Editorial: Get Ready for Olympic Sailing

For years, sailing enthusiasts have been frustrated with the limited amount of television time given to the sport during coverage of the Olympic Games. Despite the fact that sailing has been an Olympic sport since the Paris games of 1900, television has always offered minimal Olympic sailing coverage — and some years, there has been no television coverage at all.            

However, this year, for the first time, ALL sailing events at the XXX Olympiad in London will be televised live online. There is a catch: You have to subscribe to a cable television or satellite television service package that includes CNBC and MSNBC and then register online, before you can view live streams and full event replays on your computer or (for advanced technophiles) on your Web-enabled television, smartphone or tablet (such as an iPad).            

This is a major improvement over previous years’ sailing coverage, even though there will be no coverage of sailing on conventional over-the-air NBC television broadcasts.            

To register for free online viewing, go to nbcolympics.com/liveextra/help/index.html. The site provides complete schedules for each event under (“Online Listings”). An app is available for those who want to watch the online coverage on their smartphones or tablets.            

Here’s a basic schedule for Summer Olympics sailing events:            

Men’s Finn — July 29-31, Aug. 2-3, Medal: Aug. 5            

Men’s Laser — July 30-Aug. 1, Aug. 3-4, Medal: Aug. 6            

Men’s 470 — Aug. 2-4, Aug. 6-7, Medal: Aug. 9            

Men’s Star — July 29-31, Aug. 2-3, Medal: Aug. 5            

Men’s 49er — July 30-Aug. 3, Aug. 5-6, Medal: Aug. 8            

Men’s RS-X — July 31-Aug. 2, Aug. 4-5, Medal: Aug. 7            

Women’s 470 — Aug. 3-5, Aug. 7-8, Medal: Aug. 10            

Women’s Elliott 6m — July 29-Aug. 2, Aug. 4, Aug. 7-10, Medal: Aug. 11            

Women’s RS-X — July 31-Aug. 2, Aug. 4-5, Medal: Aug. 7            

Women’s Laser Radial — July 30-Aug. 1, Aug. 3-4, Medal: Aug. 6            

Coverage starts at 4 a.m. July 29, with Men’s Finn Race 1.            

Let’s enjoy the 2012 Summer Olympics’ full sailing coverage — and let’s hope it continues for future Olympic Games.