Dutch Olympic Sailing Team

Dutch Olympic Sailing Team

Highest governing body	Koninlijk Verbond Nederlandsche Watersport Verenigingen (1890 - 1970) Koninklijk Nederlands Watersport Verbond (1970 - Today)
Nicknames	Het Watersportverbond
22 Olympic Medals	: 5 : 8 : 9
Characteristics
Contact	Het Watersportverbond
Team members	Female: 26, Male: 176, Female substitutes: 1, Male substitutes: 38, Officials: 26, Total: 267
Type	Sailing
Venue	Olympic Games (1900 - 2012)
Presence
Country or region	Netherlands
Olympic	1896, 1900, 1908, 1912, 1920, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956 (Boycott), 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980 (Under IOC flag), 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012

The Dutch were in most of the Olympic sailing competitions represented by the Dutch Olympic Sailing Team. The selection of the members of the team was done by the Koninklijk Nederlands Watersport Verbond (KNWV) or its predecessor. With the exception of 1908 and 1912 there were always Dutch sailors willing to compete at this pinnacle of competitive sailing. Even in 1956 in Melbourne the Dutch team was willing and able to perform. However at the last possible moment the Dutch NOC and the Dutch government (together with Switzerland and Spain), ordered a boycott of these games. This boycott was a result of the presence in Hungary of the Soviet Union after the Hungarian Revolution. The KNWV was not in favor of this boycott.

Listed below is an overview of all Olympic games and events which the Dutch Olympic Sailing Team was selected for. The list includes all sailors, substitutes and when known, the officials that supported the team:

The Gentleman years^[1]

1896 Athens,  Greece

• 1896 Summer Olympics
• Sailing program cancelled due to weather conditions
• No knowledge of Dutch representation in sailing

1900 Paris,  France

• Sailing at the 1900 Summer Olympics

1904 St. Louis,  United States

• 1904 Summer Olympics
• Sailing was not a part of the Olympic program

1908 Ryde (Isle of Wight) & Hunter’s Quay (Firth of Clyde),  United Kingdom

• Sailing at the 1908 Summer Olympics
• No Dutch representation

1912 Stockholm,  Sweden

• Sailing at the 1912 Summer Olympics
• No Dutch representation

1916 Berlin,  Germany

• Cancelled due to World War I

The Yachtsmen years

1920 Ostend,  Belgium

• Sailing at the 1920 Summer Olympics

1924 Paris,  France

• Sailing at the 1924 Summer Olympics

1928 Amsterdam,  Netherlands

• Sailing at the 1928 Summer Olympics

1932 Los Angeles,  United States

• Sailing at the 1932 Summer Olympics

1936 Kiel,  Germany

• Sailing at the 1936 Summer Olympics

1940 Tokio,  Japan

• 1940 Summer Olympics
• Rescheduled to Helsinki
• No Dutch team assigned

1940 Helsinki,  Finland

• 1940 Summer Olympics
• Cancelled due to World War II

1944

• Not scheduled

The Innovator years

1948 Torbay,  United Kingdom

• Sailing at the 1948 Summer Olympics

1952 Helsinki,  Finland

• Sailing at the 1952 Summer Olympics
• Accommodation

The sailors of the 1952 Dutch Olympic Sailing Team were accommodated by members of the local Finish Yacht Club. The club house of that club is a fortress over 200 years old. The Dutch boats were moored on an island called: Merenkävijät what can be loosely translated into pirates'. Also the Dutch Royal Yacht Piet Hein was moored at the island.

• Transport

The Dutch Olympic boats were transported over sea by the coaster Marvic

1956 Melbourne,  Australia

• Sailing at the 1956 Summer Olympics

Naples,  Italy

• Sailing at the 1960 Summer Olympics

Enoshima,  Japan

• Sailing at the 1964 Summer Olympics

The Sailors years

Acapulco,  Mexico

• Sailing at the 1968 Summer Olympics

1972 Kiel,  Germany

• Sailing at the 1972 Summer Olympics

1976 Kingston,  Canada

• Sailing at the 1976 Summer Olympics

1980 Talinn,  Soviet Union

• Sailing at the 1980 Summer Olympics

1984 Long Beach,  United States

• Sailing at the 1984 Summer Olympics

The Athlete years

1988 Pusan,  South Korea

• Sailing at the 1988 Summer Olympics

1992 Barcelona,  Spain

• Sailing at the 1992 Summer Olympics

1996 Savannah,  United States

• Sailing at the 1996 Summer Olympics

The Performers years

2000 Sydney,  Australia

• Sailing at the 2000 Summer Olympics

2004 Athens,  Greece

• Sailing at the 2004 Summer Olympics

2008 Qingdao,  China

• Sailing at the 2008 Summer Olympics

2012 Weymouth,  United Kingdom

• Sailing at the 2012 Summer Olympics

References

1. The titles of the chapters came from the book: Vintage Yachting Games - Olympic Classes.ISBN 978-90-78440-23-9

Sources

• "Olympisch voorspel Eerste Nederlanders in Helsinki aangekomen" (in Dutch) (Day ed.). De Telegraaf. 1952-07-08. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
• "De Marvic van 1943" (in Dutch). Kustvaartforum.com. 2004-12-31. Retrieved 2014-01-26.