The Men's RS:X - A History Lesson...

Before the Men’s Windsurfing (RS:X) begins at the Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition, we take a look back and find out more about the event before the first starting gun sounds at 13:00 local time on Monday 8 August 2016.

Previous Olympic Medallists
 
The inaugural RS:X Men’s medal in 2008 was won by Tom Ashley (NZL) by just a single point from French rival Julien Bontemps (FRA). In 2012 it was a completely different story, as Dorian van Rijsselberghe (NED) sailed himself to certain Gold with two races to spare. The Dutchman only had to compete to seal his position as Olympic Champion.
 
Recent World Champions
 
Nick Dempsey (GBR) made up for the disappointment of having to settle for silver on home waters at London 2012 by winning the 2013 RS:X Men’s World Championship. But the real story of the Rio 2016 Quadrennial has been the French and Polish sailors.
 
2014 and 2015 were a French whitewash as first Julien Bontemps and then Pierre Le Coq dominated. Then in 2016 it was the turn of the Polish as Piotr Myszka dominated in Eliat, delivering the long awaited title Polish windsurfing fans had dreamed of.
 
Life as an Olympic Event
 
Men’s windsurfing made its debut at Los Angeles 1984 with the Windglider.  Stephan van den Berg (NED) was the first ever gold medalist.
 
After Los Angeles the cumbersome Windglider was dropped in favour of the Lechner Division 2 which only lasted one Olympiad before being superseded by the Lechner A-390.  The Atlanta 1996 quadrennial issued in a new era with the lighter and sportier Mistral One Design. 
 
The Mistral was more suited to the physical sport that had evolved with the decision in 1992 to allow unlimited pumping of the sail to create artificial wind which can greatly increase speed. The Mistral was retained for three quadrennials before being retired in favour of the more modern RS:X that is sailed today.
 
What’s it like to sail?
 
It’s a fast paced, physical class which offers close racing and lots of visual thrill.
 
Short History of the Class and Key specs
 
Designed in 2004 by Jean Bouldoires & Robert Stroj to fit the criteria for one-design windsurfing equipment for the 2008 Olympic Games, The RS:X men’s board features an 9.5m high technology rig, with carbon mast and boom, a modern ‘wide-style’ board. The design of the RS:X’s centerboard is it’s stand-out feature – making it particularly versatile, enabling competitions to be held in virtually any wind condition.

Famous Faces
 
Bruce Kendall MBE (NZL) is probably the biggest name in Olympic windsurfing with two medals, one of them the coveted gold, over three Olympic Games. Hot on his heels is five-time Olympian and double Olympic medalist Nick Dempsey (GBR). To complete his medal set with the gold in Rio would make Dempsey the most successful men’s Olympic windsurfer.
 
Alongside Kendall and Dempsey; other enormous names of the sport are Atlanta 1996 gold medallist and Athens 2004 silver medallist Nikolaos Kaklamanakis (GRE), double Olympic medalist Gal Fridman (ISR), double silver medalist Carlos Espinola (ARG) and Gold medalists Dorian van Rijsselberge (NED) and Franck David (FRA).
 
The Men’s windsurfer is jam-packed with talent and other superstars include; Julien Bontemps (FRA), Lars Kleppich (AUS), Mike Gebhardt (USA), Ricardo Santos (BRA) and Aichen Wang (CHN).
 
Did you know…
 
Men’s windsurfing is responsible for two nations’ Olympic firsts. Gal Fridman is Israel’s first – and currently only – Olympic gold medalist to date and Jan Boersma’s silver is only Olympic medal ever won by an athlete from the now dissolved Netherlands Antilles.

RIO 2016 OLYMPIC SAILING COMPETITION USEFUL LINKS
World Sailing Olympic Website – http://www.sailing.org/olympics/rio2016/home.php
Rio 2016 Schedule – http://www.sailing.org/olympics/rio2016/about/schedule.php#.V5Yw346BLqM
Rio 2016 Olympic Sailors – http://www.sailing.org/olympics/rio2016/qualification/sailors.php#.V5Yw946BLqM