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Tuesday, September 19
Sailing Fan Guide
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IN THE CROSSHAIRS |
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ESPN.com puts Olympic sailing In the Crosshairs with our interactive fan guide feature. Check out each sport's fan guide for more In the Crosshairs looks at the Olympic sports.
Sailing in the Crosshairs
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Olympic competition dates: Sept. 17-30
Venue: Sailing Marina, Rushcutters Bay with racing on Sydney Harbour
The outlook
Sailing will perhaps have the most spectacular setting of
any sport at the Olympics, with the Opera House and the Harbour
Bridge providing backdrops to the competition on Sydney Harbour.
American sailors attempt to make up for their embarrassing
performance in their home waters at Savannah, Ga., in 1996, when
they won only two bronze medals. The American with the strongest
chance for a gold medal is 44-year-old Mark Reynolds of San Diego,
who heads into his fourth Olympics after winning the Star class
world championship. He won the gold medal in Barcelona in 1992 and
the silver in Seoul in 1988, but is coming off a disappointing
eighth in 1996.
Nine gold medalists return, including Soling skipper Jochen
Schumann, who has won three gold medals dating to 1976, and Brazil's
Torben Grael, the tactician for Italy in the recent America's Cup.
Rod Davis, who will represent New Zealand in the Soling, has won
Olympic medals for the United States and New Zealand, and has
sailed for the United States, New Zealand and Australia in the
America's Cup. He was Italy's coach in the recent America's Cup.
The finer points
Yachts: The Europe is an 11-foot, single-handed, cat-rigged centerboard dinghy, a smaller version of the Finn. It is suited for smaller sailors, and thus is sailed as a women's event at the Olympics. The 470 is a 15-foot, 5-inch, two-handed, sloop-rigged centerboard dinghy. The rigging includes trapeze hardware for hiking out, and its inventory of sails includes a spinnaker. Women and men compete in separate events.
The laser is a 13-foot, 11-inch, single-handed, cat-rigged centerboard dinghy. Competition is open to men and women. The mistral IMCO (International Mistral Class Organization) is a 12-foot, 2-inch windsurfer or sailboard. The single sailor stands on what is essentially a surfboard, to which the sail is attached at a single point by means of a flexible boom. Control of the boat is achieved by manipulating the sail and shifting body weight on the board; there is no rudder. Separate men's and women's events are held.
The soling is a 26-foot, 11-inch, three-handed, sloop-rigged keelboat. It is the largest and heaviest boat in the Olympic fleet and carries a spinnaker for downwind legs. Soling competition is open to men and women. The star is a 22-foot, 8-inch, two-handed, sloop-rigged keelboat. Competition is open to men and women.
Finally, the tornado is a 20-foot, two-handed, sloop-rigged catamaran and can reach speeds up to 30 miles an hour. The event is open to men and women.
Olympic debut: The 49er is a 16-foot double-handed, high-performance dinghy. Of Australian design, it will make its first appearance at the Games. Competition is open to men and women.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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