The 2012 Olympics features ten events, six for men and four for women. The events are basically defined by the boats in which they are sailed.
For the men these include:
Men’s Laser – This is a one person dinghy and one of the most popular boats worldwide. The hull weighs 130 lbs. The men use the full rig which includes 76 square feet of sail. The laser was introduced during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
Men’s Finn - This is one person dinghy that is sailed only by men in the Olympics. It is heavy, with a hull weight of 320 lbs. Given the name, it is not surprising that this boat debuted in the 1952 Summer Olympics in Finland and has been in every summer Olympics since that time making it one of the most prolific Olympic Sailboats.
Men’s 470 - The 470 is a two person monohull dinghy. It is 470 centimeters in length. It has a spinnaker and one trapeze. The 470 was introduced in the 1976 Olympic Summer Games as an open class for both men and women. However in 1988 they separated them into separate events for men and women.
Men’s 49er -The 49er is a two-person twin trapeze skiff sailing dinghy. It was introduced in the Summer Olympics in Sydney in 2000 and has been in ever since.
Men’s Star – This is a 22.7 ft. keelboat for two people. The star was introduced in the Summer Olympic games of 1932. It was replaced in 1976 by the Tempest class. The 2012 Olympics may be the last time this boat is sailed in the Olympics as it is scheduled to be replaced in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016.
Men’s RS:X – This is the windsurf board that replaced the Mistral in the 2008 Summer Olympics. It weighs 34 lbs. and has a dagger board. For men the mast height is 17 feet and the sail area is 102 square feet.
For the Women the events include:
Women’s Laser Radial - This is a one person dinghy and is one of the most popular boats worldwide. The hull weighs 130 lbs. The women use a radial sail which is significantly smaller than the men’s sail. The laser radial was introduced during the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Women’s 470 - The 470 is a two person monohull dinghy. It is 470 centimeters in length. It has a spinnaker and one trapeze. The 470 was introduced in the 1976 Olympic Summer Games as an open class for both men and women. However in 1988 they separated them into separate events for men and women.
Women’s Elliott 6 m – This is a three person keelboat designed for match racing. The London Olympics this year will be the first time this boat is sailed in the Olympics.
Women’s RS:X - – This is the windsurf board that replaced the Mistral in the 2008 Summer Olympics. It weighs 34 lbs. and has a dagger board. For women the mast height is 16 feet and the sail area is 91 square feet.
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