© Oskar Kihlborg/volvo Ocean Race

The Cape Town in-port race during the 2005-’06 Volvo Ocean Race was sailed in winds from 20 to 35 knots. Spectators and sailors loved the thrilling conditions.

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Last month I talked about taking sailing to the next level in terms of participation and participation. With this in mind, one simple change will help more than any other: We need to stop waiting onshore whenever there are whitecaps on the course. The most effective way to make our sport look very average is to cancel racing on a beautiful, windy day.

Over the years sailors have become accustomed to sailing being canceled on breezy days. Designers and builders have responded with boats that are increasingly hard to sail in heavy air. And why not, if nobody ever sails on breezy days? This spiral has forced organizers to cancel at ever lower wind limits. Where did this start? Maybe it was the fragile, skinny aluminum masts popular toward the end of the IOR rule. I could pinpoint dozens of “technological advances” that helped this trend along.

This all came to a head as I waited for the 33rd America’s Cup to start in Valencia. I was excited to see if BMW Oracle Racing’s wing would beat Alinghi’s cat. But the wait was excruciating. And I was at home, on my couch. I can’t imagine what it was like for people who traveled to Valencia. Or the sponsors and the TV rights holders. The first cancellation was disappointing, but it appeared warranted. No wind is one thing. But when the racing was canceled on the second scheduled day because of “too much wind,” that’s when I’d had enough.

It’s time for participants and race organizers to re-calibrate what “windy” is and start sailing when the sheep are in the paddock [that’s Kiwi-speak for whitecaps]. This will force sailors to adapt to exciting wind speeds: thicken up the ropes, build sails to take the abuse, engineer boats and gear to take the increased loads, and train to handle heavy air. There’s nothing wrong with throwing in a reef every once and a while. The bar stories will get better, participation will increase, and television may come back to our sport and show it off as it deserves.