Do you want to participate in the Olympics? Here’s what you need to do

The gentleman pictured above is Sir Charles Benedict Ainslie, the sailor who has won the most Olympic medals of all (five consecutive from 1996 to 2012: one gold and one silver on the Lasers, three golds on the Finn). Matching his palmares is a feat worthy of a superhero, but have you ever thought of challenging yourself on Olympic classes? Then again, dear Ben and other multiple medal champions such as Paul Elvstrøm, Robert Scheidt, and Alessandra Sensini also started from scratch. Who knows, you may discover the phenomenon within you.

STEPS TO BE TAKEN
First you will need to choose the Olympic class that is right for you: on these pages we have selected five representative ones. The quintessential singles and doubles, namely the Laser and 470; the high-adrenaline skiff, the 49er; the brand new multihull Nacra 17, the result of the latest technological innovations; and the RS:X, for sailboard lovers. Once you have chosen “the vehicle” (we have also included indicative prices for the new hull without sails and for a good used one ready to take to the water) it will be up to you to decide on the path to follow: training sessions (preferably with an instructor and some sparring partners), the first zonal regattas, then the Italian circuits until you get to the international events. Never beat yourself up if results are slow in coming and without blaming the sails or the shipyard that built your hull. You can make such speculations only when you are at the top of the rankings!

LASER

HISTORY: Laser is an “eternal evergreen.” The hulls produced today are equal in every way to that fast “beach” boat designed in 1971 by Canadian designer Bruce Kirby. Who never dreamed he would see his own idea of a “ready-to-go” driftboat reproduced in nearly 200,000 examples distributed in 140 countries around the world, on which the greatest sailors have tried their hand. The Laser Standard awards the men’s medal; the Radial, with a reduced rig, is reserved for women. BUILDERS: The Laser is produced by Laser Performance, which operates under a monopoly (including for sails). In Italy the importer is Negri Nautica (www.laserperformance.it).
WHOIT’S FOR: It is simply the “universal” boat: everyone can go in it, from the kid (with 4.7 sq. m. rigging) to the well “placed” (Standard rigging), and there is also the middle ground, the Radial (5.76 sq. m.). Just load it on the roof of the car and go wherever you like. Very technical, especially in the stern, where with headwinds scuffing is a snap.
Length: 4.23 m Width: 1.37 Displacement: 56.70 kg Sail Sup.: 7.06 sqm. Used price (average with sails) 2,500 euros New price (approximate without sails) 4,500 euros.

470
HISTORY: Born in 1963 from the pencil of French designer André Cornu it became an Olympic class in 1976 (first as an open category, then divided into men’s and women’s since 1988). The success of the 470 is evidenced by its spread: the class is present in 61 nations!
YARDS: The most important shipyards authorized for production are Germany’s Ziegelmayer and New Zealand’s Mackay, while in Italy the hulls are branded Nautivela (www.nautivela.com), Devoti (www.devotisailing.com) and Faccenda (www.faccenda.it).
WHOIT’S FOR: Great for fun, the 470 is an addictive double: once you try it, the urge to challenge yourself will come, perhaps by participating in a few regattas, first local and then national. Then you will have to be careful: it is an extremely technical craft that leaves virtually no room for error, where adjustments are everything. One small mistake and you will find yourself thrown to the back of the fleet, without even knowing why.
The numbers of the 470 Length: 4.70 m Width: 1.69 m Displacement: 120 kg Sail area: 12.7 sq m L Used price (average with sails) 3,500 euros L New price (approximate without sails) 8,500 euros.

49er
HISTORY: The 49er’s landing in the elite of Olympic classes represented a momentous turning point in sailing history. This skiff, born from the pencil of Australian Julian Bethwaite in 1996, was chosen by ISAF for the 2000 Sydney Games after a long series of trials. A direct heir to the latest generation of Australian 18-footers, it offers adrenaline rush and killer performance.
BOATS: All 49er components must be purchased from official dealers: Bethwaite Design in Australia, MacKay Boats in New Zealand, and Ovington in England (in Italy, Ovington hulls are imported from Nautivela in Milan, Italy, www.nautivela.com).
WHO IT’SFOR: This is not a skiff for everyone: the large sail area, terraces and sudden accelerations it is capable of make it a very physical boat where reflexes are everything. Just one second’s delay and you will be in the bath. The advice is to start with an FX rig (reserved for the pink Olympic 49er, with less sail area).
The numbers of the 49ER Length: 4.99 m Width: 1.69/2.90 m Displacement: 80 kg Sail Sup.: 25 sqm L Used price (average with sails) 4,500 euros L New price (approximate without sails) 14,500 euros.

NACRA17
HISTORY: Done away with the Tornado after Beijing 2008, the Olympic classes lacked a catamaran. ISAF’s choice, after a last-ditch challenge in 2012, fell on the Nacra 17 (which narrowly beat the Viper 16, judged less “pliant” by those who had tried both multihulls): in Rio 2016 it will be used for the mixed medal award. Peculiarity and strength of this boat is the extraordinary technology of the hull and sails (which justifies its cost) resulting from a long period of research and development that gathers in itself the maximum know-how developed in the F16 and F18 classes.

YARDS:
The Nacra 17 is built by the Dutch shipyard Nacra Sailing, which has an extensive dealer network searchable at www.nacrasailing.org.

FOR WHO.
is: The new Olympic cat is very fast and, as is the case with the 49er, needs excellent physical performance and quick reflexes. The fact that it is a mixed class makes it ideal if you want to have fun together with a partner of the opposite sex.

RS:X
HISTORY: The RS:X, used for the first time at the Beijing Olympics, quickly made people forget the “old” Mistral, the sailboard used from the Atlanta ’96 Games to Athens 2004 (windsurfing has been allowed on the Olympic program since 1984). The RS:X, born from the pencil of Jean Bouldoires and Robert Stroj in 2004, is 2.86 m long. The movable centreboard and fin at the stern, provide an excellent upwind angle, similar to that of keelboats; with 30 knots of air it is possible to travel at speeds of 27-28 knots!
WORKSHOPS: The RS:X is made Exclusively by American Neil Pryde in every component, with dealers distributed worldwide (see www.neilpryde.com).
WHO IT’SFOR: Handiness and convenience of transport make the RS:X a practical solution for those who don’t have time to waste: you see it’s windy, load the board in the car, rig it up in minutes, and there you are gliding through the waves. And to make two arms like that! In addition, good used ones can be found at affordable prices.
The numbers of theL RS:X Length: 2.86 m Width: 0.93 m Displacement: 15.5 kg Sail Sup.: 8.5/9.5 sqm L Used price (average with sails) 1,700 euros L New price (approximate without sails) 2,500 euros.