Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Decision At Last

At Last the Canoe sailing Committee has made a decision and posted what they will submit to the Canoe federation.
It is an interesting decision. It is in effect to maintain 3 classes. It seems to me to be different to what we all voted for and in fact does not seem to have changed anything since McCrae. The WC organisers in Germany 2011 will still have to offer to run three WCs with medals going to who ever gets the requistie numbers.

I think it is a bad decision. People still do not know which boats to build because they have no idea which will get the numbers. I think the result will be that the status quo continues, UK will build ACs, US will build DCs and everyone else will wait and see and build nothing. The class with be fragmented and in most of the world effectively dormant.

I expect that Germany will see similar numbers to McCrae, a few UK ACs, a few US and UK DCs and a bunch of european IC. I can not see any group getting 3 continents and 6 nations.

Hayden will have a difficult choice about defending his world title. He was planning to build a DC, so may have to choose which boat to send in 3 years time, based on if he gets an indication of which fleets would have the numbers. I bet there will be pressure to send the IC as they will get 6 euro nations and will be desperate for another continent. He could also make the 3rd DC continent but I can not see the DC getting 6 nations under this regeim.

Meanwhile I have some interest in the Log from Queensland. I hope we can reach agreement.

Phil S