starting signal, and these kiteboards were not able to relaunch and start.
5. CHN, GBR, MRI, NZL, POL, SUI, THA and TUR are scored DNS in race 6.5.
6. All kiteboards who started in race 6, finished within the time limit, in less than the 12 minutes target time.
7. Race Management Policies for World Sailing Events 4.6 says: “Races will not be started in less than an average of 5 knots (6 knots for Formula Kite and iQFOiL) of wind established over the entire course area.”

Conclusion:
1. While the policies are only guidelines for the Race Committee, the conditions at the start of the race were in accordance with these guidelines.
2. There was neither an improper action nor omission of the Race Committee. Therefore, the requirements for redress in RRS 62.1(a) are not met.

Decision:
Redress is not given.

For all competition reports, click here.

Event details – Results – Notice Board

Medal Count (G-S-B) – Four of 10 events completed
Israel: 1-1-0
Netherlands: 1-0-1
Italy: 1-0-0
Spain: 1-0-0
Australia: 0-1-0
New Zealand: 0-1-0
Sweden: 0-1-0
Great Britain: 0-0-1
France: 0-0-1
USA: 0-0-1

Source: World Sailing