Hoping to make sailing a more spectator-friendly sport, the International Sailing Federation proposed replacing windsurfing with kiteboarding, above, at the 2016 Olympics.
The world’s top Olympic sailors were in South Florida reading wind and waves aboard two-person dinghies, keelboats and windsurfers at the recent Rolex Miami Olympic Classes Regatta. The sailing lineup has not really been altered much in the last 20 years.
But that is about to change, and this regatta provided a sneak peek into the sport’s future.
While Olympic medalists were being towed to their courses, kiteboarders skimmed along at twice their speed attached to inflatable kites at the end of 80 feet of razor-thin lines.