29 September 2000

Sydney Harbour, Australia played host to one of the closet and most exciting finishes in the history of Olympic sailing, with Ben AINSLIE (GBR) winning his first gold medal ahead of Laser legend Robert SCHEIDT (BRA).

AINSLIE and SCHEIDT had been in a similar situation four years ago in Savannah, although that time round SCHEIDT held the advantage over the then 19 year old AINSLIE. The more experienced Brazilian was able to force his opponent over the line and take the gold medal.

In Sydney, AINSLIE held a better discard then SCHEIDT and his hopes of gold depended on the Brazilian finishing down the fleet, in 21st or worse. Following two postponements and a general recall, AINSLIE’s strategy was clear and he went about sailing SCHEIDT down the fleet, match racing him out of the gold medal position.

Two of the most talented sailors the sport has ever seen proceeded to match each other tack for tack up to the windward mark, with AINSLIE displaying formidable boat handling to keep his man under wraps. The pair arrived at the mark 90 seconds after the previous boat and SCHEIDT made his move – getting away from AINSLIE with a manoeuvre which resulted in a protest from the Brit.

Freed from the shackles of his rival, SCHEIDT hit top gear, reeling in the fleet on each leg, to move from dead last to 22nd – just one place from the gold medal. But the Brazilian could not make up that one crucial place – AINSLIE had done enough to secure gold, and after protests from both sailors SCHEIDT was subsequently disqualified from the race for his manoeuvre at the top mark.

AINSLIE took the top step of the podium for to receive his Olympic gold medal and realize ‘a dream come true’.

Where Are They Now

After Sydney, AINSLIE moved to the Finn class whilst SCHEIDT stayed with the Laser, and both sailors enjoyed unprecedented success. Both won gold at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004, whilst AINSLIE claimed a record breaking four consecutive Finn Gold Cups, and SCHEIDT won his fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth Laser World titles. In 2001, the Brazilian was named ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year, an honour bestowed upon AINSLIE a year later, and then again on SCHEIDT in 2004.

Now heading towards Beijing, first via the 32nd America’s Cup with Emirates Team New Zealand, AINSLIE is favourite for Finn gold having demolished the opposition at last year’s Olympic Test Event in Qingdao. SCHEIDT meanwhile has switched to the Star, and is now the world #1 in the keelboat with crew Bruno PRADA.

ISAF In 2000

At the 2000 ISAF Annual Conference, the Yngling was chosen and match racing dropped from the 2004 Olympic Sailing Competition, whilst the ISAF Sailor Classification Code was launched.