A five-year strategy has been unveiled by World Sailing ©World Sailing

An "ambitious" five-year strategic plan has been unveiled by World Sailing following the governing body's Mid-Year Meeting in London.

The 2018 to 2022 plan includes four pillars - inspiration and participation, membership and governance, sport integrity and leadership in sport - and features 33 strategies World Sailing are aiming to achieve.

The inspiration and participation section of the plan includes the launch of a new event strategy from 2021 to 2028 in a bid to increase the number of fans of the sport and the amount of people who take part in sailing.

Increasing the importance of the Sailing World Cup series, ensuring the sport's programme at Paris 2024 aligns with the International Olympic Committee's Agenda 2020 and targeting becoming a leading International Federation in the field of esports are among the other aims in the plan.

World Sailing have pledged "simple, effective and transparent" decision making to improve their governance, while the organisation has also vowed to continue to educate sailors on the dangers of doping and match-fixing through outreach programmes.

Paralympic reinstatement at Paris 2024 is among the main strategies of the plan ©World Sailing
Paralympic reinstatement at Paris 2024 is among the main strategies of the plan ©World Sailing

One of the main strategies in the leadership in sport strand of the plan centres on World Sailing's bid for reinstatement to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

Sailing took a big step towards regaining its Paralympic place when the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) progressed the sport to the next stage of the application process in January.

It has joined the 22 existing Paralympic sports at the second phase of the process for Paris 2024.

Sports have until July 9 to complete application packs that feature a series of questions which aim to give the IPC detailed information regarding a number of issues.

Sailing was dropped from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics by the IPC in 2015, prompting the sport's worldwide governing body to launch a concerted reinstatement campaign.

"The strategy was developed following 18 months of debate and consultation which included over 940 inputs from 88 of World Sailing’s Member National Authorities (MNA)," said World Sailing chief executive Andy Hunt.

"Every World Sailing MNA was invited to participate in the consultation process and we have developed 33 strategies together with measures which will allow us to easily monitor and report on the progress.

"Over the next five years, the World Sailing team will work tirelessly to deliver these strategies to enhance and grow the sport."

The full strategic plan can be read here.