Sailing at the Summer Olympics

• 1896: A regatta of sailing boats was on the program for 31 March 1896 (1896-03-31) in Athens. However this event had to be given up since there were no boats available from Greece and no foreign entries.
• 1900: Two venues were used to host the 1900 Sailing events. One in Meulan 20 May 1900 (1900-05-20) till 27 May 1900 (1900-05-27) for the inshore races on the river Seine. And one in Le Havre 1 August 1900 (1900-08-01) till 5 August 1900 (1900-08-05) for the Offshore races on the English Channel. In Meulan six classes were used over several days. About 55 boats and a little less than 150 sailors are documented, included the first female gold medalist Hélène de Pourtalès. In Le Havre two classes were used for the offshore event. About 10 boats made the competition. Crewmembers were not documented, just the owners and/or helmsmen.
• 1904: Sailing was not a part of the Olympic program.
• 1908: At the 1907 The Hague Conference of the IOC Ryde at the Isle of Wight was appointed to host the sailing regattas, for all classes, of the games of the IVth Olympiad. However, when there were only two British entries for the 12 Metre matches, and both yachts were located at the Firth of Clyde, the decision was made to use Hunters Quay as a second venue. In 1906 international meetings were organized to solve the problem of the differences in the performance of the different yachts. Finally in Paris, October 1907 the first International Rule was ratified. During the meeting in 1907 the IOC made the decision to use the International Rule classes for the Olympic regattas (6, 7, 8 and 12 Metre).
• 1912: When Sweden was assigned to host the 1912 Olympic Games two cities wanted to be the venue for the sailing program. Gothenburg and Stockholm. Gothenburg claimed that it was a much shorter passage for the overseas entries (about 525 nautical miles (972 km) less) than it was to Stockholm. Stockholm however got the sailing program because of then all Olympic events should be in the same vicinity. As specific location Nynäshamn, about 60 kilometres (37 mi) from Stockholm was chosen. Also the decision was made to use the International Rule classes again for the Olympic regattas (6, 8, 10 and 12 Metre).
• 1920: When Antwerp was assigned to host the 1920 Olympic Games, Ostend was appointed for the sailing contests. Ostend – "The Queen of the Belgian sea-side resorts" – offers fair condition for sailing on the North Sea. Although there are tidal conditions the current is reasonable predictable. Local knowledge does not have too much influence on the races. The wind conditions are also good for sailing. In the case of the 1920 Summer Olympic regatta's the prevailing breeze did not show. Most races had to be sailed under light air conditions. The competition was open for a total of sixteen classes. Two classes had a "No show".
• 1924: After the massive number of classes used four years earlier only three classes were selected for the 1924 Olympics. Again there was a one design class. The two other classes were construction classes of the International Metre type. Two locations were used: Meulan was the venue for the Olympic regatta's in the French National Monotype. The host club for the 1924 Olympic Sailing at Meulan was the Cercle de la Voile de Paris. The race conditions at Meulan during the Olympic regatta were not ideal. The light breeze during the first elimination series could hardly make the sailing interesting. Le Havre was the venue for the Olympic regattas for the 6 and 8 Metre. The host club for the 1924 Olympic Sailing at Le Havre was the Société des Régates du Havre. Due to the Easterly winds the courses at Le Havre were mostly reaches. Sailing a windward leg was not really tested. This however was more or less custom for that era. Furthermore, this was the first Olympic regatta were just one competing team per class per country was allowed.
• 1928: Like in the 1924 Olympics only three classes were chosen. There was the revival of the 12' Dinghy from the 1920 Olympics and again the proven 6 and 8 Metre classes. This Olympic sailing regatta can be considered as the first Olympic regatta with a high quality of racing since there were: Well selected classes that represented sailing; Sufficient competitors per class and good and fair sailing conditions. The only disadvantage was the daily passing of the Oranje Locks.

Over the years the classes used in the Olympic Sailing Program were replaced from time to time. This table shows this development:

Gender Criteria: Open events have no gender requirements where as mixed events require male and female competitors
Events Notes: Events in "()" Brackets were scheduled but did not take place and therefore not included in the totals

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More information Edition, Year ...

Edition	Year	Host	City	Sailing venue	Opening	Closing	View	Classes
I	1896	Greece	Athens	Piraeus	1-APR	1-APR		Cancelled
II	1900	France	Paris	Meulan	20-MAY	27-MAY		All, except ...
				Le Havre	1-AUG	5-AUG		10–20 ton
III	1904	United States	St. Louis	Not programmed
IV	1908	Great Britain	London	Ryde	27-JUL	29-JUL		6 Metre 7 Metre 8 Metre
				Hunter's Quay	11-AUG	12-AUG		12 Metre
V	1912	Sweden	Stockholm	Nynäshamn	19-JUL	22-JUL		All
VI	1916	Germany	Berlin	Probably not programmed
VII	1920	Belgium	Antwerp	Ostend	7-JUL	10-JUL		All, except...
				The Netherlands	SEP	SEP		Finals 12 foot dinghy
VIII	1924	France	Paris	Meulan	10-JUL	13-JUL		French National Monotype 1924
				Le Havre	21-JUL	26-JUL		6 Metre 8 Metre
IX	1928	Netherlands	Amsterdam	Durgerdam	2-AUG	9-AUG		All
X	1932	United States	Los Angeles	Port of Los Angeles	5-AUG[9]	12-AUG		All
XI	1936	Germany	Berlin	Kiel	4-AUG	16-AUG		All
XII	1940	Japan	Tokyo	Yokohama harbour	21-SEP	6-OCT		All Cancelled
		Finland	Helsinki	Program not made				Cancelled
XIII	1944	Olympics suspended
XIV	1948	Great Britain	London	Torquay	4-AUG	12-AUG		All
XV	1952	Finland	Helsinki	Harmaja	20-JUL	28-JUL		All
XVI	1956	Australia	Melbourne	Port Phillip Bay	26-NOV	5-DEC		All
XVII	1960	Italy	Rome	Naples	29-AUG	7-SEP		All
XVIII	1964	Japan	Tokyo	Enoshima	12-OCT	23-OCT		All
XIX	1968	Mexico	Mexico City	Acapulco	13-OCT	25-OCT		All
XX	1972	West Germany	Munich	Kiel	29-AUG	8-SEP		All
XXI	1976	Canada	Montreal	Kingston, Ontario	18-JUL	31-JUL		All
XXII	1980	Soviet Union	Moscow	Tallinn, Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic	21-JUL	29-JUL		All
XXIII	1984	United States	Los Angeles	Long Beach, California	31-JUL	8-AUG		All
XXIV	1988	South Korea	Seoul	Busan	20-SEP	27-SEP		All
XXV	1992	Spain	Barcelona	Barcelona	27-JUL	4-AUG		All
XXVI	1996	United States	Atlanta	Savannah, Georgia	22-JUL	2-AUG		All
XXVII	2000	Australia	Sydney	Sydney	17-SEP	30-SEP		All
XXVIII	2004	Greece	Athens	Athens	14-AUG	28-AUG		All
XXIX	2008	China	Beijing	Qingdao	9-AUG	21-AUG		All
XXX	2012	Great Britain	London	Weymouth and Portland	28-JUL	11-AUG		All
XXXI	2016	Brazil	Rio de Janeiro	Rio de Janeiro	8-AUG	18-AUG		All
XXXII	2020	Japan	Tokyo	Enoshima	25-JUL 2021	4-AUG 2021		All[10]
XXXIII	2024	France	Paris	Marseille	28-JUL	8-AUG		All

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Updated as of Paris 2024 Olympics.

More information Rank, Nation ...

Overall Medal Total by Nation

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	Great Britain	32	21	13	66
2	United States	19	23	20	62
3	Norway	17	11	5	33
4	France	15	15	21	51
5	Australia	14	9	8	31
6	Spain	14	5	3	22
7	Denmark	13	10	9	32
8	Sweden	10	15	14	39
9	Netherlands	10	9	11	30
10	New Zealand	9	9	7	25
11	Brazil	8	3	8	19
12	Italy	6	3	8	17
13	Austria	5	4	1	10
14	Soviet Union	4	5	3	12
15	Germany	3	5	7	15
16	China	3	3	2	8
17	Greece	3	2	3	8
18	Belgium	2	4	3	9
19	Finland	2	2	7	11
20	West Germany	2	2	3	7
21	East Germany	2	2	2	6
22	Israel	2	1	2	5
23	Mixed team	2	0	0	2
24	Argentina	1	5	5	11
25	Ukraine	1	2	2	5
26	Switzerland	1	2	1	4
27	Croatia	1	2	0	3
28	Poland	1	1	3	5
29	United Team of Germany	1	1	1	3
30	Bahamas	1	0	1	2
31	Hong Kong	1	0	0	1
32	Canada	0	3	6	9
33	Slovenia	0	3	1	4
34	Portugal	0	2	2	4
35	Japan	0	2	1	3
36	Cyprus	0	2	0	2
	Ireland	0	2	0	2
38	Hungary	0	1	1	2
	Russia	0	1	1	2
40	Cuba	0	1	0	1
	Czech Republic	0	1	0	1
	Lithuania	0	1	0	1
	Netherlands Antilles	0	1	0	1
	Virgin Islands	0	1	0	1
45	Estonia	0	0	2	2
46	Peru	0	0	1	1
	Russian Empire	0	0	1	1
	Singapore	0	0	1	1
Totals (48 entries)		205	197	190	592

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This table is based upon the names of the sailors who are documented in the Official Olympic Reports.

The last column shows the total number of competitors sent from each country.

More information Nation, Years ...

Nation	96	00	04	08	12	20	24	28	32	36	48	52	56	60	64	68	72	76	80	84	88	92	96	00	04	08	12	16	20	24	Years
Netherlands Antilles																					1	2	2	1							6
Algeria																												3	2	1	5
Andorra																						2	3								5
Angola																						3						3	2	3	8
Antigua and Barbuda																				1	1	5	1	1					1	1	10
Argentina							6	5		11	18	14	6	9	6	6	9	4		8	11	7	10	11	11	10	8	13	11	7	194
Aruba																						1						3		2	4
American Samoa																							2						2		4
Australia									1		3	6	10	13	11	11	13	12		13	13	13	16	18	18	17	13	11	11	12	223
Austria								1		1	5	3	1	7	3	3	12	9	5	10	8	13	6	5	7	11	8	8	8	9	134
Bahamas												7	3	11	8	6	8	1		3	2	2	3								54
Barbados																				2	4	5	2	1		1					15
Belgium				3		14	9	6		3	12	4	1	3	1	3	4	3		1		5	3	4	4	3	3	4	4	8	97
Bermuda													3	9	4	4	7	6		3	2	7	4	3	5		2	2		1	61
Burma													2	3																	5
Belarus																							6	4	1	4	2	2	2		21
Botswana																				1											1
Brazil										1	7	6	2	5	5	5	10	8	12	12	16	17	14	12	14	12	9	15	13	12	195
Bahrain																							4		1						5
Bulgaria																			5					1	2	1	2				11
British West Indies														2																	2
Cambodia															3																3
Canada							1		13	1	5	11	7	11	11	11	10	10		13	15	17	16	9	11	14	11	9	9	6	215
Cayman Islands																		2		2		3	7	1				1		1	16
Ceylon																1															1
Chile										1										5	3	1	1		1	1	3	9		2	25
China																				4	5	3	5	4	4	18	9	8	13	13	73
Colombia																		2								1	2	1		1	6
Cook Islands																							1	1			1	2			5
Croatia																						3	3	4	4	10	12	8	4	6	48
Cuba							3				2	3	2	2					3				2	2							19
Cyprus							1												5		2	2	3	2	3	4	2	2	4	4	30
Czech Republic								1															2	2	4	4	4	3	1	3	21
Denmark					3		4	5		7	13	7	4	9	9	11	11	8	9	8	14	16	11	12	14	6	13	11	8	9	213
Djibouti																					1	1	2								4
Dominican Republic																				1						1					2
Ecuador																							1								1
Egypt																				1							1	1	2	2	5
El Salvador																3												1	1	1	5
Spain							4	6	1		4	1		11	1	8	7	8	7	8	16	17	16	17	18	16	14	14	15	13	209
Estonia								5		1												4	4	4	1	2	5	5	2	2	33
Fiji													1							4	5	4	6	1					1	2	22
Finland					27		1	1		12	14	14	3	9	5	3	7	8	7	5	5	8	8	10	4	9	11	8	5	4	184
France		451		3	3	3	9	13	3	14	17	9	7	11	3	9	11	10		11	13	17	13	12	18	18	16	15	14	14	723
Great Britain		73		41		6	6	8	3	14	13	14	11	11	9	11	13	12		13	15	17	16	16	18	18	16	15	15	14	404
Georgia																							2								2
Germany		12						6	1																						19
Germany										14																					14
Germany												14																			14
United Team of Germany													8	11	11																30
East Germany																8	11	6	12		9										46
West Germany																11	13	12		13	15										64
Germany																						15	15	17	17	12	12	12	10	14	110
Greece											4	3	1	8	4	6	6	6	4	7	8	9	14	11	18	12	11	7	8	4	147
Guatemala																		2	1	1			1			1	2	1	2	1	11
Guam																					2	2	3	1							8
Hong Kong															4	5	4			1	4	4	7	2	2	2	2	2	3	5	42
Hungary								6		1				5	1	4	5	1	7		3	8	12	6	7	3	3	5	4	2	81
Independent Olympic Athletes																											1				1
India														2			3			2	2	2			2	1			4	2	18
Indonesia														3		3					2		1	1	1	1					12
Ireland											5	1	1	6	4		8	6	2	1	5	5	10	4	9	6	8	6	3	4	90
Iceland																				2	2			1	1						6
Israel																	2	2		5	4	5	5	6	6	7	7	6	5	8	60
Virgin Islands																3	8	6		9	6	7	2	2	1	1	2	1			48
Italy							8	12	1	14	15	14	11	11	10	8	10	12	6	11	15	13	16	18	18	18	11	13	9	12	274
British Virgin Islands																				5	1	3	1							1	10
Jamaica															3	5	3					2	2	2							17
Japan										3		1		6	11		3	5		8	13	7	10	10	10	9	9	11	15	7	131
Kenya														3	1																4
Kyrgyzstan																											1				1
South Korea																				1	10	3	5	5	4	4	4	4	4	1	44
Kuwait																														1	1
Latvia								1														2	2	2	1			1			9
Saint Lucia																							1				1	1	2	1	5
Lebanon														3																	3
Lithuania																						2		1	1	1	3	2	2	2	12
Luxembourg																										1					1
Morocco														1										1							2
Malaysia																							1	1	1	1	1	2	4	2	11
Mexico														2	11	11	6	3		6	4	3	2	4	3	3	3	3	4	2	68
Malta														3						1	1	2	2	1	1						11
Montenegro																											1	1	1	1	3
Monaco							1	1				2		3				3			2						1				13
Mozambique																													3	1	3
Mauritius																						1								2	1
Netherlands		9				8	4	12	3	8	8	9		6	6	6	5	9	12	8	12	14	12	9	14	12	11	11	10	11	218
Norway				5	18	59	9	10		14	13	12	6	9	9	11	13	6		7	7	14	8	9	8	9	6	6	8	5	276
New Zealand													4	3	3	3	9	8		11	13	17	16	18	12	9	15	12	10	12	163
Oman																				1											1
Pakistan																				6	2	2									10
Paraguay																							1			1					2
Peru																								1	1	1	1	2	5	3	11
Philippines														3	3	1	3	3		1	2	4									20
Papua New Guinea																					1	1							2		4
Poland							1			6						3	11	1	12		2	4	6	9	9	11	11	7	9	10	102
Portugal							1	6		3	9	9	5	11	6	8	6	2		3	3	8	9	9	7	8	13	5	5	4	136
Puerto Rico															1	6	5	9		6	3	4	3	2	3				2	1	44
Qatar																					1		1								2
Rhodesia														2	3																5
Romania																			5				2							1	8
South Africa							1	1	3		1	4	5	3								11	5	2	1	3	2	3	3		48
Russian Empire					17																										17
Soviet Union												14	10	11	11	11	13	12	12		15										109
Unified Team																						14									14
Russia																													6		6
Russia																							12	12	13	10	10	7			64
Samoa																													1	2	1
Senegal																				1											1
Seychelles																						1	2	3	1	1		3	1		12
Singapore													5	3						1	2	2	4	3	1	6	2	10	4	2	43
Slovenia																						3	5	5	7	6	4	3	3	6	36
San Marino																				1	1		1								3
Sri Lanka																				2				1							3
Switzerland		9					1	1		6	13	11		11	7	9	10	6	8	9	9	10	5	8	8	9	6	9	6	7	171
Slovakia																							4	1	1	1				1	7
Sweden				13	41	11	4	11	7	15	15	14	7	11	11	8	13	12	10	13	15	15	15	17	10	11	14	7	9	8	329
Czechoslovakia										1					1		1		3			3									9
Thailand													2	2	4	4	3	2		1	1	2	1	3	1	2	3	4	3	4	38
Chinese Taipei																	1			2			3	1		1	1	1			10
Trinidad and Tobago															2		2			1							1	1	1		8
Tunisia																						1			1		1	4	4		11
Turkey										3				1	3					2	2	2	5	4	5	6	5	6	8	8	52
United Arab Emirates																										1					1
Ukraine																							12	11	10	6	4	3			46
Uruguay										1	4	1		3		1				3	5	3	2	1	2	1	2	4	3	3	36
United States		16						11	22	14	16	19	12	10	11	11	13	12		13	15	17	16	18	18	18	16	15	13	113	326
Venezuela														2	3	4				2	1		1	1	1	3	2	2	1		23
Yugoslavia										1		3		3		2	3	1	3	1											17
Zimbabwe																			3	1	1										5
Mixed team		9																													9
Sailors		579		65	110	101	74	129	58	169	216	230	140	287	223	247	315	250	153	298	373	442	458	402	400	400	380	380	350		7229
Sailors – Male		577		63	110	101	73	127	58	166	216	228	140	287	223	247	315	250	153	296	330	360	358	308	261	261	237	257	175		6177
Sailors – Female		2		2	0	0	1	2	0	3	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	43	82	100	94	139	139	143	123	175		1052
Sailors – First Games
Countries		7		5	6	6	19	22	11	26	23	29	28	47	40	40	42	40	23	60	60	68	78	69	61	62	63	66	64		39 Mean
New countries		7		3	3	0	10	5	1	8	2	3	7	11	5	5	2	3	3	14	5	11	12	1	0	2	3	1	3		130
Events Held		13		4	4	14	3	3	4	4	5	5	5	5	5	5	6	6	6	7	8	10	10	11	11	11	10	10	10		195 Gold Medals
Boats		162		13	20	6	32	41	23	59	75	93	71	138	109	123	151	127	83	171	214	271	312	273	268	272	273	274	250		3904
Average class size		10		3.3	6	1.7	10.3	13.7	5.8	14.8	15	18.6	14.2	27.6	21.8	24.6	25.17	21.17	13.83	24.43	26.75	27.1	31.2	24.82	24.36	24.73	27.3	27.4	25		19 Mean
Average team size		1.3		5	4.6	4.3	2.3	3.3	2.3	2.9	2.9	2.4	2.2	6.11	5.58	6.18	7.5	6.25	6.65	4.97	6.22	5.15	5.87	5.83	6.56	6.45	6.03	5.76	5.47		5 Mean

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