Olympic Games and Paralympic Games

The waters of Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour will play host to 10 exhilarating Sailing events during the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Olympic Sailing
29th July-11th August – Olympic Games

The waters of Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour will play host to 10 exhilarating Sailing events during the London 2012 Olympic Games. At London 2012, the different Olympic Sailing events for men and women will feature a variety of craft, from dinghies and keelboats to windsurfing boards. Each event consists of a series of races. Points in each race are awarded according to position, the winner receiving 1 point, the secondplaced finisher 2 points, and so on. Following a series of races, just those in the top ten places then compete in the medal race – for which the points are doubled.

Led by triple gold medal-winner Ben Ainslie CBE, Team GB has topped the Sailing medals table at the last three Olympic Games. British Sailors will be hoping to repeat the feat at London 2012, battling their rivals in Weymouth Bay.

Paralympic Sailing
1st-6th September – Paralympic Games

A total of 80 athletes will be sailing for gold in the waters of Weymouth. At the Paralympic Games, athletes compete in three mixed events: the Single- Person, Two-Person and Three-Person Keelboat competitions. The design of the keelboats used in Paralympic competition provides greater stability, and the boats have open cockpits to allow more room for the sailors. Classification is used to level the playing field where there are a variety of disability levels.
 

25/4/2012 11:25