Мировая федерация парусного спорта: история и современность

International sailing sports body

World Sailing (WS) is the world governing body for the sport of sailing recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

The creation of the International Yacht Racing Union (IYRU) began in 1904, when Major Brooke Heckstall Smith AINA, then Secretary of the Yacht Racing Association (now the Royal Yachting Association) wrote to the Yacht Club de France, pointing out the desirability of holding a conference for the purpose of devising an International Rule of Measurement for Racing Yachts acceptable to all European countries. As a result, an International Conference of Yacht Measurement was held in London in January and June 1906, at which the Metre Rule was developed. This group went on to adopt a formal Constitution after a meeting at the Yacht Club de France in Paris on 14 October 1907 which is seen as the formation date of the International Yacht Racing Union. On 5 August 1996, the IYRU changed its name to the International Sailing Federation (ISAF). On 14 November 2015, ISAF changed its name to World Sailing.

Competitive sailing regatta contain events which are defined by a combination of discipline, equipment, gender and sometimes categories. These criteria are defined by the race purpose.

Common categories of equipment include the following: dinghies, multihulls, keelboats, sailing yacht, windsurfers, kiteboarding and radio controlled sailboats. Within these categories normally specific class or rating system are used.

The majority of sailing events are "open" events in which males and females compete together on equal terms either as individuals or part of team. Sailing has had female only World Championships since the 1970s to encourage participation and now host more than 30 such World Championship titles each year. For the 2016 Olympics, compulsory mixed gender in the event was added for the first time.

Like all sports federations, World Sailing is composed of "Member National Authorities" (MNA's) from over 140 countries all of whom have the right to make submissions to determine World Sailing's policies. Persons with a physical impairment who are interested to learn to sail are encouraged to locate their national World Sailing Member National Authority (MNA), Disabled Sports Organization, or visit the local sailing club, as World Sailing seeks to people with disabilities into the sport.

The federation recognizes over 80 classes which are each entitled to hold world championships.

Sailing as an equipment based sports allows one of the largest ranges of paralympians to compete under equal terms. Sailing was included for the first time in the Atlanta 1996 Paralympic Games program as a demonstration event. It became a full medal sport at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games up to 2020 were IPC removed sailing from the paralympic program. Work continues to get sailing reinstated for the 2028 Paralympics.

Sailing is a versatile sport that can accommodate many types of disability primarily because it is equipment based. Sailing is one of the few sports where disabled sailors compete on equal terms to able body sailors in a large section of the sport. Almost any boat can be sailed though some are more suitable for larger ranges of disabilities or specific categories of impairment. World Sailing is also responsible for disabled sailing worldwide under the guidance of its own brand Para World Sailing. The IFDS Foundation was dissolved during the 2015 Annual Conference in Sanya, China. The Disabled Sailing Committee then re branded as the Para World Sailing Committee.

World Sailing hold the following awards together with service medals.

The Beppe Croce Trophy is presented to an individual who has made an outstanding voluntary contribution to the sport of sailing. The roll of honour is an impressive one, including multiple Olympic medallists, rules gurus and designers, and all have dedicated an outstanding amount of time to the sport of sailing. Recipients are presented with a replica trophy.