Olympics: The Tornado is Ready for the Comeback
By Roland Gaebler – “Dear Sailing Friends,
After reading the ISAF Executive Submission for the ISAF Conference in November in Athens we have a clear vision what the ISAF and IOC wants in Sailing. Multihull Sailing is back on the agenda.
The report of the Olympic Commission presented a clear vision what we must change in Olympic Sailing to fullfill the wishes of IOC, Media, Spectators and Sponsors.
With a new High Quality One Design Concept and fresh ideas for the Olympic Sailing format, we are in pole-position for the next generation of Olympic Sailing.
We get the official support from the F18 Class, which has no intention to get Olympic. Plus we have the support of many Multihull Sailors and Classes and the MNAs.
We are very open to discuss all points we promote. You are very welcome to sail and fly with us.
If you want see Multihulls back at the Olympics, please support our Team. Thank you very much!”
— Roland Gaebler, ITA President
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Report by Tornado Class: The Tornado is Ready for the Olympic Comeback
With the new and strict High Quality One Design concept, the Tornado is well prepared for the future and the Olympic Games. Sometimes it is good to take a break and re-think what the sailing future really needs.
On top of this we have clear instructions about what the IOC and the ISAF want to have:
· More media attention to promote Sailing and reach higher media value for event and team sponsors
· More spectators for Olympic Sailing ticket sales
· Low cost for Olympic Campaigners and MNAs
· Worldwide boat availability and class structure
· More nations competing
· Easy to sail for youth, women and mixed teams
· Attractive and sailable multihull for all ages and sizes of sailors in all nations worldwide
Here is why the Tornado is the best multihull for the Olympics:
· High Quality One Design for Olympic Multihull Sailing
· Marstrom Boatbuilding Experience and Quality
· Perfect weight range allowance
· The best for Open, Men and Mixed Multihull Sailing at Olympic Level
· Best price-performance ratio for Olympic Multihull sailing
· No risk for ISAF and Olympics
· Innovator of Sail Racing Events – Tornados at the Top of Sailing Entertainment
· IOC awarded for the best TV sailing at the Beijing Olympics
· Highest Media Value for Tornado Teams and Event Sponsors
· Smart and Ecological Logistic Concept with minimal costs for Tornado Sailing Teams
· Worldwide Class Structure
· Young Talents and Olympic Champions are waiting for the Olympic Comeback of the Tornado
· Youth Multihull Program
Here are some figures for you on running an Olympic campaign in a Tornado:
Invest
1 Tornado 23,000 €
4 sets of sails 16,000 €
Extras 1,000 €
Return /Sales
1 Tornado 12,000 €
4 sets of sails 8,000 €
The balance/total investment over 4 years is 20.000 € or 5000 € per year. Tax excluded.
Compare this to other classes; it is a very good price for a high speed One Design Multihull which will entertain spectators and the media.
Boat Logistics Cost for 10 Events per Year in a 10-Boat Unit with a 40-Foot Container
* ISAF World Cup Series
* World- and Continental Champs
* Olympics and Pre-Olympics
Price per Team/Boat for one year is 4.000 € Tax included.
Tornados are easy to pack into a 40-Foot Container. This way, the logistics are economically and cost effective.
More on https://www.tornado-class.org/news/articles/2010/the-tornado-is-ready-for-olympic-comeback.htm
The Tornado is a fine boat, but why not go for a more modern Cat like the F20 Carbon?
The Tornado was already the Olympic boat in 1976… 34 years ago.
Right now is not about the boat, but being back at the games, the Tornado class is there and should be 1st choice, after 2016 we'll see…
Getting multi-hulls back in the Olympics after the ISAF CusterFlux that kicked out is priority #1 – but it must be said, with the AC going to semi-foiling hi-tech hulls, that can now be had on the F-20 carbon cheaper than a Tornado, planning a move to a faster, more modern design is a very good idea.
At this moment we need to be reasonable. Tornado class is offering a fleet already ready to race. Most of the Tornado sailors are waiting aside to jump in the boat again. The fleet is already there.. The only thing that we need is a clear decision from Isaf. In the financial situation that Europe and the rest of the world is at the moment we don't need to create a new class from zero. At the moment Tornado class offers a top quality package in a very good price with a very good resale price. Yes probably after 2016 we can discuss about a new cat. At the moment and in the position we are as a sport an already successful Media wise class like Tornado is a wise solution. Is not a step back.Tornado changed all this years by adding double trapeze, spinnaker,one design carbon mast, top quality one design sails from an ISAF in-house certified sail-maker (ulman sails Italy) Its very easy to say this ..and that..but we need to take in mind all advantages and disadvantages of a different solution. Tornado class is the only class that got the IOC award for the best media coverage in Beijing Olympics..
Yes, first concentrate on getting a catamaran back into the Olympics, but the Tornado would be the most logical choice at this time as it is sailed worldwide, and of late has indeed enjoyed a new level of enthuisiasm with many new sailors arriving on the scene. I sail and race my Tornado with my wife (Both in the 40's) and have a great time, the T is very easy to sail for young, old male and female. Also the Marstrom boat is excellent quality, it stays stiff forever !!.
Given the current change of attitude at ISAF, and the strong multihull push with the AC, I would be extremely surprised if there was no catamaran at the 2016 OG…
The Tornado was designed in 1967.
Yes, there are a few T's lying around, but in most countries the class have been dead for years.
Let the design have a worthy death, and let's move on to something modern like F20C.
Is it me or is there too much F20C promo in the comments..?
The Olympic games are a display of recognized sports, typically in their most representative form and shape. The world’s best athletes are competing against each other with a big part of the world watching.
The highest achievement in sailing is winning a gold medal at the Olympics. This is different to a number of other sports, namely soccer and probably tennis. Therefore, the foremost aim of all competitive sailors needs to be to keep sailing as a sport in the Olympics, which is NOT guaranteed.
Sailing is probably one of the worst positioned sports as such – many people do that sport, while most of them are not organized in a club or federation. That makes the membership numbers look quite poor compared to sports that are pushing to get in, i.e. Karate, squash, rugby. But once a sport is part of the Olympic program, and has been established there for a while, it has a clear advantage.
I fear we lost a fair bit of that advantage when ISAF decided (again) on classes that might not be the best promoters of sailing to non-sailors. Multihull is out while one-man dinghy and one man dinghy heavy are in. I know what I prefer watching. And in the end Olympics is ALL about watching, that’s where the money is. So, spectacular and good to watch it needs to be.
BUT if that was the only criteria we had different, exciting sports each time around, big scale X-Games basically, and the spectators would loose track and interest soon.
The balance that needs to be found is between spectacular and recognized, good to watch for the maximum amount of people while keeping continuity – thus building the respective disciplines in a big number of countries and allowing real top class athletes to grow and develop.
For sailing what does that all mean? The boats need to be proven, established REAL one design class boats and not semi-experimental, trendy technology. Would be great to watch some teams to do backflips on their semifoiler cats, but do we want to show that to the world as THE multihull sailing?
The logical and obvious choice at present is the Tornado. It is proven technology, high quality and long lasting material. The cost are established and comparably low, and the best multihull sailors LIKE sailing it, since it has been developed and improved and fine-tuned over a long time. Its all about sailing and not about finding a loophole in the classrules of a new design.
And a last thought – how can Multihullers expect the ISAF to do the right decisions and recommendations when the Multihullers themselves can’t decide what they want and what is best for them? Pull on the same string, present a strong case to the next level – the ISAF – and their life will be easier as well.
Lots of Anonymous entries….
Who are you guys/girls? Why not put your names?
I think we have a solid chance to get the multihull back in the games, but why would we go with the half way option of putting a 40 year old design back in there?
We need to take the opportunity and make the most of it, we can have a boat that is representative of current thinking and clearly more exciting to sail, watch and promote the sport. The Tornado has done a great job in the past but its time has come.
The biggest risk it that we end up with the mixed multihull being selected, then the right boat choice will be much harder to make….