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Link to original content: http://web.archive.org/web/20180323130605/https://www.olympic.org/sailing
Sailing - Summer Olympic Sport
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Sailing

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Sailing is the art of moving a boat by harnessing the power of wind. Mastery over ever-changing conditions requires both great skill and experience.

America’s Cup

International yacht racing began in 1851 when a syndicate of members of the New York Yacht Club built a 101-foot schooner named America. The yacht was sailed to England where it won a trophy called the Hundred Guineas Cup in a race around the Isle of Wight. The trophy was renamed The America's Cup and remained in the hands of the United States until 1983, when an Australian yacht finally brought to an end the New York Yacht Club’s 132-year winning streak.

Evolving design

Sailing was first contested as an Olympic sport at the 1900 Paris Games. Since then, the classes of boats allowed to compete have continually evolved to reflect advances in yacht design and technology. Equipment advances over the past 20 years have created a trend towards smaller and lighter craft, placing ever greater demands on both the athletic and technical capacities of the sailors.

Class rules

The sport is organised under a single set of rules for racing published by World Sailing. Olympic racing is now conducted with boats categorised into one-design classes based on similar weights and measurements.

Fleet racing and match racing

Races are sailed in what is known as a fleet racing format: fleets of equally-matched boats racing around the same course area at the same time. Courses are designed to incorporate a variety of different sailing angles: upwind, downwind and reaching.

There are two new additions for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The 49erFX skiff has been introduced for women’s sailors and a mixed multihull for male and female sailors to compete side by side.

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Sailing - 49er Women
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Sailing - 49er Women

Martine Grael of Brazil and Kahena Kunze of Brazil are carried ashore as they celebrate winning gold in the Women's Sailing 49er FX class at the Marina da Gloria on Day 13 of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games on August 18, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
RIO 2016 , Sailing , 49er FX , Women , Brazil
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Sailing - 49er Men
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Sailing - 49er Men

Nathan Outteridge of Australia and Iain Jensen of Australia compete on their way to winning the silver in the Men's Sailing 49er class at the Marina da Gloria on Day 13 of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games on August 18, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
RIO 2016 , Sailing , 49er - Skiff , Men , OUTTERIDGE, Nathan , Australia
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Sailing - Finn Men
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Sailing - Finn Men

Giles Scott of Great Britain and Caleb Paine of the United States compete in the Finn class on Day 11 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Marina da Gloria on August 16, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
RIO 2016 , Sailing , Finn - One Person Dinghy (Heavyweight) , Men , Great Britain , United States of America
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Sailing - Nacra 17 Mixed
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Sailing - Nacra 17 Mixed

(L-R) Silver medalists Jason Waterhouse of Australia and Lisa Darmanin of Australia, gold medalists Santiago Lange of Argentina and Cecilia Carranza Saroli of Argentina, and bronze medalists Thomas Zajac of Austria and Tanja Frank of Austria celebrate on the podium for the Nacra 17 Mixed class on Day 11 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Marina da Gloria on August 16, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
RIO 2016 , Sailing , Nacra 17 , mixed , Australia , Argentina , Austria
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Sailing - 470 Women
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Sailing - 470 Women

(L-R) Silver medalists Jo Aleh of New Zealand and Polly Powrie of New Zealand, gold medalists Hannah Mills of Great Britain and Saskia Clark of Great Britain, and bronze medalists Camille Lecointre of France and Helene Defrance of France celebrate following the Women's Sailing 470 race at the Marina da Gloria on Day 13 of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games on August 18, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
RIO 2016 , Sailing , 470 - Two Person Dinghy , Women , New Zealand , ALEH, Jo , Great Britain , France
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Sailing - 49er Men
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Sailing - 49er Men

(L-R) Silver medalists Nathan Outteridge of Australia and Iain Jensen of Australia, gold medalists Peter Burling of New Zealand and Blair Tuke of New Zealand, and bronze medalists Erik Heil of Germany and Tom Pelsmaekers of Belgium celebrate following the Men's Sailing 49er class race at the Marina da Gloria on Day 13 of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games on August 18, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
RIO 2016 , Sailing , 49er - Skiff , Men , Australia , OUTTERIDGE, Nathan , New Zealand , BURLING, Peter , Germany , Belgium
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