Sailing at the 1960 Summer Olympics

There were again five events in 1960 yachting, the standard number from 1948-68, with all events held in a mixed class. The program was the same as in 1956, except that the Flying Dutchman was introduced as the two-person heavyweight dinghy class, replacing the Swallow, which had been held in Melbourne for the only time at the Olympics.

The events were not held in Roma, but rather off the coast of Napoli, in the Golfo di Napoli, or Gulf of Naples, also sometimes called the Bay of Naples. Due to the distance from Roma, a separate organizing committee was formed for the sailing events, memorably named Solo Mio.

The scoring system was the same as in 1948-56, and would remain standard through 1964. Points were awarded in each race based on placement in the race and the number of boats racing. The worst of a boat’s seven scores were eliminated, thus using the best six of seven scores for the final total.

The five events were won by five different nations – Denmark, Greece, Norway, the Soviet Union, and the United States. Denmark won the most medals, with three, followed by the Soviets and Americans, with two each. Eleven (11) nations won yachting medals, the most ever at a single Olympics to that date.