Olympics Sailing

    The Olympic Games are the highest goal for many sportsmen and sportswomen, therefore Olympic sailing is somehow special. There are nine Olympic sailing classes in which sailors can compete. For at most 400 people and 270 sailboats have the rights to attend the Olympic Games, each country can only send one boat to a class.

    The Olympic disciplines and the corresponding classes in 2008:

    Men's wind-surf Neil Pryde RS-X Women's wind-surf Neil Pryde RS-X Men's single-handed dinghy Finn Women's single-handed dinghy Laser Radial Single-handed open Laser Men's double-handed dinghy 470 Women's double-handed dinghy 470 double-handed open 49er Multi-hull open Tornado Men's keelboat Star Women's keelboat Yngling

    Introduction to Olympic classes in 2008

    Laser Radial

    Laser Radial provides the unique opportunity of sailing the Worlds favourite Olympic singlehander to lightweight and youth sailors. Chosen by ISAF as the women youth class for all events up to 2006 and recognised by all leading nations as the stepping stone to the Olympics, the Radial is fast becoming the most competitive youth racing class with a full programme of national, International, ISAF and Class World Championships supported by Class and RYA coaching.

    The Radial is sailed by smaller adults and Master sailors who compete in Radial events at all levels in the full Laser racing programmes from Club to World Championships

    Based upon the same hull and equipment as the Laser, the Radial has a 19% smaller sail and different more flexible lower mast. Everything else is unchanged. The recommended weight range for Radial sailing is between 60kgs and 75kgs although the boat is being sailed competitively at below and above these weights.

    Finn

    The Finn was first sailed in 1952. It is the ultimate single-handed sailing machine that still ranks as the fastest non-trapeze International single-hander. The Finn is one of the few boats that require one athlete to be at the same time exceptionally fit and strong, outstanding in tactics and familiar with the techniques of sail and rig tuning.

    Laser

    World favorite single-hander was introduced in 1971. The Laser was designed as a recreational dinghy and originally known as the Weekender. Quickly the Laser established a status of the most competitive dinghy and it made its Olympic debut in 1996. It already was the biggest Olympic class in general.

    470 men and women

    The 470 class is one of the most widespread classes in the world. In 1976, this double-handed centerboard board was introduced for the first in the Olympic Games. The Pusan Games in 1986 saw the first women team participating in the 470 class. As it is an easy boat to handle, the 470 has become particularly popular with light-weighted sailors.

    Yngling

    This Olympic women's three-person keelboat was designed in 1961 by Jan Linge. The Yngling shares the Soling's sleek hull form, well-balanced rig, and the responsive helm. While the Yngling is not as fast as the Soling, it is quicker, and more nimble. It turns more quickly and in less distance, and the response better to crew weight trim adjustments. The Yngling can be described as an agreeable cross between a planning dinghy and a keelboat suitable for lighter crews. The Yngling will make its Olympic debt in 2004.

    Star

    The Star is the oldest Olympic class. Star was designed in 1911 and has been included in the Olympic program since 1932. After the Olympic in Atlanta the Star was excluded of the program, but late 1997 the IOC and the ISAF decided that the Star come back in Sydney.

    Neil Pryde RS-X

    The IOC has selected the Neil Pryde RS-X as the windsurfing equipment to be used at the 2008 Olympic Games. The main priority of the Neil Pryde RS-X is to ensure that the equipment used in the Olympics is both representative of the equipment used by most recreational windsurf today, and still performance orientated and fun in the potentially wide wind range of most Olympic regattas, ie. from 3-30 knots.

    Tornado

    The Tornado is the only Olympic class catamaran. Designed in 1966 in England, specially to be the Olympic class catamaran., the Tornado entered Olympic competition in 1976. In 2002, the Tornado was replaced by the so-called Tornado Sport. The platform remained the same, but a spinnaker and an extra trapeze for the helmsman were assed and the Tornado Sport was born. The multi-hull shape and relative large sail to a low weight ratio explain why the Tornado Sport is the fastest Olympic boat. It delivers exciting competition and challenge.

    49er

    In 1997 the ISAF Council adopted the 49er (two-people) as the "High Performance Open Dinghy" discipline. The 49er is a development of Sydney Eighteen-foot skiff and it is designed for high speed sailing. A speed over 25 knots is achievable. Strict one-design rules ensure the best sailors will win and the need for expensive research development by competitors.