Sailing/Yachting is an Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad (1896 Olympics in Athens, Greece). With the exception of 1904 and possibly the cancelled 1916 Summer Olympics, sailing has always been included on the Olympic schedule. The Sailing program of 2008 consisted of a total of nine sailing classes (eleven disciplines). Eleven races are scheduled for each event except for the 49er class, for which 16 races are scheduled from 9 August 2008 to 21 August 2008 of the coast of the Qingdao International Sailing Centre facing the Yellow Sea. Of the 11 (16) races, 10 (15) are scheduled as opening races and one as a medal race. The sailing was done on four different types of courses.
Venue
According to the IOC statutes the contests in all sport disciplines must be held either in, or as close as possible to the city which the IOC has chosen. Among others, an exception is made for the Olympic yachting events, which customarily must be staged on the open sea. On account of this principle, Qingdao was selected for the honor to carry out the Olympic yachting regattas. For that purpose the Qingdao International Sailing Centre was constructed.
Course areas A total of five race areas were set on the Yellow Sea of the coast of Qingdao. The location points to the center of the 0.6 nm radius circle for course area A & B and to a 0.75 nm radius circle for course area's C D and E.
Competition
Overview ContinentsCountriesClassesBoatsMaleFemale 6 62 11 272 261 139
Continents Africa Asia Oceania Europe North America South America
Countries
Classes (equipment) Class Type Event Sailors Trapeze Mainsail Jib/Genoa Spinnaker First OG Olympics so far RS:X Sailboard 1 - + - - 2008 1 RS:X Sailboard 1 - + - - 2008 1 Laser Radial Dinghy 1 - + - - 2008 1 Laser Dinghy 1 - + - - 1996 4 Finn Dinghy 1 0 + – – 1952 15 470 Dinghy 2 1 + + + 1988 6 470 Dinghy 2 1 + + + 1976 9 49er Dinghy 2 2 + + + 2000 3 Tornado Multihull 2 2 + + + 1976 9 Yngling Keelboat 3 0 + + + 2004 2 Star Keelboat 2 0 + + – 1932 17
Race schedule ● Opening ceremony ● Practice race ● Race ● Medal race ● Closing ceremony Date August7Thu8Fri9Sat10Sun11Mon12Tue13Wed14Thu15Fri16Sat17Sun18Mon19Tue20Wed21Thu22Fri23Sat24Sun Women'sPractice race Men'sMixed ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Women'sSeries Men'sMixed 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 Women'sMedal races Men'sMixed ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Total gold medals 2 1 2 2 2 2 Ceremonies ● ●
Medal summary
Women's events
2008: Women's RS:X China (CHN)Yin Jian Italy (ITA)Alessandra Sensini Great Britain (GBR)Bryony Shaw
2008: Laser Radial United States (USA)Anna Tunnicliffe Lithuania (LTU)Gintarė Volungevičiūtė China (CHN)Xu Lijia
2008: Women's 470 Australia (AUS)Elise RechichiTessa Parkinson Netherlands (NED)Marcelien de KoningLobke Berkhout Brazil (BRA)Fernanda OliveiraIsabel Swan
2008: Yngling Great Britain (GBR)Sarah AytonSarah WebbPippa Wilson Netherlands (NED)Mandy MulderAnnemieke BesMerel Witteveen Greece (GRE)Sofia BekatorouVirginia KravariotiSofia Papadopoulou
Men's events
2008: Men's RS:X New Zealand (NZL)Tom Ashley France (FRA)Julien Bontemps Israel (ISR)Shahar Tzuberi
2008: Laser Great Britain (GBR)Paul Goodison Slovenia (SLO)Vasilij Žbogar Italy (ITA)Diego Romero
2008: Men's 470 Australia (AUS)Nathan WilmotMalcolm Page Great Britain (GBR)Nick RogersJoe Glanfield France (FRA)Nicolas CharbonnierOlivier Bausset
2008: Star Great Britain (GBR)Iain PercyAndrew Simpson Brazil (BRA)Robert ScheidtBruno Prada Sweden (SWE)Fredrik LööfAnders Ekström
Open events
2008: Finn Great Britain (GBR)Ben Ainslie United States (USA)Zach Railey France (FRA)Guillaume Florent
2008: 49er Denmark (DEN)Jonas WarrerMartin Kirketerp Spain (ESP)Iker Martínez de LizarduyXabier Fernández Germany (GER)Jan-Peter PeckoltHannes Peckolt
2008: Tornado Spain (ESP)Antón PazFernando Echávarri Australia (AUS)Darren BundockGlenn Ashby Argentina (ARG)Santiago LangeCarlos Espínola
Medal table
See also Sailing at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
Further reading
References
Sources