Italy’s Agostino Straulino was in his second of five Olympic appearances, but he came in as the favorite, in the midst of winning eight consecutive European Championships (1949-56) in the Star. The American crew of John Price and John Reid, aboard Comanche, won four of the seven races, and led after the first and fourth races, but Straulino, on Merope, won the other three races, and was much more consistent, placing second to the Americans in their four victories, and held on for the gold medal by winning the final race. Straulino would return in 1956, with his crewman Nico Rode and win silver in the class.
| Pos | Competitors | NOC | Points | Race #1 | Race #2 | Race #3 | Race #4 | Race #5 | Race #6 | Race #7 | | | |
|---|
| 1 | Merope | ITA | 7,635 | 1,122 (2) | 1,423 (1) | 1,122 (2) | 1,122 (2) | 1,423 (1) | 1,122 (2) | 1,423 (1) | Gold | | |
| Agostino Straulino • Nico Rode |
| 2 | Comanche | USA | 7,216 | 1,423 (1) | 578 (7) | 1,423 (1) | 1,423 (1) | 946 (3) | 1,423 (1) | 520 (8) | Silver | | |
| John Price • John Reid |
| 3 | Espadarte | POR | 4,903 | 821 (4) | 520 (8) | 946 (3) | 946 (3) | 724 (5) | – (DNF) | 946 (3) | Bronze | | |
| Francisco Rebello de Andrade • Joaquim Fiuza |
| 4 | Kurush IV | CUB | 4,535 | 724 (5) | 344 (12) | 821 (4) | 821 (4) | 645 (6) | 946 (3) | 578 (7) | | | |
| Carlos de Cárdenas Culmell • Carlos de Cárdenas Plá |
| 5 | Gem III | BAH | 4,405 | 946 (3) | 645 (6) | 645 (6) | 423 (10) | 1,122 (2) | 578 (7) | 469 (9) | | | |
| Durward Knowles • Sloane Farrington |
| 6 | Eissero VI | FRA | 3,866 | 645 (6) | 382 (11) | 578 (7) | 578 (7) | 821 (4) | 821 (4) | 423 (10) | | | |
| Édouard Chabert • Jean-Louis Dauris |
| 7 | Lotta IV | SWE | 3,785 | 578 (7) | 469 (9) | 724 (5) | 724 (5) | 469 (9) | 469 (9) | 821 (4) | | | |
| Bengt Melin • Börje Carlsson |
| 8 | Bem II | NED | 3,510 | 469 (9) | 946 (3) | 469 (9) | 382 (11) | 520 (8) | 724 (5) | 382 (11) | | | |
| Bob Maas • Eddy Stutterheim |
| 9 | Ali-Baba IV | SUI | 3,400 | 309 (13) | 1,122 (2) | 277 (14) | 469 (9) | 578 (7) | 645 (6) | 168 (18) | | | |
| Hans Bryner • Kurt Bryner |
| 10 | Whirlaway | CAN | 2,889 | 344 (12) | 309 (13) | 382 (11) | 219 (16) | 423 (10) | 309 (13) | 1,122 (2) | | | |
| Andrew Hugessen • Doug Woodward |
| 11 | Paka V | GER | 2,367 | 520 (8) | 423 (10) | – (DNF) | 277 (14) | – (DNF) | 423 (10) | 724 (5) | | | |
| Claus Wunderlich • Paul Fischer |
| 12 | Bu III | BRA | 2,350 | 382 (11) | 821 (4) | 309 (13) | 144 (19) | 344 (12) | 247 (15) | 247 (15) | | | |
| Cid Nascimento • Tacariju de Paula |
| 13 | Fortuna | GBR | 2,178 | 247 (15) | 724 (5) | – (DNF) | 122 (20) | 247 (15) | 193 (17) | 645 (6) | | | |
| Bruce Banks • Stanley Potter |
| 14 | 30. Februar | AUT | 2,092 | 219 (16) | 247 (15) | 168 (18) | 520 (8) | 309 (13) | 520 (8) | 277 (14) | | | |
| Harald Fereberger • Harald von Musil |
| 15 | Marie-Tim | GRE | 1,983 | 144 (19) | 219 (16) | 423 (10) | 645 (6) | 168 (18) | 219 (16) | 309 (13) | | | |
| Andreas Ziro • Timoleon Razelos |
| 16 | Arcturus | ARG | 1,833 | 423 (10) | 144 (19) | – (DNF) | 309 (13) | 382 (11) | 382 (11) | 193 (17) | | | |
| Alfredo Vallebona • Jorge Brauer |
| 17 | Uragan | URS | 1,680 | 168 (18) | 277 (14) | 219 (16) | 344 (12) | 219 (16) | 277 (14) | 344 (12) | | | |
| Aleksandr Chumakov • Konstantin Melgunov |
| 18 | Hornet | AUS | 1,575 | 277 (14) | 122 (20) | 520 (8) | 168 (18) | 144 (19) | 344 (12) | 122 (20) | | | |
| Bart Harvey • Kevin Wilson |
| 19 | Lucky Star | FIN | 1,322 | 193 (17) | 193 (17) | 247 (15) | 193 (17) | 277 (14) | 168 (18) | 219 (16) | | | |
| Christian Ilmoni • René Nyman |
| 20 | Primorka | YUG | 1,218 | 122 (20) | 168 (18) | 344 (12) | 247 (15) | 193 (17) | 144 (19) | 101 (21) | | | |
| Karlo Bašić • Mario Fafangel |
| 21 | Hirondelle | MON | 560 | – | – | 193 (17) | 101 (21) | – (DNF) | 122 (20) | 144 (19) | | | |
| Michel Auréglia • Victor de Sigaldi |