Sailing > Day by Day Recap

Britain brought a fitting finish to the Olympic sailing competition. On Day 13, the Union Jack won its fourth gold medal in Qingdao, as Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson topped the Star keelboat class. In the Tornado class - which has most likely run its last Olympic race - Spain won its first gold of the sailing competition.

It was only appropriate that China won its first-ever gold medal for sailing at its own Games. Chinese RS:X windsurfer Yin Jian was tops in the women's class, while New Zealander Tom Ashley claimed gold in the men's class.

In becoming the first American woman to win gold medal since 1988, Anna Tunnicliffe made a strong statement: never give up.

After a day that saw the 49er class' medal status mired in controversy, men's 470 standings leaders Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page left no doubt about the gold medal's status after their Day 10 medal race.

Race organizers needed wind, but on Day 9 they may have gotten more than they wanted. Day 9 featured a frenetic 49er gold rush in which every boat had a shot, and each capsized. Amidst the chaos, an act of sportsmanship made this one of the Olympics' most memorable races.

Also, American Sally Barkow and her Yngling crew faced 'race of their lives' in commentator Gary Jobson's words, but in the end it was 2004 gold-medalist Sarah Ayton whose boat prevailed. As expected, Ben Ainslie won his third gold medal, but Zach Railey's silver medal had the American feeling euphoric.

In the Finn class, light wind conditions forced the mid-race abandonment of the final, forcing the Finn and Yngling medal races to run on Day 9, on which the 49er medal race was already scheduled.

Ben Ainslie secured his fourth Olympic medal, further distancing himself from his Finn class rival Zach Railey with only the medal race remaining. Even if he were disqualified in the final race, his point total would assure him at least a silver medal.

Qingdao officials waited three hours before throwing in the towel on Day 6 racing due to insufficient winds. During the wait, NBCOlympics.com commentator and former America's Cup winner Gary Jobson answered questions from sailing fans.

Qingdao's capricious winds - more specifically, their absence - were the biggest story in Day 5. Nonetheless, Great Britain's Ben Ainslie extended that gap between him and American challenger Zach Railey to six points in the Finn standings.

U.S. sailor Anna Tunnicliffe took the lead in the women's Laser Radial class, while Australia's boats continued their top status in the men's and women's 470 classes. Yin Jian remained on top of the women's RS:X standings, as did Israel's Shahar Zubari in the men's RS:X class.

China's Yin Jian flew into first, leading every leg in the first two races of the women's RS:X class. Also, British favorite Ben Ainslie and American newcomer Zach Railey remained neck-and-neck in the Finn class standings.

American up-and-comer Zach Railey sailed into first place overall in the Finn class, with Britain's two-time gold medalist Ben Ainslie hanging sternly behind. Fellow Britons Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes claimed the lead in the 49er standings, claiming fourth, third and fifth places in the class' opening races.

Great Britain's two-time gold medalist was the man to beat in the one-man Finn dinghy class, and newcomer Zach Railey of the United States was ready to take to the water and make a go of it.