Seven windsurfing manufacturers and classes have submitted bids for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The tenders received by World Sailing are:
1. RS:X by NeilPryde: a non-foiling one design equipment and class;
2. Windsurfer by International Windsurfer Class Association: a non-foiling one design equipment and class;
3. Glide by SAB Ltd: a non-foiling one design equipment;
4. Formula Foil Limited by International Formula Windsurfing Class: a foiling, open registered series production scheme;
5. iFoil by Starboard: a convertible foiling one design equipment;
6. Windfoil 1 by Starboard, Severne, and Phantom International: a one-design board and a foiling, open registered series production scheme for the rest of of the equipment;
7. Bow-4Z by Gun Sails von Osterhausen GmbH: a convertible foiling one design equipment;
According to World Sailing, the proposals will be analyzed by the organization's evaluation working party.
The workgroup will then propose a shortlist to the Equipment and Events Committee for final approval until August 16, 2019.
The official shortlist candidates will later submit their equipment to open ocean trials.
Meanwhile, World Sailing sent questionnaires to RS:X athletes and members of the windsurfing community in order to obtain additional feedback from equipment users.
Interestingly, 41 percent of the RS:X athletes and 38 percent of the windsurfing community said they would prefer to adopt a new foiling class/equipment.
World Sailing will make a final decision on the windsurfing equipment for Paris 2024 in early November 2019, during the 2019 Annual Conference in Bermuda.
