The Yngling event in Qingdao is packed full of Olympic medallists, including two of the three-strong British Yngling crew who won gold in Athens four years and gold medallists from both the one and two person dinghy events in Athens. This is the second Olympic Games featuring the Yngling keelboat, following on from Athens where it made its debut. Expect racing to be close and highly tactical, especially in the predominantly lighter conditions expected in Qingdao.

At A Glance

Event: Women’s Keelboat
Equipment: Yngling
Racing Dates: 9-16 August
Medal Race: 16 August

Find out more about the event and the equipment here 

Key Results

2004 Olympic medallists – full details here 
1. Shirley ROBERTSON, Sarah WEBB, Sarah AYTON (GBR)
2. Ruslana TARAN, Svitlana MATEVUSHEVA and Ganna KALININA (UKR)
3. Dorte JENSEN, Christina OTZEN and Helle JESPERSEN (DEN)

2008 World Championship – full details here
1. Sarah AYTON, Sarah WEBB and Pippa WILSON (GBR)
2. Krystal WEIR, Karyn GOJNICH and Angela FARRELL (AUS)
3. Ulrike SCHUEMANN, Julia BLECK and Ute HOEPFNER (GER)

2007 Olympic Test Event – full results here
1. Sarah AYTON, Sarah WEBB and Pippa WILSON (GBR)
2. Renee GROENEVELD, Annemieke BES and Marije KAMPEN (NED)
3. Ekaterina SKUDINA, Diana KRUTSKIKH and Natalia IVANOVA (RUS)

ISAF World Sailing Rankings top three – full Rankings here 
1. Sarah AYTON, Sarah WEBB and Pippa WILSON (GBR)
2. Ulrike SCHUEMANN, Julia BLECK and Ute HOEPFNER (GER)
3. Ekaterina SKUDINA, Diana KRUTSKIKH and Natalia IVANOVA (RUS)

Click here for a full list of all previous Yngling medallists 

Form Guide

The Yngling is one of the most tactical boats in the Olympic Sailing Competition. Racing tends to be very close and therefore small mistakes can prove extremely costly. The expected conditions in Qingdao, with predominantly lighter winds and strong currents are likely to put good decision making at a premium. Sandra AZON, Olympic silver medallist in the 470 event in Athens and now part of the Spanish Yngling team, also believes Qingdao still has plenty of surprises in store: “I have been here four times and I’m still learning. The conditions here are different every day. I think the key to success here is to be patient, because this time the competition is going to be a long one.”

Following Athens, the gold medal winning team from Athens split but the result appears to be an even stronger GBR challenge this time around. Sarah AYTON and Sarah WEBB won gold with Shirley ROBERTSON at the helm, but in Qingdao it is AYTON who will be at the back of the boat with Pippa WILSON joining the team on the bow. This team has a phenomenal record over the past two seasons, scoring podium finishes at all but one event they have entered and winning back-to-back World Championship titles as well as last year’s Olympic Test Event. WEBB says the team’s dynamic is a key part of their success, “We’re all completely different but I think that’s what makes a really successful team. We’ve all got the common goal [of Olympic gold] but we go about achieving it in very different ways which means we’re bringing out the best in each other.”

The American team of Sally BARKOW, Carrie HOWE and Debbie CAPOZZI are long time rivals to the Brits and the two teams have faced off on numerous occasions in some very close Medal Races. Early in the Olympic cycle the US team appeared to have the edge but since their win at the 2007 Worlds, the Brits have held the upper hand. The German has also been particular strong through this Olympic cycle and are proven performers at the top events.

Newer teams making waves come from Finland, Norway and the re-jigged Australian team. The Norwegians in particular have hit a rich vein of form coming into the Games. Their team is spearhead by Athens gold medallist in the single-person dinghy, Siren SUNDBY: “Winning a medal in Chin may be the most special achievement in my career because it represents overcoming the most challenges – having started this Olympic period as a double-handed sailor, having a break and now sailing as the skipper of a three-person boat,” she commented.

Other teams to look out for are the Dutch, whose unique selection process (see below) has been the subject of some controversy, the Spanish and the Russians, who were close to missing out on the regatta entirely after a weight correctors were found in a prohibited location of their Yngling during measurement (see the full Jury Ruling here).

Qualification

The principal qualification regatta for the Yngling event was the 2007 ISAF Sailing World Championships in Cascais, Portugal where 10 of the 15 nations where decided. The 2008 Yngling Worlds in Miami decided final four national places. In addition there is one automatic place for the host nation China.

About the Yngling

The Yngling was designed by the originator of the Soling, Jan LINGE (NOR) in 1967 and was granted international status by the IYRU (now ISAF) in May 1979. The International Yngling Association was founded in 1971.

In 1990 the interior of the boat was re-designed to include a double-bottom cockpit sole, and self-bailers above the waterline on the side. Designed to be sailed by three, the boat is unsinkable, and a light and responsive keelboat.

The Yngling is a strict one-design class and, popular with both men and women, the class has separate open and women's world championship events with highly competitive fleets at both.

The Yngling was chosen as the equipment to be used for the new Olympic Games Women's Keelboat event at the ISAF Annual Conference in November 2000 and made it's debut Olympic appearance in Athens 2004.

The Sailors

Australia – Krystal WEIR, Karyn GOJNICH and Angela FARRELL

Ages: 23, 47, 26
Current ISAF World Sailing Ranking: 28

After a hard fought but ultimately unsuccessful campaign in the single-handed Laser Radial, WEIR seized her chance to go to Beijing by taking over the helm of the Aussie Yngling at the start of this year following an injury to Nicky BETHWAITE. The re-jigged team gave a demonstration of their potential straight out of the blocks, out performing many of the class’ most established names to win the silver medal at the 2008 Worlds in Miami. Other results this year have been less impressive, but with their blend of youth, talent and experience this is definitely a team capable of upsetting the odds.

Canada – Jennifer PROVAN, Martha HENDERSON and Katie ABBOTT

Ages: 30, 40, 21
Current ISAF World Sailing Ranking: 35

The Canadian team qualified for Beijing following the withdrawal of the New Zealand Yngling. PROVAN competed in Athens in the 470, whilst both HENDERSON and ABBOTT are making their first Olympic appearance, although both come from famous sailing families in Canada.

Finland – Silja LEHTINEN, Maria KLEMETZ and Livia VARESMAA

Ages: 22, 31, 33
Current ISAF World Sailing Ranking: 14

The Finnish trio are one of the few new teams who have been able to challenge the established hierarchy in the Yngling class over the past couple of seasons. Aged just 23, helm LEHTINEN has already scored a number of successes on the skiff and match racing circuits and that talent is beginning to come through in the Women’s Keelboat. The team performed strongly in Qingdao at last year’s Test Event, eventually finishing in fifth place. On current form they would expect to make the Medal Race and from there, the team’s match racing experience could prove to be a key asset.

France – Anne LE HELLEY, Catherine LEPESANT and Julie GERECHT

Ages: 37, 36, 28
Current ISAF World Sailing Ranking: 16

The two French Yngling teams had a lengthy battle for selection to the Beijing Games, but eventually it was LE