World Sailing Offshore Event Organisers Forum
by Matthew Allen 6 Oct 22:32 UTC
Challenging conditions for the race starts today in Class C - 2025 Garmin ORC World Championship © Janis Spurdzins / Kalev Yacht Club
On November 7, 2025, as part of World Sailing's Annual Conference in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland, at 1500hrs UTC to 1800hrs UTC, we will conduct the Offshore Event Organisers Forum. It is designed for Member National Authorities, Class Associations, industry bodies, and representatives from the Rating Systems, and you can register to be in person, or online, by completing this form.
There will be a separate form (check the sailing.org soon) for members of the sailing community (observers) to participate and ask questions through the moderator. The aim is to provide for collaboration amongst all the stakeholders to support the growth of offshore racing. In this way, it is more targeted for Category One, Two and Three events, rather than Category Zero.
The panel will be chaired by myself, and I am delighted to say that the panel comprises of Katrina Ham, James Dadd, Stan Honey, Richard Slater, Dee Caffari MBE, Damien Foxall, and Alexandra Rickham. So, this makes for a very knowledgeable and rounded group of passionate sailors.
During the course of the forum, we will look at important subjects both now and into the future. These are separated for the purpose of writing an agenda, but we are well aware of the fact that they are by no means mutually exclusive. In fact, their impacts on each other are part of the very reason why we are conducting this special forum.
Specifically, these are;
- the Offshore Special Regulations,
- Technology,
- Outside Assistance Rules and Interpretations,
- and also, Megafauna.
By way of highlighting the very crucial and intricate subjects we have to navigate through, the following examples serve as to some of the items we are going to deliberate and consider, thereby looking to provide clarity, uniformity, and direction to the entire community, both now and into the foreseeable future, as the advancements in technology continue to come, both faster and more powerfully.
Firstly, the definition of a working deck, which is already happening on a number of craft. Specifically, this pertains to lowering the centre of gravity of the vessel, by taking hardware and crew below decks.
Secondly, there is autopilot technology, which continues to evolve and ever improving. In some instances, the technology is faster than humans. Also, different Organising Authorities (OA) treat it differently, with no autopilot for full-crewed, versus short-handed. So therefore, it is computers against humans, which is inconsistent with everyone being scored in the same way, in the same race, in the overall sense. Other OAs allow everyone to use their autopilot, and of course, not all autopilots are created equal, either.
In short, do we run the risk of our sport becoming a non-human endeavour?
Thirdly, as pertains to outside assistance, technology allows for a separate crew of people onshore to be running the routing, and even trimming the sails, all of which can be done now.
Fourthly, the very much super-hot topic of megafauna - from Sunfish to whales, and from Portugal to the East Coast of Australia. This topical issue really does affect everyone. Thankfully, the population of whales is increasing, and therefore it's obviously very important to come up with various protocols around it.
It would be terrific if a technological solution steps forward soon, but in its absence, we need to address what can be done now. Equally, there is a link back to the outside assistance rules if information from satellites and drones for the tracking of megafauna is then applied to the fleet, but keeping everyone safe and not having to deploy rescue assets more than counterbalances that. Having the OA conduct this is far better than having it team based.
We need to interact with people who have expertise, whether that be in marine biology or whether it is in technology, such as what is done with Shark Shield.
World Sailing is very much looking forward to conducting this forum, and we implore anyone with an interest or additional information to offer to join in. Official parties can complete this form, and observers can fill out the form that will be on sailing.org soon.
By Matt Allen, Chairman of World Sailing's Oceanic and Offshore Committee