IKA News:

New course racing equipment registration scheme

The discussions regarding the equipment for the Olympic Games is still ongoing, but one thing has become clear in the meantime – the registration system has to change.

Therefore, the current registration system for boards and kites for the course racing discipline will cease to apply on August 31st 2012 and replaced by a system with a yearly registration cut-off.

This means, that any equipment where the registration process has been completed by August 31st 2012 will be eligible 60 days thereafter under the current registration system. From September 1st 2012, the following registration schedule will apply:

2013
Deadline for registration of new equipment: January 1st 2013. By this date, the registration process must be completed and proof of 25 boards built provided. Equipment is then eligible for racing from April 1st 2013 (this might slightly change due to ISAF requirements). Final details will be provided over the course of the next weeks.

2014
Deadline for registration of new equipment: March 1st 2013. By this date, the registration process must be completed and proof of 25 boards built provided. Equipment is then eligible for racing from September 1st 2014 (this might slightly change due to ISAF requirements).

Both class rules and registration system will undergo slight changes in terms of material limitation, required numbers of equipment built, and equipment used during an event (respectively the whole season). As this is all subject to ISAF negotiations, details will not be know before after the Olympic Games, and we will fully update you on this as soon as possible.

The key thing seems to be to create a cut-off for new equipment at March 31st 2013.

Is this the method to prevent a technology war?

If kitesurfing is confirmed in November, the period between then and March 31st should be quite interesting.

Must have a typo with dates
Surely they dont expect the 2013 gear to be rego in Jan then the 2014 gear rego only two months later

2012 rego gear by aug 1st use gear by Nov 1st
2013 rego gear by Jan 1st use gear by April 1st
2014 rego gear by March 1st 2013 use gear sept 1st 2014 ???
Probly reasonable to assume for 2014 they mean rego gear march 2014

It could work to have an early freeze on equipment development.

Rio may be a bit board specific if the flat water and very light winds are the only conditions to prepare for, so it would make sense to me for board makers to design a light wind board which Olympic teams are then going to test and find which variation within the tolerances will make the board the fastest.

In some ways it would be good in that the conditions seem predictable and we could see the ultimate lightwind gear developed, which could interest a lot of fun racers.

Hydrofoils seem to go very well on upwind courses and there is a risk that hydrofoil boards could be developed that would be unbeatable by planing boards at Rio, so I think they would need to prevent that happening.
I have nothing against hydrofoils, but I tried to swim with one once and its not going to be an easy self rescue. I would much rather have to self rescue on a big floaty board. In future in very light winds, self-rescue is going to be a big factor.

The 50 cm fin length restriction practicaly restricts hydrofoil boards.