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Sailing

Until recently, Olympic sailing was called yachting. The first boats designed solely for pleasure and sport were commissioned by the Dutch in the seventeenth century. The word yacht is an English derivation of the Dutch word “haght,” meaning the small, fast cargo boats used in Holland during the fifteenth century.

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Classes

  • Finn — The Finn uses a centerboard dinghy and a one-man crew. Boats are assigned at random, but the helmsman provides his own sail and mast.
  • Tornado—The Tornado is a two-man catamaran, the fastest of all Olympic classes. Contributing to its speed is the large sail area and low weight.
  • 470 — The 470 is a two-man fiberglass craft that is 15.4 feet (470 cm) long. Like the Flying Dutchman, it uses a centerboard dinghy and a trapeze.
  • 49er — The 49er is the newest class to race in the Olympics, having made its debut in the 2000 Sydney Games. The 49er has a two-man crew and is known for its speed.
  • Laser — The Laser is a fast, lightweight, one-person sailboat. The Laser debuted at the 1996 Atlanta games and is an open class, allowing both men and women to compete.
  • Mistral — The Mistral replaced the Lechner Division II Sailboard after the 1996 Atlanta games. These sailboards are made of fiberglass, measure 12 feet 2 inches long, weigh 34.2 pounds, and have a sail area of 79.6 square feet.
  • Soling — The Soling is a keelboat and is the longest and heaviest of the classes. It is the only three-handed sailboat in Olympic competition.
  • Star — The Star class is a long, shallow boat with an enormous 285-square-foot (26.5 sq m) sail area. It’s tough to sail in heavy seas and requires its crew to be strong and fit.
  • Europe — The Europe is the only single-handed women’s Olympic boat and is considered very difficult to handle. The boat is adjustable to the sailor’s height, weight, and experience.

Competition
Each sailing event is a series of races, called a regatta. There are some exclusively for men, some for women, and some open to both. The boats race either a windward return, a race starting into the wind and then returning to the start with the wind, or the trapezoidal course, which is a four-leg course starting and finishing in different places.

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Portions of the above text were excerpted from Share the Olympic Dream--Volume II.
© 2001 by Griffin Publishing Group/United States Olympic Committee.

For information on purchasing Griffin materials, please visit the Griffin Publishing Group Web site at http://www.griffinpublishing.com.

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