Sailing
has been around since 1715. The biggest international sailing race is called
The America's Cup. It is named after the first yacht to win the competition in
1851, a 101 foot schooner named America.
At the Olympics there are two categories of races. One is fleet racing where all the boats race at once. The other is match racing where two boats race against each other at one time.
There are nine Olympic sailing categories. The sailing field is four waterways marked by buoys for the competitors compete in. Wind and weather are important factors in sailing.
In the list below the last word refers to kind of boat the racers will use.
- Windsurfer men / women - Mistral
- Single handed Dinghy women - Europe
- Single handed Dinghy men - Finn
- Single handed Dinghy - open - Laser
- Double-handed Dinghy men / women - 470
- Double-handed Dinghy open -49er
- Multihull open - Tornado (catamaran)
- Keelboat men - Star
- Keelboat women - Yngling
The Tornado is the fastest boat competing in the Olympics. It measures 6.09 meters (20 ft.) long and can reach speeds of 30 knots.
In the Olympics there are men's, women's, and mixed events. Sailing became an Olympic sport in 1900.
