Abstract

Great Britain finished the Athens, 2004, Olympic regatta, as the most successful sailing nation for the second straight Olympic Games. The team won two gold medals, one silver and two bronzes to emulate the five-medal haul from Sydney in 2000. Great Britain has now won 19 sailing gold medals in Athens 2004, since the 1900 Olympic Games, one more than the USA . These results leave Great Britain as the world’s top sailing nation, as well as sailing being Great Britain’s most successful Olympic sport at both the Sydney and Athens Olympic Games. In addition to this, there is an on going increase in grass roots participation in sailing and watersports. Currently, it is estimated that 3.5 - 5 million people actively participate in watersports in the UK. Events are an intrinsic part of participation at local, national and international levels and this is widely recognised by clubs, classes and the UK’s national governing body for sailing, the Royal Yachting Association (RYA). As such sailing event programmes are accessible at all levels of participation (club racing, small open meetings, major open meetings, local area championships, national championships and international championships).