World Sailing publishes Olympic Vision to steer the sport through to Brisbane 2032

Produced with the support of global consulting firm McKinsey & Company and following extensive consultation with Member National Authorities (MNAs), World Sailing classes, the World Sailing Board and Council, and athlete representatives, the Olympic Vision document addresses sailing’s place in the Olympic Movement.

Quanhai Li, World Sailing President, said, “World Sailing’s Olympic Vision provides clear guidance for all Olympic classes and MNAs, and for World Sailing decision-making, with the aim of ensuring sailing programs, events and development initiatives align with the IOC’s objectives for the Olympic Movement.

“Through this document, we have the opportunity to recentre our focus for Olympic sailing on the areas of greatest importance with a clear goal in mind. This will help the class associations and MNAs to prioritise specific areas, work towards the targets and incorporate the guidance into their own strategies over the next eight years and beyond.”

David Graham, World Sailing CEO, added, “World Sailing highly values our place in the Olympic Movement and the opportunity it gives us to contribute to the wider family of sports.

“The goal of the Olympic Vision document is to provide a clear direction which will enable MNAs, classes and others to work together for the benefit of the sport as a whole. I would like to thank our stakeholders for helping to shape the strategy and the World Sailing Council for their strong support in approving the document.

“World Sailing is committed to providing the best sailing program possible and to playing our part in strengthening the Olympic Movement.”

Sailing has identified four areas that are critical to Olympic sailing and will maximise the value that the sport adds to the Olympic Programme: marketability, accessibility, sustainability and diversity.

By 2032, the sport aims to become more representative of the diversity within the global sailing community, more accessible to young people, and more appealing to a wider audience, while continuing to reduce the impact sailing has on the environment.

World Sailing will prioritise international development and provide the framework to increase the number of MNAs affiliated to World Sailing, create competition structures and equipment regulations to raise the number of nations able to compete for Olympic qualification.

This includes strengthening competition between Olympic Games through the Sailing World Cup, the World Sailing Championships and Youth Sailing World Championships, further investment in the Emerging Nations Program (ENP) to narrow the performance gap between sailing nations, and strengthening e-sailing as a discipline within the Olympic Movement.

There will be more opportunities to develop pathways for diverse officials, coaches and support teams at events and throughout the sport, while gender equity at every level of the sport will be prioritised.

World Sailing will also support the adoption of the latest innovative and low-carbon technologies to accelerate change, including equipment manufacture, fleet decarbonisation, digital officiating, and coaching. Events will include legacy activities in which engagement with host communities is prioritised, enabling youth and race official development, and providing platforms for advocacy on sustainability.

The World Sailing Olympic Vision is also available to download here.