Rory Maher – October 29, 2025
Olympic sailing is considering a new racing format for the LA 2028 Olympics. Details on the proposed new format are below, but following a regatta in Vilamoura that tested the new format we followed up with the sole competitor from the United States about his experience at the first major regatta to try the new format. Daniel Escudero is in the midst of his campaign to represent the United States in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. As part of his journey he competed in Vilamoura under the new format. We recently followed up with him about his experience and his thoughts for what the proposed new format means for the future of competitive sailing. Read on for our Daniel Escudero New Olympic Format Q&A.
We discussed the testing of new race formats in ILCA sailing, including point resets and shorter, high-stakes finals designed to appeal to media audiences. While Escudero said some changes improved tactical opportunities and race management—especially with the use of Vakaros RaceSense technology—he felt the formats compromised fairness and the essence of traditional sailing. The shift toward dramatic, winner-takes-all races raised concerns about rewarding peak performance over consistency. Ultimately, Escudero believes storytelling and better coverage would serve the sport better than altering its competitive structure.
Can you describe the formats you tested during the event?
We tested a qualifying series followed by two different finals formats during the event. The first format took the top 10 boats from qualifying, reset everyone’s points to zero, and determined the final standings through three short races.
The second format also reset points after qualifying but assigned the first six boats 1–6 points based on their position, while the next three received 7 points each. We then raced a semi-final, and the results were added to those reset points to determine the top four sailors who progressed to a winner-takes-all final.
This created two very different dynamics, one that rewarded consistency across three short races, and another that prioritized peak performance in a single decisive race.
Some sailing commentators have suggested that formats are being “dumbed down” to attract a wider audience. Did you feel, as an athlete, that the new format sacrificed any tactical nuance or the essence of traditional dinghy racing for the sake of simplicity and excitement?
Removing the reaches actually improved the tactical opportunities during the races. The fleet stayed more compact after the windward mark, creating more passing opportunities and closer racing on the downwinds. It also allowed the overall race duration to be shortened without sacrificing upwind or downwind course length.
The format didn’t feel “dumbed down” until we tested the four-boat final on the last day. That elimination format, with points reset for the semifinals and finals, turned the race into more of a speed contest on a very short course. It felt less like traditional ILCA racing and more like an exhibition heat.
Ultimately, World Sailing is looking for a format that balances risk, excitement, and fairness. After racing it, where do you think this Vilamoura format falls on that spectrum? Was it a fair test, or did the stakes feel disproportionately high in the final stage?
Even with just 13 boats in the qualifying series, it was clear that resetting points changed what we were racing for. If the goal is a one-day TV show, the format might work. But if the goal is to crown a champion based on consistency, skill, and endurance, it falls short.
It’s surprising that World Sailing and ILCA are pushing for this direction after the controversy in the women’s iQFoil class at the Paris Olympics, where the finals format led to an unfair upset.
What conversations were happening among the sailors regarding the new format’s purpose?
Event officials explained that the IOC is pressuring World Sailing to adopt more media-friendly formats to help sailing remain in the Olympic program. The sailors understood the objective, but most were unconvinced. The consensus was that the IOC and World Sailing are forcing the class’s hand, rather than letting the sport evolve naturally.
With shorter, more intense racing stages, a poor first race used to be something you could recover from. In the finals, a bad result is almost fatal. Did you feel that increased pressure on the starting line?
With only 10 boats on the line, I didn’t feel extra pressure. The smaller fleet actually reduced the chaos and tension usually found in large ILCA starts.
The final races are shorter and you are in a smaller fleet. Did this change your tactical approach to the start and first beat? Were you more aggressive in these races than you might be in a qualifying series fleet of 50-plus boats?
Yes. In smaller fleets, I could afford to be more conservative because there was more room to maneuver. Losing a few meters wasn’t nearly as costly as in a 50-boat fleet, where one mistake can drop you 20 positions.
In a big-fleet ILCA regatta, fleet management and finding lanes in traffic are key skills. In the smaller fleets of the new format, were you able to be more focused on boat-on-boat tactics with your direct rivals?
Definitely. The reduced traffic opened up more options to make decisions independently of the fleet. Mistakes were less punishing, and the starts played a smaller role in determining the finishing order.
In the new format, does the risk of a rule-breaking penalty or a starting line infraction feel more severe, especially in the finals? Did that weigh on your decision-making?
Yes. 720s were much more costly in the shorter races. That said, most sailors still sail quite conservatively, regardless of the format.
How did the new tech change the starting behavior?
The race committee used Vakaros RaceSense exclusively to call boats over the line, which meant that any boat over was automatically identified, regardless of sail-number visibility. This allowed me to start much more aggressively without worrying about showing my number to the committee.
On the shiftier days with a P-flag start, most of the fleet pushed harder, and several boats were called over early. The system instantly notified sailors if they were OCS and again once they had cleared themselves, which made being over much less punishing, at least in a small fleet.
When we switched to U-flag starts, not a single boat was over. RaceSense made it clear that anyone even slightly early would be automatically disqualified, so everyone became more conservative.
Although we had starts where up to five boats were OCS, the system’s precision prevented a single general recall for the entire regatta, something I’ve never seen before in ILCA racing.
The 30 minute target time for each race is shorter than traditional ILCA races. How did you adapt your physical output and pacing? Was it more of a full-sprint effort, or did the concentration required make it just as taxing?
ILCA racing is an all-out sprint effort regardless of length. The removal of the reaches improved the balance between tactical and physical demands, producing fairer and higher-quality racing overall.
With the potential for more boats to be closer at the final run, what, if anything, did you change about your downwind technique?
Not particularly. The downwind strategy remained consistent with normal racing.
How did the reset of points affect the fleet’s psychology? Were you constantly aware of who was near the cut-off line at the end of the opening and final stages? Did you feel any change in behavior from those sailors?
I didn’t notice a major behavioral change among sailors. Everyone knew the reset would shake things up, but most treated it pragmatically.
How did the energy on the water change in the final series with a smaller field? There were only 3 fewer boats in this regatta during the final stage, but did it make much of a difference?
It was noticeably more intense. With three fewer boats, every position counted more. The top ten were closely matched in speed and focus, and no one was willing to give an inch.
From a sailor’s perspective, did the new format feel more exciting or dramatic? Did you notice anything about the course or race management that seemed geared toward making it more “TV-friendly”?
The biggest improvement of the event was the race management made possible by Vakaros RaceSense. The system allowed the race committee to reset the course quickly after major wind shifts and minimize downtime between starts. Throughout the entire regatta, we didn’t have a single general recall.
For comparison, I tuned into the 49er Worlds a few weeks prior, and after 10 minutes it was clear they wouldn’t be getting a race off anytime soon. The efficiency I saw in Vilamoura made the racing far more watchable.
RaceSense also has major potential for real-time jury use, especially for determining mark-room and boundary incidents.
We additionally tested the Vakaros Halo which achieves 1 cm positional accuracy. However, after using both systems, I found the Atlas, with a 25 cm margin of error, was more than sufficient, even on a short starting line.
Overall, the new format did feel more dramatic because of the points reset and the higher stakes in the last few races, but the real breakthrough came from the technology that made the racing flow seamlessly.
Many have commented that the new format will reduce the time available to prove consistency. Do you think the new system still identifies the best overall sailor in the fleet, or the best sailor on a particular day?
It identifies the best sailor on the day. We were lucky that the finals had similar conditions to the earlier races; otherwise, the results could have looked very different. I actually caught a fever during the finals, which made the points reset especially frustrating after performing consistently all week. The four-boat “winner-takes-all” race ultimately rewarded whoever had the best 15-minute burst, not necessarily the best overall regatta.
Now that you’ve raced it, what would you change about the new format, if anything, to make it fairer or even more exciting?
The Vakaros technology should absolutely stay. It improved race management and efficiency enormously. But resetting points to add drama undermines the integrity of the event. Sailing isn’t like track or swimming, where every heat happens under identical conditions. Our sport’s complexity and changing environment are what make consistency such a true measure of skill.
If change is required, I’d simply remove the reaches to shorten races, but keep the current points structure and medal race format. The medal race already increases the stakes without erasing the week’s work.
As a final thought, if this is indeed the path forward for the Olympics, how would you advise the next generation of ILCA sailors to help them prepare for this new competitive reality?
They’ll need to train more for short, high-intensity bursts rather than endurance-based consistency. With one or three races deciding everything, risk-taking becomes more valuable. But if this format is meant to save sailing’s Olympic future, I’m not optimistic. Focusing on better storytelling, camera angles, and commentary would do far more to engage audiences than rewriting the sport.
Breakdown Of The New Format
Here’s a summary of the new proposed format for the International Laser Class Association (ILCA) one-person dinghy events (the ILCA 7 for men and the ILCA 6 for women) at the 2028 Summer Olympics (Los Angeles), noting that this is proposed and subject to final approval & testing.
Key Changes & Structure
1. Multi-stage elimination series
Opening Series → Semi-Finals → Finals.
Points do not carry over between stages (i.e., results in the Opening Series don’t influence scoring in the Semi-Finals or Finals).
The goal is to increase spectator appeal, shorter broadcasts, more dramatic finishes.
2. Opening Series
Competitors from 43 nations (mirroring expected Olympic entry size) would participate.
4-8 races ideally (preference ~6+) depending on schedule. One discard allowed.
Target race time ~30-35 minutes. On broadcast days, may split into flights of ~14-15 boats with target race time ~18-20 minutes.
Top 28 advance to Semi-Finals.
3. Semi-Final Series
Two fleets of 14 boats each (i.e., 28 total) compete.
Three races, no discard. Target race time ~18-20 minutes (optimized for TV).
Top 7 of each fleet (14 boats total) advance to Finals.
4. Finals Series
14 boats compete in a three-race final, no discard. Target race time ~18-20 minutes.
Winner is the boat with the lowest cumulative points in those three final races.
Alternative “winner-takes-all” single final race was considered but not favored (for fairness reasons) under the proposal.
5. Other operational/technical changes
Use of advanced OCS (on-course start) detection technology (GPS based) so general recalls can be eliminated and start procedures streamlined.
Simplified windward/leeward course to reduce personnel & logistics, help with live TV coverage.
Emphasis on making racing more understandable to viewers, predictable schedule, shorter races, fewer big fleet final races to fit broadcast blocks.
