Tomorrow, the Olympic flame will be extinguished simultaneously at the National Stadium in Beijing and the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center, officially ending the Games of the XXIX Olympiad and bringing to a conclusion a remarkable journey for the sport of sailing.
SOME STATS
1) The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Sailing Competition brought together 400 of the world’s finest sailors racing in 272 boats representing 62 nations.
2) They demonstrated their talent to the world over the course of 117 races during 13 days of competition in 11 sailing events.
3) After years …

British crew Iain PERCY and Andrew SIMPSON won the final gold medal of the 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition after a thrilling finish to Thursday’s Star Medal Race held at the Olympic Sailing Regatta, Qingdao, on 21st August 2008. Britain finished on 45 points, eight in front of the Brazilians and Swedes. The South Americans took silver by virtue of their better result in the medal race.

“This win is far more sweet than the gold in the Finn,” said PERCY. “Six months ago, we knew we could do. It’s just that …

While Yin Jian nearly caused a riot when she won China’s first ever Olympic Sailing gold medal in a heart-stopping performance that had Chinese spectators screaming and waving flags…2008 world champion Tom Ashley of New Zealand won gold in the Men’s RS:X (Windsurfer) with 52 overall points, just one point better than second-place finisher Julien Bontemps of France!
Results for the RS:X Class Men & Women are in…
A roar went up from the fans lining the viewing wall just outside the venue when they realised Yin had won gold by …

The results for the Laser Class for men & women were surprising. While Goodison had quite a tricky and stressful time winning Gold from the Men’s category, amongst the women: Volungeviciute won silver but created Olympic history as the first Lithuanian sailor to win an Olympic medal!Findout the medalists & their experiences… Results here
Laser Men: Paul Goodison of Great Britain clinched gold in the Laser (Men’s One Person Dinghy) with a ninth finish in the medal race and an overall point total of 63, eight points ahead of Vasilij …

The Yngling Class Race came to a fabulous finish with some of the best finishing at the top of the class in these only-for-women sailboat races.
THE RACE AS IT HAPPENED
Two of the three on the British Yngling team — Sarah Ayton and Sarah Webb — defended their Yngling gold from 2004, with Pippa Wilson as third crew in Qingdao after she replaced Shirley Robertson of the Athens crew.
“When we crossed the line, the of three of us just looked at each other,” said Ayton, the British skipper.
“Words cannot put any …

And the results are out… The 49er results have been released and already there have been protests. The winners for the medal race are the Danish crew of Jonas WARRER and Martin IBSEN who have won the gold medal in the Skif.

Boat problem – Just as the race was about to start the Danish team was already in a deep soup. The Danish team lost their mast just as the race had began. The Race Committee protested the Danish 49er because they had sailed the Medal Race in a …

The Qingdao sun is definitely shining on team Australia in the 470 classes, with first places in both the Men’s event and Women’s Olympic event! It’s been a serious of slow, technical races so far – rewarding some and challenging others. Patience, at least at the Beijing Olympics, seems to be a winning virtue – so far.
Results here…
The key has certainly been patience and consistency for the Men’s event, with only two bullets shared among the top ten in all races. Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page of Australia have turned …

The first one-design class, the Star has the best in technology and demands the best of racing skill, yet remains one of the most fun boats to sail anywhere.
Unlike most modern racing boats, it does not use a spinnaker when sailing downwind. Instead, when running downwind a whisker pole is used to hold the jib out to windward for correct wind flow.Design -Designed in 1911 by Francis Sweisguth, it has proven to be a classic in every sense. It is the oldest Olympic class, having first been used in competition …

Considered as one of the fastest sailing boats the 49er is fast becoming a craze worldwide. The 49er class of boats which is an evolution of the International 14’s and Aussie 18’s is also a important part of the Olympics.

About the boat –
It is a double handed twin trapeze boat, meaning that it is sailed by a helm and a crew, the helm making many tactical decisions, as well as steering, and the crew doing most of the sail control. Designed by Julian Bethwaite, the 49er is an evolution of …

Probably the world’s most loved sailboat due to it’s nimbleness while handling, and ability to speed at lightning speeds, the Laser Class of sailboats is synonymous to professional youth sailing.
The Laser is one of the most popular single-handed dinghies in the world. By 2007, the number of boats produced exceeded 190,000. A commonly cited reason for its popularity is that it is robust and simple to rig and sail.
THE LASER CLASS
According the Laser Class Rules the boat may be sailed by either one or two people, though it is rarely …

In 1949, the Finnish Yachting Association started a design competition for the Helsinki (1952) Olympics. Rickard Sarby was the one who answered the call, he designed and then actually built the FINN but it was rejected by the committee.
Though the design was rejected by the association , it became instantly popular amongst the sailors. More FINNs were made and on water the boat use to beat other designed boats almost everytime . So, appearing in Helsinki in 1952, the FINN earned its first Olympics just like the sailors themselves, by …