Sailing > News & Features

The Court of Arbitration for Sport allowed Denmark to keep its gold medal from 49er skiff sailing Saturday by dismissing a protest from Spain and Italy over the Danes completing the Olympic final in a boat borrowed from the Croatian team.

After nearly two weeks of racing at the Olympic venue, Britannia really did rule the waves off Qingdao, with its best haul of the sailing medals in a century.

The Olympic committees of Spain and Italy have filed a new appeal of Denmark's gold medal in 49er skiff sailing, demanding that the team be disqualified for switching boats just before their final race started, the Court of Arbitration for Sport announced Thursday.

Spain's Fernando Echavarri and Anton Paz have won the Olympic sailing gold medal in the fast Tornado catamaran class.

Yin Jian won China's first-ever sailing gold meda, claiming the gold medal by just one point overall in women's RS:X after Wednesday's medal race. In the men's class, New Zealander Tom Ashley won gold.

QINGDAO, China (AP) - A sailing jury rejected a new Spanish-Italian protest Tuesday against the 49er class gold medal that was given to Denmark, saying its decision on earlier protests was correct and stands. The dispute delayed the 49er medals ceremony by a day.

Denmark's Jonas Warrer and Martin Kirketerp Ibsen were awarded the gold medal in the 49er skiff class Monday after a jury rejected a protest over a broken mast, a borrowed boat and capsized vessels in rough waters of the Yellow Sea.

One day, boats were bobbing around on the water like corks, with no wind to move them at the Olympic sailing venue. The next day, some were cart-wheeling in the gale force winds and heavy waves, or seeming almost to fly over the water with their spinnakers bulging.

With three medal races on the docket, the Olympic Sailing Center in Qingdao was rife with robust winds and waves on Day 9, setting the stage for an emotional rollercoaster that few will forget.

Britain's Ben Ainslie won his third-straight Olympic sailing gold with a commanding win in Sunday's final Finn class 'medal race.'

British skipper Sarah Ayton and her crew of Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson won the first gold medal of the Beijing Games' sailing competition at the Olympic Sailing Center in Qingdao, China.

The first medal race in Olympic sailing, for the Finn class, was abandoned after it started Saturday because winds dropped, leaving the fleet bobbing on the Yellow Sea with barely enough breeze to file their sails.

For the past four years Sally Barkow and her crew Carrie Howe and Deb Capozzi have been single minded in their quest to win a medal for the USA. Going into the medal race on Saturday they stand just one point out of a bronze medal.

British sailing star Ben Ainslie was assured his fourth Olympic medal Friday when he stretched his overall Finn class lead over American Zach Railey going into Saturday's medal race. Even if he were disqualified in the final race, his point total would assure him at least a silver medal.