49er

Qingdao, China - The Olympic sailors were telling us that the conditions at Qingdao were going to be challenging, and every one of them was looking forward to testing their skills.  After today's racing, the proof that they were right is in the results.  The fluky winds and currents have combined as predicted: which is to say that they're unpredictable.  A puff of air, a sideways current, and suddenly the race completely changes.  With its quick acceleration and nimble ways, the peculiarity of the Qingdao Olympic sailing conditions are perhaps most evident on the 49er, where the slighte

It was 1996, and the call went out to find a new Olympic trampoline skiff for the 2000 Sydney Olympics.  With the committee seeking a fast, advanced boat, several designs were considered, but after a week of trials at Lake Garda, Julian Bethwaite's 49er rose to the top of the fleet, and the new Olympic 49er Class was born.

With just six months to go until the start of the 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition, it’s been an action-packed start to the sailing year. The 49er, 470, Finn and RSX classes have already held their World Championships, with the Lasers and Ynglings set to begin later this week, followed by the Tornados then the Laser Radials in March and finally the Stars in April.