Sailing/Yachting is an Olympic sport that has been part of the Olympic programme starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad (1896 Olympics in Athens, Greece). With the exception of 1904 and possibly the canceled 1916 Summer Olympics, sailing has always been included on the Olympic schedule. The Sailing program in 2004 consisted of eleven disciplines divided over nine sailing classes. For each discipline multiple races were scheduled between 14 and 28 August 2004 along the coast near Athens. Athens hosted the Olympic sailing competitions for the second time, having done so during the 1896 Summer Olympics. However, in 1896, the sailing competition was cancelled due to heavy storms and further bad weather conditions. This time the weather conditions were good. The sailing event was executed on the several types of Olympic courses in different course areas using the 'Fleetrace' and 'Matchrace' formats.^[1]

Quick Facts Sailing at the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, Venues ...

Sailing at the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad
Venues	Agios Kosmas Olympic Sailing Centre
Dates	First race: 14 August 2004 (2004-08-14) Last race: 28 August 2004 (2004-08-28)
Competitors	400 (261 male, 139 female) from 61 nations
Boats	268
← 2000 2008 →

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Quick Facts Agios Kosmas Olympic Sailing Centre, Former names ...

Agios Kosmas Olympic Sailing Centre
Ολυμπιακό Κέντρο Ιστιοπλοϊας Αγίου Κοσμά
Agios Kosmas Olympic Sailing Centre
Former names	Agios Kosmos Marina
General information
Status	Completed
Type	Olympic harbor
Location	Coastal area of Southern Attica
Address	Poseidonos Avenue, 16777
Town or city	Elliniko
Country	Greece
Coordinates	37°52′36″N 23°43′39″E
Elevation	Sealevel
Construction started	1960's
Completed	31 January 2004
Opened	2 August 2004
Inaugurated	13 August 2004
Renovation cost	€ 10,500,000
Client	Greece Olympic Committee
Owner	Seirios AE
Technical details
Floor area	336,289 square metres (3,619,780 sq ft)
Design and construction
Main contractor	Ministry for the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works.
Other information
Seating type	For medal ceremonies
Seating capacity	1,600 spectators

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According to the IOC statutes, the contests in all sport disciplines must be held either in, or as close as possible to the city which the IOC has chosen. Among others, an exception can be made for the Olympic sailing events. However the situation in Athens is very suitable for sailing. Therefore, the racing was organized at the Agios Kosmos Marina at the coastal area of Southern Attica some 14 km south of Athens city centre and close to the old airport. This harbor was built in the 1960s but for the 2004 Summer Games it was completely reconstructed to form the Agios Kosmas Olympic Sailing Centre. The Agios Kosmas Olympic Sailing Centre was completed on 31 January 2004. On clear day the Acropolis could be seen from the course areas.

• "Digital Library Collection (Official Olympic Reports 1896 - 2008)". Digital Library Collection at la84.org. la84foundation. Retrieved 3 March 2014.