Olympic Sailing returns to Long Beach

By all accounts, the Sailing venue at the Paris 2024 Olympics could have been better. Despite more suitable options in France, the politicians selected Marseille, and the fickle weather led to daily postponements. Plus, it was crazy hot.

For Los Angles 2028, the Sailing events return to the 1984 Olympic venue of Long Beach, a prominent racing hub with reliable westerly winds that keep the AP flag in the bag. In this report, Mark Lammens relives the event:

Forty years ago was very exciting time for me. In 1982, I qualified for the Canadian National Team and World Championships in Holland as a keen and naive 20-year-old. I finished 4th in a race with 139 boats. I also finished 4th again in another WC race in 1983. I spent the winter in Florida training for the 1984 Olympic trials.

I learned a lot and eventually finished 2nd at the final trials regatta hosted at the Royal Canadian Yacht Club. I thought my Finn Sailing was done and I would be back coaching at the Ontario Sailing Centre until CORK, but then Terry Neilson asked me to travel with him that summer and be his training partner in LA.

From the 1952 to the 1996 Olympics, the Finn boats were provided by the host country. These new boats need to be tuned up to work with the mast and sail that are brought by the individual sailor. I was honored but also a bit nervous, I did not want to be a liability to his preparation. Terry was a Pan Am Games Gold Medalist and World Champion in the Laser and just finished 2nd at the Finn Gold Cup. He also won the Laser Nationals and Pan Am Trials at Sail West at Elbow, Saskatchewan. – Full report

Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing Program:
Men’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 7
Women’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 6
Mixed Two Person Dinghy – 470
Men’s Skiff – 49er
Women’s Skiff – 49erFX
Men’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class
Women’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class
Men’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL
Women’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL
Mixed Multihull – Nacra 17

Venue: Marseille, France
Dates: July 28-August 9

Details: https://paris2024.sailing.org/