World Sailing facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids World Sailing

Sport	Sailing
Year of formation	14 October 1907; 117 years ago (14 October 1907)
Former names	International Yacht Racing Union; International Sailing Federation
Membership size	144
Other affiliation(s)	IOC ASOIF IMO ISO WADA
Patron	King Harald V of Norway
President	Quanhai Li
Vice-presidents	Özlem Akdurak Philip Baum Tomasz Chamera Sarah Kenny Yann Rocherieux Cory Sertl Marcus Spillane
Executive Office
Address	London
Chief Executive	David Graham
Number of staff	Approx. 30
Continental Association
Africa (ASF) Asia (ASCON) Europe (EUROSAF) Oceania (OSAF) South America (SASC)

World Sailing (or WS) is the main group that manages the sport of sailing around the world. It is officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee. World Sailing helps set the rules for sailing competitions. It also works to make sailing fair and fun for everyone.

The History of World Sailing

The idea for an international sailing group started in 1904. A man named Major Brooke Heckstall-Smith suggested a meeting. He wanted to create fair rules for racing yachts across Europe.

In 1906, meetings were held in London. They developed the "Metre Rule" for measuring boats. This helped make races more equal.

On October 14, 1907, this group officially formed. They called themselves the International Yacht Racing Union (IYRU). This date is seen as the start of World Sailing.

Later, the name changed two more times. On August 5, 1996, the IYRU became the International Sailing Federation (ISAF). Then, on November 14, 2015, ISAF changed its name to World Sailing.

Types of Sailing Competitions

Sailing competitions, called regattas, have different formats. These formats depend on the type of race, the boats used, and who is competing.

Main Types of Sailing Races

Here are the main ways sailing competitions are organized:

Fleet racing – This is the most common type. Many boats race together around a set course. The first boat to cross the finish line wins.
Match racing – Two identical boats race head-to-head. It's a one-on-one challenge that needs smart moves and quick thinking.
Team racing – Two teams, usually with three boats each, race against each other. This is fast-paced and needs great boat handling skills.
Offshore/oceanic racing – These are long races, sometimes over 800 miles. They can even be races around the world!
Speed sailing – This is all about how fast a boat can go. The World Sailing Speed Record Council manages these records.
Wave riding – This is popular in board sports like windsurfing and kiteboarding.
Cruising – This is the most common way people enjoy sailing. It can be a short trip along the coast or a long journey across oceans.

Sailing Equipment Categories

Sailors use many different types of boats and boards. Common categories include:

Dinghies (small open boats)
Multihulls (boats with more than one hull, like catamarans)
Keelboats (boats with a heavy keel for stability)
Sailing yachts (larger boats, often for cruising)
Windsurfers (boards with a sail)
Kiteboarding (boards pulled by a large kite)
Radio-controlled sailboats (miniature boats controlled remotely)

Within these groups, specific boat types or "classes" are used for racing.

Gender in Sailing Events

Most sailing events are "open," meaning both males and females can compete together. They race on equal terms, either alone or as part of a team. World Sailing has also held women-only World Championships since the 1970s. This helps encourage more girls and women to join the sport. For the 2016 Olympics, mixed-gender events were included for the first time.

Sailor Categories for Events

Sometimes, events have special rules for who can compete. These can include:

Age groups
Nationality
Disability classification
Sailor classification (based on experience or professional status)

Rules and Regulations for Sailing

World Sailing creates the rules that all sailors follow. These rules help make competitions fair and safe.

Key Rulebooks and Documents

The most important rules are in the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS). This is the international standard for how races are run. The RRS rulebook is updated every Olympic year.

Para sailing (sailing for athletes with disabilities) also follows the RRS. They have small changes to allow for special equipment. For the Paralympic Games, strict rules ensure fair competition.

Other important documents from World Sailing include:

Equipment Rules of Sailing (ERS) – Rules about how boats and equipment must be built.
Offshore Special Regulations (OSR) – Safety rules for long-distance offshore races.
World Sailing Regulations and Constitution – The main rules for how World Sailing operates.

Who Belongs to World Sailing?

World Sailing is made up of different groups and members from around the world.

National Sailing Groups

World Sailing has "Member National Authorities" (MNAs) from over 140 countries. These are the main sailing organizations in each country. Each MNA can help decide World Sailing's policies.

If you have a physical disability and want to learn to sail, you can contact your national MNA. World Sailing wants to help more people with disabilities enjoy sailing.

Boat Class Associations

World Sailing recognizes over 80 different boat "classes." Each class can hold its own world championship.

Other Affiliated Members

Some other groups are connected to World Sailing:

Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) – Deals with rules for offshore racing.
World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC) – Manages world speed records for sailing.
International Radio Sailing Association (IRSA) – For radio-controlled model boat racing.

Major Sailing Events

World Sailing organizes and oversees many important sailing competitions.

Sailing at the Olympic Games

World Sailing is in charge of the Olympic Sailing Regatta. Sailing has been part of the modern Summer Olympic Games since 1896. It was only missed once, in 1904.

To help top sailors prepare for the Olympics, World Sailing holds these events:

Sailing World Championships: Held every four years. This event combines the world championships for Olympic boat classes. It's also part of the process to qualify for the Olympics.
Sailing World Cup: An annual series of races held around the world.

Sailing at the Paralympic Games

Sailing is a great sport for athletes with disabilities. It allows many different paralympians to compete fairly. Sailing was first a demonstration event at the 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta.

It became a full medal sport at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games. However, the IPC removed sailing from the Paralympic program after 2020. World Sailing is working hard to get sailing back for the 2028 Paralympics.

World Championships for Sailing Classes

Each recognized World Sailing boat class can hold its own world championship.

World Sailing's Own Championships

World Sailing also organizes these major championships and events:

Sailing World Championships
Sailing World Cup Series
Youth Sailing World Championships (for younger sailors)
Team Racing World Championship
Offshore Team Racing World Championship
Women's Match World Championship
Open Match Racing World Championship (often part of the World Match Racing Tour)
eSailing World Championship (started in 2018, virtual sailing)
Mixed Two Person Offshore Keelboat World Championship (started in 2019)
Nations Cup match racing

Special Sailing Events Recognized by World Sailing

World Sailing also recognizes several very famous and important sailing events:

America's Cup
SailGP
Star Sailors League
The Ocean Race
World Match Racing Tour
PWA World Windsurfing Tour
GKA Kite World Tour
Foiling Week

Sailing for People with Disabilities

Sailing is a very flexible sport. It can be adapted for many types of disabilities. This is because the equipment (the boat) can be changed to fit different needs. In sailing, disabled sailors can often compete equally with able-bodied sailors.

World Sailing also manages disabled sailing worldwide. This part of their work is called Para World Sailing. It was created in 2014 when the International Association for Disabled Sailing (IFDS) joined World Sailing. This merger helps make rules and support consistent for all sailors with disabilities.

Important People in World Sailing

Presidents of World Sailing

The president leads World Sailing. Here are some of the past presidents:

1946–1955: Sir Ralph Gore
1955–1969: Sir Peter Scott
1969–1986: Beppe Croce (ITA)
1986–1994: Peter Tallberg (FIN)
1994–2004: Paul Henderson (CAN)
2004–2012: Göran Petersson (SWE)
2012–2016: Carlo Croce (ITA)
2016–2020: Kim Andersen (DEN)
2020–present: Quanhai Li (CHN)

Presidents of Honour

These are special honorary leaders:

1958–1991: King Olav V of Norway
1994–2023: King Constantine II of Greece
1994–present: King Harald V of Norway

Race Officials

To run sailing events, special officials are needed. World Sailing recognizes four types:

International Judge: Makes decisions about rules during a race.
International Measurer: Checks that boats meet measurement rules.
International Race Officer: Organizes and runs the races.
International Umpire: Makes quick decisions during match racing.

Awards and Recognition

World Sailing gives out awards to recognize amazing achievements in the sport.

Rolex World Sailor of the Year

This is the most important annual award. It's sponsored by ROLEX and given in two categories:

Male World Sailor of the Year
Female World Sailor of the Year

If a team wins, the award usually goes to the whole team or the main skipper.

Sailing Hall of Fame

The ISAF Sailing Hall of Fame honors legendary sailors. The first six members were chosen in 2007:

Olin Stephens (USA)
Dame Ellen MacArthur (GBR)
Paul Elvstrøm (DEN)
Barbara Kendall (NZL)
Eric Tabarly (FRA)
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston (GBR)

Seven more people were added in 2015:

Dennis Conner (USA)
Alessandra Sensini (ITA)
Harold Vanderbilt (USA)
Sir Peter Blake (NZL)
Buddy Melges (USA)
Valentin Mankin (UKR)
Torben Grael (BRA)

Beppe Croce Trophy

This award goes to someone who has given a lot of their time to sailing as a volunteer. Many famous sailors, rule experts, and boat designers have received this trophy.