ISAF Olympic Sailing Blog

Join us for coverage of the London 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition!

Good morning, it's Friday 27th July, and the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony is today - and we're going! We'll be tweeting some pictures as there are a few sailors carrying national flags - so click over to twitter and have a look @isafupdates.

by ISAF Host - Mark Chisnell 7/27/2012 11:19:14 AM
From Weymouth and Portland to London, next stop Opening Ceremony

by ISAFupdates via twitter 7/27/2012 12:43:20 PM
RT @USSailingTeam: NOW: @USOlympic Sailing Team leaving #Weymouth2012 for #London2012! Opening Ceremony, here we come! p.twimg.com

by ISAFupdates via twitter 7/27/2012 2:27:31 PM
Alex Kirkland will carry the Bermudan flag. He sails the 49er with brother Jesse and they qualified their nation at the 2012 49er Worlds

by ISAFupdates via twitter 7/27/2012 3:49:43 PM
Helema Williams from the Cook Islands will march in front of 80,000 fans and all eyes will be on her, at the front, with the flag

by ISAFupdates via twitter 7/27/2012 3:51:01 PM
Beijing 2008 Laser sailor Juan Ignacio Maegli will carry the Guatemalan flag in front of a packed house. He could do well at #London2012

by ISAFupdates via twitter 7/27/2012 3:53:09 PM
The one and only Dorian Van Rijsselberge carries the Dutch flag. He's one of the Men's RS:X favourites

by ISAFupdates via twitter 7/27/2012 3:54:49 PM
And Beijing 2008 Men's RS:X bronze medallist Shahar Zubari will carry the Israeli flag

by ISAFupdates via twitter 7/27/2012 3:55:42 PM
A huge honour for all of them and great to see sailing represented with five worthy flag bearers

by ISAFupdates via twitter 7/27/2012 3:56:54 PM
Just been interviewed about my trip from Weymouth to London. Needless to say it was pretty easy

by ISAFupdates via twitter 7/27/2012 4:23:11 PM
We're all settled in at the stadium. Where are you watching? p.twimg.com

by ISAFupdates via twitter 7/27/2012 6:02:43 PM
Clouds are rising. Not long to go and at that moment a Mexican wave begins p.twimg.com

by ISAFupdates via twitter 7/27/2012 6:18:48 PM
The sun setting behind the @London2012 @Olympics stadium. Perfect night p.twimg.com

by ISAFupdates via twitter 7/27/2012 6:41:43 PM
Sheep are safely in their pen. That's a bit baaaamy to have... p.twimg.com

by ISAFupdates via twitter 7/27/2012 6:57:53 PM
And this guy is the sheeps nay'bour... p.twimg.com

by ISAFupdates via twitter 7/27/2012 6:58:38 PM
The ducks are in now. Let's hope they don't do anything quackers... p.twimg.com

by ISAFupdates via twitter 7/27/2012 7:00:54 PM
Tick tock... p.twimg.com

by ISAFupdates via twitter 7/27/2012 7:13:08 PM
Going to be lots of audience participation tonight in this ceremony. Who needs the gym when you've got the Olympic Opening Ceremony

by ISAFupdates via twitter 7/27/2012 7:35:01 PM
The British countryside is packed. Cricket, rugby, badminton, football and what not. p.twimg.com

by ISAFupdates via twitter 7/27/2012 7:44:15 PM
I'm blue, daba dee daba die... p.twimg.com

by ISAFupdates via twitter 7/27/2012 7:57:13 PM
Pretty blown away by all of that. I take it your saw it... By it I take it you know what I mean....

by ISAFupdates via twitter 7/27/2012 8:26:04 PM
RT @Olympics: Nightmare time #openingceremony p.twimg.com

by ISAFupdates via twitter 7/27/2012 9:21:51 PM
What a show. Time for the athletes p.twimg.com

by ISAFupdates via twitter 7/27/2012 9:22:53 PM
49er sailor Alex Kirkland carries the Bermudan flag. He'll never forget this moment p.twimg.com

by ISAFupdates via twitter 7/27/2012 9:33:48 PM
But not that close, I'm a long way up

by ISAFupdates via twitter 7/27/2012 9:36:50 PM
The Guatemalan whips out his phone for a cheeky snap #SocialMediaGuidelines p.twimg.com

by ISAFupdates via twitter 7/27/2012 10:03:47 PM
Shahar Zubari brings in the Israeli flag. He had a special haircut for the occasion it seems. More tomorrow on that... p.twimg.com

by ISAFupdates via twitter 7/27/2012 10:08:20 PM
And that is that. The Olympic Games are officially open

by ISAFupdates via twitter 7/27/2012 11:47:08 PM
RT @USSailingTeam: “@zachsail: Officially Olympians together dream come true @PaigeSailor p.twimg.com”

by ISAFupdates via twitter 7/28/2012 1:39:29 AM
RT @ISAOlympic: Spectacular entrance by Ryan Seaton, almost upstaging Bolt! p.twimg.com

by ISAFupdates via twitter 7/28/2012 1:40:03 AM
I can't believe it. It's sunny again in Weymouth p.twimg.com

by ISAFupdates via twitter 7/28/2012 9:04:15 AM
380 sailors in 273 boats from 63 nations are about to take to the water. Let the London 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition begin!

by ISAF Host - Sarah Roberts 7/28/2012 12:24:44 PM
Welcome to the very first day of the London 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition. It's a beautiful day and we have a decent westerly breeze, with tide coming in (flowing to the east) for most of the afternoon. We will be looking at it in more detail once we get going with the racing, but if you can't wait for all that good stuff, then the weather forecast and all the tidal data are right here.

So today's schedule is:
Men’s Keelboat (Star) - Practice race start at 15:30
Women’s Match Racing (WMR) - Practice races -- first start at 13:30
Men’s One Person Heavyweight Dinghy (Finn) - Practice race start at 14:00

The overall competition schedule is here if you want to check ahead:
Schedule: www.sailing.org

by ISAF Host - Mark Chisnell 7/28/2012 12:25:05 PM
What is the real reason why we cannot see the tracking on the web ? Is it like in China, where the technology was not good enough or trustworthy. Why are ISAF/IOC making it so difficult to follow sailing. It makes no sense, and is a real shame

by Claus Hansen 7/28/2012 12:32:14 PM
Dear Mark, it puzzles me, that ISAF is not able to show tracking. Where can we follow the tracking, which media males this available for viewers ?

by Curt Mingles 7/28/2012 12:32:18 PM
Believe it or not folks, that's the real reason - ISAF would have loved to have brought you the tracking but it's just not possible with the way that the right's holders deals are structured. So there's nowhere that you can see it, unless your national broadcaster includes it as part of their coverage...

by ISAF Host - Mark Chisnell 7/28/2012 12:32:27 PM
Is there going to be video coverage available in Canada?

by Sam Fuller 7/28/2012 12:33:42 PM
I believe that Canada will be showing some sailing, if I find out more details I'll let you know, but meantime, I'd search the schedules...

by ISAF Host - Mark Chisnell 7/28/2012 12:33:43 PM
So today is a practice for everyone, and we will have very limited access to data and won't be able to tell you much... But we can answer your questions if you have any, and generally start to get into the swing of things... To get things going, here's a story on the German sailing team's technology - it's all about going the right way on the race course.

by ISAF Host - Mark Chisnell 7/28/2012 12:35:21 PM
So here's the tidal chart for 13:00 this afternoon, half an hour ago...

by ISAF Host - Mark Chisnell 7/28/2012 12:36:57 PM
So not much to worry about on the Finn and Match Racing courses, the Finn's are out at the Nothe, and the WMR is in the Harbour. The Stars start later and they are out at Weymouth Bay West, so even there shouldn't see much effect. Of course, 0.1 of a knot difference is all it takes to get an advantage, but no one's going to be battling two knots of tide...!

by ISAF Host - Mark Chisnell 7/28/2012 12:40:10 PM
We were up at the Opening Ceremony last night, and I thought it was fantastic. The general reception in the UK seems to be good, but I wonder what people are thinking elsewhere...?

by ISAF Host - Mark Chisnell 7/28/2012 12:42:50 PM
The cauldron was certainly lit in spectacular style at last nights opening ceremony, and tonight Weymouth will be lighting its own cauldron at 18.00pm. We will keep you updated on all the excitement, both on and off the water, over the next two weeks....

by ISAF Host - Sarah Roberts 7/28/2012 12:43:34 PM
Good morning world,I wish the best for all in Olympic #Sailing , good sea and good wind for everyone from #Panama @London2012 @Olympics

by Mike_aar via twitter 7/28/2012 12:47:12 PM
Good to see that a sailor helped to light the olympic cauldron last night #sailing #OpeningCeremony #sailforgold

by JohnWhelton1 via twitter 7/28/2012 12:48:55 PM