Olympic sailing video footage from the 1970s to 1990s

by Magnus Smith 1 Jan 2025 00:00 GMT

After our Christmas gift of extensive YouTube research, we are back to conclude the Olympic video footage summary that covers the final analogue years. Expect VCR recordings that have sat in the loft for two decades!

If any video appears blank, check for the 'watch on YouTube' link, and this will open it in another tab. Copyright issues in different countries can occasionally cause this, depending on what region you are viewing from.

Part 1 took us from the Twenties to the Sixties. Now we continue with the Seventies...

Munich 1972

Our first offering is professional documentary, but it is long and you may wish to skip ahead (it also includes Kiel Week). When you get bored, you can skip the ceremony (it ends at 13m27s), skip the museum (that section ends at 31m00s) or skip the tall ships (that part ends at 37m45s).

You can also watch these videos from the event:

[More info on the sailing at this Games can be found at the Olympedia entry for 1972.]

Montreal 1976

Very little was found! Just the short teaser below, and you could also see a short clip of Jacques Rogge in the Finn. [More info at Olympedia for 1976.]

Moscow 1980

This was the year that the UK - and other nations - boycotted the Games, and did not send a sailing team. [More info at Olympedia for 1980.]

Los Angeles 1984

In addition to the three videos below, you can also watch Russell Coutts wins Finn Gold, or Chris Timms and Rex Sellers win Tornado Gold or a focus on the Windglider class. [More info at Olympedia for 1984.]

Seoul 1988

Let's start with a short clip - look at what this Flying Dutchman team had to contend with right in the middle of the course!

This next video may well show Olympic footage from '88, but it is from a different race - not of the exact event described, where a Finn helm rescued 470 sailors who couldn't be reached by rescue boat, and then carried on racing. You can also watch a 6 minute interview with the heroic Lawrence Lemieux and other footage of the carnage that day.

There is also Bruce Kendall winning windsurfing Gold, and John Cutler winning Finn Bronze. [More general info at Olympedia for 1988.]

Barcelona 1992

We have been able to find Tornado highlights, then various classes in a medal ceremony and interviews. Surprisingly, this is it - just two videos. [More info at Olympedia for 1992.]

Atlanta 1996

After 2000, recording devices went digital, and the nostalgia isn't as strong, so this is the last Olympiad we will look at. [More info at Olympedia for 1996.]

The 1996 Games included a Paralympic demonstration event for the first time, but sadly we have not found any footage of this. It was a long-overdue (but very welcome) moment for sailors with a disability. We desperately hope for sailing to be reinstated at the Paralympics in the future.

Happy New Year!

If you can find an old sailing video where we have failed to uncover one, please let us know! You can suggest video links for immediate review.