Sailing at the

1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and also known as London 1948) were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, England, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus ca ...

in London consisted of a total of five sailing classes (disciplines). For each class, seven races were scheduled from 312 August 1948

Torquay Torquay ( ) is a seaside town in Devon, England, part of the unitary authority area of Torbay. It lies south of the county town of Exeter and east-north-east of Plymouth, on the north of Tor Bay, adjoining the neighbouring town of Paignton ...

Torbay Torbay is a borough and unitary authority in Devon, south west England. It is governed by Torbay Council and consists of of land, including the resort towns of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham, located on east-facing Tor Bay, part of Lyme ...

, on England's south coast. The sailing was done on the triangular type Olympic courses. The start was made in the center of a set of 8 numbered marks that were placed in a circle. During the starting procedure, the sequence of the marks was communicated to the sailors. By picking the mark that was most upwind, the start could always be made upwind. This system is, at least in certain German lakes, still in use. Great Britain's last surviving Gold Medal Champion from the 1948 Summer Olympics was

David Bond David Bond may refer to: * David P. Bond (author) (1951–2020),Journalist, historian and author * David Bond (sailor) (1922–2013), British sailor and Olympic Champion * David Bond (journalist), British sports journalist * David Bond (des ...

, who sailed for Great Britain in the Swallow Class.

Venue

As quoted from the official report, "Torquay was, perhaps, an inevitable choice as the venue. It is exposed only to easterly winds, which are rare in summer. Moreover, it is remarkably free from strong tides and currents and other navigational hazards, and thus there is nothing or next to nothing to be gained from the " local knowledge " which is so profitable in difficult waters." The sailing event a separate opening ceremony which took place in

, due to its distance from London. The opening was made by IOC chairman J. Sigfrid Edström. A course was created for the Dragon and 6 Metre. The Star and Swallow sailed a little more inshore on a course, while a course was set close to the coast for the Firefly. The closing ceremony was observed by 10,000 spectators. The medals were handed by Sir Ralph Gore, President of the

International Yacht Racing Union World Sailing (WS) is the world governing body for the sport of sailing recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). History The creation of the International Yacht Racing Union (IYRU) be ...

Competition

Overview

Continents

* Africa * Oceania * Europe * Americas

Countries

Classes (equipment)

Prior to 1948, sailing had been a gender-neutral sport where male and female competitors competed together. For the 1948 Games, the IOC decided the events should only be open to male sailors. This was the only time this happened until separate male and female events were introduced in some classes in the

1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...

= Male,

= Female, = Open

Medal summary

Medal table

Remarks

Sailing

* Modern techniques like hot-molded plywood in an

autoclave An autoclave is a machine used to carry out industrial and scientific processes requiring elevated temperature and pressure in relation to ambient pressure and/or temperature. Autoclaves are used before surgical procedures to perform sterilizat ...

, aluminum mast, booms and decks made their entrance in the Firefly. * The series was scheduled over the two Olympic weeks. Races 1–4 in each class were sailed from 3–6 August. Races 5–7 took place from 10 to 12 August. This was done so that boats could be overhauled after the first set of races. * Regarding the scoring system, per the official report, " e number of points awarded to each other competitor diminishes under a given formula, according to the placing of his boat at the finish." Advantages of this system are: ** Winning races is well-awarded, so sailors are likely to fight till the end of the race for each place. ** Fewer ties than with the point-for-place system. ** The score of the winner reflects the number of entries. * Together with the scoring system, it was introduced that each team could discard its worst result. * The courses were laid and patrolled by vessels of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

Sailors

During the Sailing regattas at the 1948 Summer Olympics, the following people (among others) competed in the various classes: * , the future designer of the Finn. * , the future designer of the Vaurien and the ''Herbulot''

spinnaker A spinnaker is a sail designed specifically for sailing off the wind on courses between a reach (wind at 90° to the course) to downwind (course in the same direction as the wind). Spinnakers are constructed of lightweight fabric, usually n ...

. * , who won eight consecutive European championships in the starboat class between 1949 and 1956. * , the oldest of the Sieburger-Salas "clan", a family that had 20 total entries in Olympic Sailing competitions. * , a two-time gold and silver medalist in the 6 Metre. * , spanned the longest period in Olympic sailing (1908–1948), in the 6 Metre. * , who, although he did not finish the first race, won his first of four consecutive gold medals in the Firefly. * , who became the first Australian to sail in the Olympic Games.