Olympics 2008 Sailing - Star Class Results

British crew Iain PERCY and Andrew SIMPSON won the final gold medal of the 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition after a thrilling finish to Thursday's Star Medal Race held at the Olympic Sailing Regatta, Qingdao, on 21st August 2008. Britain finished on 45 points, eight in front of the Brazilians and Swedes. The South Americans took silver by virtue of their better result in the medal race.



“This win is far more sweet than the gold in the Finn,” said PERCY. “Six months ago, we knew we could do. It’s just that there was so much work involved and there are so many talents in the class. We always knew we were contenders, but only contenders. Every morning we wake up thinking about sailing and nothing else.”


Below is a small video of the race –



Britain eventually finished fifth in the medal race, behind race winners Poland, but the crucial factor was that they finished ahead of Sweden.

The two boats were neck-and-neck for much of the race but Percy and Simpson, who started the race two points behind Sweden, did just enough to keep their noses in front as the pressure increased in the closing stages.




The trio’s first international foray, in the Laser Radial class, at the 1994 Worlds in Wakayama, Japan. Percy and Simpson managed a 5th at the Laser Worlds, which Ainslie was to win later, whilst both Ainslie and Percy were twice selected to the Youth Worlds.

GiiraYachts congratulates them on their achievement and wishes the winners all the best in their other competitions and hope for the same result in the next Olympics.
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Olympics 2008 Sailing - The STAR CLASS

The first one-design class, the Star has the best in technology and demands the best of racing skill, yet remains one of the most fun boats to sail anywhere.

Unlike most modern racing boats, it does not use a spinnaker when sailing downwind. Instead, when running downwind a whisker pole is used to hold the jib out to windward for correct wind flow.Design -
Designed in 1911 by Francis Sweisguth, it has proven to be a classic in every sense. It is the oldest Olympic class, having first been used in competition in 1932, and still at the heart of that competition today.

Supported by a worldwide association the Star as a class is one of the best organized in sailing, with over 7,500 yachts built over its 80 year history, and 2000-plus actively racing today. The Star is reached Worldwide in over 170 fleets by thousands of sailors.




Olympics -
The ten preliminary races are scheduled for the afternoons of August 15, 16, 17, 19, & 20. The final Medal Race is scheduled for the afternoon of 21 August 2008. 16 teams of two sailors each competed in this Star sailboat competition.

Quick Facts -

Crew Two
LOA 6,922 mm (22 ft 8.5 in)
LWL 4,724 mm (15 ft 6.0 in)
Beam 1,734 mm (5 ft 8.3 in)
Chine: 1,372 mm (4 ft 6.0 in)
Draft 1,016 mm (3 ft 4.0 in)
Hull weight (with fittings) 671 kg (1,480 lb)
Mast height (above deck) 9,652 mm (31 ft 8.0 in)
Main and Jib area 26.5 m² (285 sq ft)
Mainsail area 20.5 m² (221 sq ft)
Jib / Genoa area 6.0 m² (65 sq ft)
Official website - http://www.starclass.org/




About the boat
Adjustable Jib Leads
The four-way action of the deck-mounted jib leads allow you to carve the shape of the sail, keeping a good shape to match changing conditions.

Hiking Vest
A simple harness allows the crew to get his or her weight out of the boat more efficiently. Made legal by class rules in 1981, the vest must be equipped with a quick-release to ensure safe exit in an emergency. The vest eliminates alot of the exertion and gymnastics traditionally associated with extended periods of hiking.

Suction Bailers
Developed by Star sailor Duarte Bello, sailors quickly discovered that several strategically placed bailers can quickly and safely drain any excess water in the cockpit Most Stars generally have 4, two in the center of the cockpit, and two located near the chines.

Circular Boom Vang
Also developed by Duarte Bello for Stars, this innovation reached popularity in the 1960's, having proven to be a safe and efficient way to control the high loads of the long boom. This development later spread to other classes, among the 12-meters of America's Cup fame.

Whisker Pole
The simple sailplan utilizes a whisker pole to sail wing-on-wing off the wind, thus making the most of the generous sail area. Read more...