Leisure Kicks - The essencial sport and leisure guide

Sailing itself goes back thousands of years as a means of transportation. However, the sailing ships that first hit water in ancient times has little in common with the sport of sailing. Dinghy sailing is the sport of sailing small watercraft and has existed for as long as there has been a need to transport small loads over water. However, it wasn’t until the late 19th century that people began racing small boats for sport. 

In the mid 20th century, people started building their own dinghies and sailing them. Its popularity grew in the 1960s when the Mirror dinghy was launched by the Mirror newspaper, which encouraged thousands of non-sailors to build a boat and get into the sport for the first time. Modern fabrics and mass production continue to enable people to take up the sport easily.

Sailing made its first Olympic appearance at the 1900 Games and made its second at the 1908 Games. It has been a part of the Olympic programme ever since, making it one of the oldest sports still contested today. Of course with the technology, it is also one of the fastest evolving sports in the programme.

Windsurfing developed in the 1970s when the first boards were made out of plastic. It took off quickly and even remains immensely popular despite a brief dip in the 90s. Nowadays, the boards are high-tech composite constructions providing great speeds and manoeuvrability. Windsurfing has been a part of the Olympic programme since 1984.

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The Finn class competition at the 1988 Olympic Games
Wikimedia Commons