"The Olympics are the pinnacle of global sport and a showcase that can bring sailing to the world," said Göran Petersson during a question and answer session on www.sailing.org. 

 

"But it is a competitive arena. We must ensure the Olympic sailing events can stand up to this competition. Sailing is a very diverse world, and the Olympic sailing events should reflect this.

 

"Sailing has a very proud history of being a sport on 23 Olympic Games to date. We should respect this tradition but also have to reflect where our sport is now. The traditionalists might be shocked, but we have to accept that sailing needs to change to ensure its place as an Olympic sport.

 

"We also have to take into consideration participation. ISAF would like to see more nations competing in the Olympic Games – in fact this is a task I have challenged to the Youth and Development Committee and the ISAF Council at this year’s Conference in Helsinki.

 

"We have been very successful in increasing participation by women – this is a balance we must also maintain in future Olympic sailing."

 

Petersson also refused to rule out the prospect of team racing being introduced for the 2012 Olympics.

 

"I was at the ISAF World Sailing Games in Austria in May and the team racing event there was a massive success," he said. "It is definitely a very exciting part of our sport and one that has grown impressively over the last few years."

 

But Petersson admit that the ISAF were limited by the International Olympic Committee to a maximum of 380 competitors at the Games in 2012  

 

"In selecting the 10 (meda) events (we can have) for the Olympic Games, we are limited by the overall athlete quota of 380 athletes, and we have to achieve the appropriate balance of athlete places across those events," he said.

 

"Team Racing is most usual as a three boat team, with six athletes per nation, which if we wanted to ensure say ten nations in that event at the Olympics, would be 60 athletes place.

 

"Whilst two-boat team racing is possible, we would still be looking at 40 athlete places for ten nations to participate. These are a few of the many complexities which the Olympic equipment and events selection working party will be considering."