In 1963, French architect Andre Cornu designed the two-handed centerboard boat as a modern high performance fiberglass planing dinghy which could be sailed by anyone.

While the 470 has been an Olympic class boat since 1976, it has universal appeal - sailed today for both recreational purposes and superior competition by more than 30,000 sailors in 42 countries worldwide.

In 1988, women officially entered Olympic sailing competition with the first-ever 470 Women's event. This boat is especially well-suited to women's competition because of its light weight, maneuverability and light crew weight requirement.

A strict one design class, the 470 has proved its pedigree as an Olympic class, being a high-performance sailing dinghy suitable for body weights from all continents and performing across a wide range of weather conditions.

Across the 11 Olympic Games in which the 470 Class has been raced, 20 different nations have secured Olympic medals in the men’s and women’s events, demonstrating the depth of participation and talent.

Since 2006, the International 470 Class has made a priority commitment to support young athletes and emerging nations through its development programmes.

Many athletes benefited by receiving technical expertise and coaching, along with financial support to participate in 470 Class Championships.

For more information go to the 470 Class Association