Sailing


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Sailing was first in the Olympic programme at the Paris 1900 Games as an event for both men and women. The sport was left out of the St Louis 1904 Games because of problems transporting boats and equipment from Europe to inland America. It returned at London 1908, and has been part of all the Olympic Games since. The number and type of Sailing events has changed many times over the years, with different boats popular at different times. Windsurfing was introduced as a Sailing event at Los Angeles in 1984, and women had their own discipline from 1988. Before this they competed on equal terms with the men.

How to Play In Olympic Sailing competitors use technique, strategy, technology, strength and skill to guide their boat around a course, with the aim of crossing the finish line first. This involves setting the sails to get maximum power from wind. There will be 10 different classes in 2012, with separate events for men and women. Each event consists of a series of races. Currently competitors score points for their position in every race, with the winner getting one point, second getting two and so on. At the end of the competition, the individual or crew with the fewest points is declared the winner. The final race is known as the medal race and only involves the top 10 nations. It also scores double points. || include component="backlinks" page="Sailing" limit="10"