Yachting Australia Principal Partner  |
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Yachting Australia Major Sponsor Youth Development  |
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470 Class
About the Class: The 470 is a double-handed dinghy which has been an Olympic Class since 1976.
The 470 was designed in 1963 by Frenchman André Cornu as a family racer, and in just six years the Class reached International status. In 1988 the 470 was used as the first Women's medal Olympic Sailing discipline when Nicola Bethwaite and Karyn Gojnich of Sydney were the best placed Australians in 6th place following a win in the last heat. The planning fibreglass hull is equipped with spinnaker and a single trapeze, making sailing real teamwork. Designed to introduce families to sailing, it is an ideal boat for learn to sail students, but to be competitive, every aspect should be mastered to perfection. The crew weight for sailing a 470 competitively is 110 - 145 kg, making it ideal for both women and men. Whilst men and women race against each other up to world championship level, Olympic competition is gender specific. Sail and mast combinations allow the boat to be set for different crew weights and sailing techniques. Australian Success: Until the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Spain and the USA had shared the Women's Gold medals however, the emergence of Australia's Jenny Armstrong and Belinda Stowell under supercoach Victor Kovalenko broke this tradition in 2000 when the Aussie girls took the Gold. Similarly Australia's Male team of Tom King and Mark Turnbull also took the Gold Medal in Sydney. The Athens 2004 Olympic Games will feature 470 Class competition in both Men and Women's divisions. Australia has won three Olympic medals in the 470 Class:
2004 Olympic Representatives: Women - Jenny Armstrong and Belinda Stowell Men - Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page
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