description Soling Class Sailing Overview
The Soling is a class of open three-person keelboat designed by Norwegian Jan Herman Linge in 1965. It features a heavy keel and a large sail plan, making it a stable but demanding boat suited for competitive racing. The Soling gained international prominence as an Olympic class event for eight consecutive Summer Olympics, debuting at the 1972 Munich Games and concluding its run after the 2000 Sydney Games. Today, it remains an active international racing class managed by World Sailing.
help Soling Class Sailing FAQ
Who designed the Soling class and when did it appear?
Norwegian designer Jan Herman Linge designed the Soling as a day racer, and it appeared as a Norwegian national class in 1965. The International Soling Association later developed it into an international three-person keelboat class.
Why was the Soling an Olympic boat?
The Soling was selected in 1968 as the Olympic three-man keelboat and made its Olympic debut at Munich in 1972. It remained on the Olympic program through the 2000 Sydney Games.
What makes the Soling stable but demanding to sail?
The class has a fixed, heavily ballasted keel and a large sail plan, giving it stability while requiring coordinated trimming and steering from its crew. Official class specifications list about 1,035 kg displacement, a 1.30 m draft and roughly 21.7 square meters of total sail area.
How many people race on a Soling?
The class was designed around three sailors, and the Olympic format used a three-person crew. Some current local racing allows two or three sailors under event rules, so the regatta notice should be checked before entering.
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