Olympics 2008 Sailing : Yngling Class Results

The Yngling Class Race came to a fabulous finish with some of the best finishing at the top of the class in these only-for-women sailboat races.



THE RACE AS IT HAPPENED

Two of the three on the British Yngling team — Sarah Ayton and Sarah Webb — defended their Yngling gold from 2004, with Pippa Wilson as third crew in Qingdao after she replaced Shirley Robertson of the Athens crew.

"When we crossed the line, the of three of us just looked at each other," said Ayton, the British skipper.


"Words cannot put any kind of meaning on it. " she said. "You just know that you're the best in the world at what you do."

Their victory came in Olympic sailing's first use of a medal race. The top 10 boats in a series of preliminary races advance to the medal final, which counts double in determining each boat's total score.

Going into the race, which was postponed from Saturday because the winds failed, the British women had a one-point lead on the Dutch team of Mandy Mulder, Annemieke Bes and Merel Witteveen. However, the final race turned into a battle between the British and the German trio of Ulrike Schuemann, Ute Hoepfner and Julia Bleck.

The British led the first two legs, surfing downwind in the choppy Yellow Sea with their spinnaker, only to be passed by the Germans on the third. On the final leg, the British fought back, and crossed the line seven seconds ahead of Germany, to win both the medal race and the gold medal. The Germans ended as No. 4 overall.

The Dutch, which had been the only team in a position to challenge the British crew, were No. 5 in the 10-boat fleet, a finish that secured them the silver.

"This is my first Olympic medal, but it is a pity that we didn't beat (Britain)," said Bes, of the Dutch boat.

The Greek trio of Sofia Bekatorou, who won the 470 class gold in Athens, Sofia Papadopoulou and Virginia Kravarioti finished third in the medal race to snatch the bronze in the close race with the rest of the fleet.

"We feel great for the 10 million Greeks back home," Bekatorou said about bronze.
(SOURCE)

OVERALL STANDINGS

GOLD - The Great Britain Team consisting of Sarah AYTON, Sarah WEBB and Pippa WILSON.


SILVER - The Netherlands Team consisting of Mandy MULDER, Annemieke BES and Merel WITTEVEEN.

BRONZE - The Greece Team consisting of Sofia BEKATOROU, Sofia PAPADOPOULOU and Virginia KRAVARIOTI.
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Olympics 2008 Sailing : The YNGLING Class

From all the classes (eight in totality) that are being raced at the Olympics 2008 in Beijing, the Yngling (pronounced 'ING-ling') is probably one of the most quickest, and safest at the same time.


The Yngling is a type of sailboat that the International Yngling Association calls an "agreeable cross between a planing dinghy and a keelboat." Its design is classic, and its construction is durable.

THE YINGLING

It was designed in 1967 by Jan Herman Linge; it was adopted as an international class in May 1979.


Linge wanted to build a keelboat for his young son, and thus named it Yngling, the Norwegian word for "youngster".

Those familiar with the Soling will instantly recognize the Yngling as a "mini-Soling," a description which is quite apt.

CHARACTERISTICS

1) Crew : 2–3
2) LOA (Length OverAll) : 20.8’
3) Beam : 5'6"
4) Draft : 3' 5"
5) Hull Weight (with fittings) : 1422 lb

While the Yngling is not as fast as the Soling, it is quicker, and more nimble. It turns more quickly and in less distance, and responds better to crew weight trim adjustments.


The Yngling has a mainsail, a jib and a spinnaker. Compared to the Laser (a much more common boatclass), it has a lot more beam and rarely capsizes, making it a "friendly" boat. It got the ISAF International Class status in 1979, and was chosen as the Olympic Women's Keelboat for 2004 and 2008.

AT THE OLYMPICS

A sailing class to look out for at the Olympics as well as a worldwide hit with "youngsters" of all ages for its nimble speed, it weighs in at a mere 1,422 pounds.

This is a 3-person boat in the Olympics, and an incredible excercise in teamwork.


To be sailed only by women at the Olympics, the Yngling races are bound to be full of grit and emotions.

For the Race Schedule, click here.
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