The Soling is an open keelboat that holds the World Sailing "International class" status. The class was used from the 1972 Olympics until the 2000 Olympics as "Open three-person keelboat". Besides the Olympic career of the Soling the boat is used for international and local regattas as well as for recreational sailing. The Soling is managed by the International Soling Association under auspician of World Sailing since 1968.
David John Oliver Forbes OAM was an Australian sailor who competed for his country at three Olympics from 1968 to 1976. Forbes won an Olympic gold medal in the Star Class at Munich 1972 alongside John Anderson OAM. His sailing career spanned over 20 years and included a 5.5m World Championship in 1970, a Sydney to Hobart race in 1974, and ten Australian championships in the Star, 5.5m, Soling, and Etchells classes. He represented Australia at three Olympic Games – 1968 Mexico City, 1972 Munich, and 1976 Montreal, and was a member of two America’s Cup challenges. He was a part of the ‘Gretel II’ crew in the 1970 America’s Cup and was relief helmsman in the 1977 America’s Cup.
Sailing/Yachting is an Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad. With the exception of 1904 and the canceled 1916 Summer Olympics, sailing has always been included on the Olympic schedule. The Sailing program of 1972 consisted of a total of six sailing classes (disciplines). For each class seven races were scheduled from 29 August 1972 to 8 September 1972 of the coast of Kiel-Schilksee in the Bay of Kiel. Kiel hosted the Olympic sailing competitions for the second time, having previously done so during the 1936 Summer Olympics. The sailing was done on the triangular type Olympic courses.
The Vintage Yachting Games are an international Quadrennial multi class sailing event for former Olympic classes and the former Classes of the Paralympic Games. The Vintage Games is held every four years.
The 2008 Vintage Yachting Games was the first post-Olympic multi-class sailing event for discontinued Olympic classes. The event took place on the IJsselmeer of Medemblik, the Netherlands, from 20 September to 27 September 2008. A total of 66 sailors in 47 boats from 17 countries showed up to compete in six Vintage Yachting Classes
The 2012 Vintage Yachting Games was the second post-Olympic multi-class sailing event for discontinued Olympic classes. The event was held on 7–14 July 2012 on Lake Como in Italy. The organization of this event was in the hands of the Multilario, a joint venture of local yacht clubs at Lake Como. The Vintage Yachting Games Organization (VYGO) was the governing organization. A total of 225 sailors in 113 boats from 17 countries competed in seven Vintage Yachting Classes
Peter Burling is a New Zealand sailor. He was the 2021 America's Cup winning skipper and helmsman, and the 2017 America's Cup winning helmsman of Team New Zealand. Burling won an Olympic gold medal in the 49er class at the 2016 games and silver medals in the 2012 and 2020 Olympics.
The 2018 Vintage Yachting Games was the third post-Olympic multi-class sailing event for discontinued Olympic and Paralympic Classes. The event was held from 16 to 22 September 2018 on Øresund, Copenhagen in Denmark. The organization of this event was executed by a joint venture of the Kongelig Dansk Yachtklub and the Hellerup Sejlklub. The Vintage Yachting Games Organization (VYGO) was the governing organization. The competition took place in 3 Vintage Yachting Classes.
Steven Feico Alle Bakker is a sailor from the Netherlands. Since the Netherlands did boycott the Moscow Olympic Games Bakker represented his National Olympic Committee at the 1980 Summer Olympics, which was boycotted by several countries, in Tallinn, USSR under the Dutch NOC flag. With his father Geert Bakker as helmsman and fellow crew member Dick Coster, Bakker took the 5th place in the Soling. In the 1988 Olympics in Pusan Bakker made his second Olympic appearance. This time as helmsman in the Dutch Star with Kobus Vandenberg as crew. They took 9th place.
Rudy den Outer is a sailor from the Netherlands, who represented his country at the 2008 Vintage Yachting Games in Medemblik, as helmsman in the Dutch Soling Sophie's Choice. Den Outer with crew members Leo Determan and Ronald den Arend took the Gold. In the 2012 Vintage Yachting Games, this time with crew members Gavin Lidlow and Ramzi Souli the team took the Silver medal in Bellano, Italy. In 2003 with helmsman Fred Imhoff and Richard van Rij he became European Champion in the Dragon at Kinsale, Ireland. Den Outer is also very active in the organization of major International Sailing events for Olympic and former Olympic classes.
The Soling European Championship is an International sailing regatta in the Soling organized by the International Soling Association under auspiciën of World Sailing. Over 50 Soling European Championship were held. The popularity grew during the Olympic period of the Soling. After that era the event continued and is still reasonable successful. The Soling European Championship is an "Open" event. This means that competitors from all over the world are eligible to enter.
The Soling North American Championship is an International sailing regatta in the Soling organized by the International Soling Association under auspiciën of World Sailing. The initiative for this event was taken, inspired by the success of the Soling European Championship, by Milwaukee Yacht Club sailor Jack Van Dyke in 1969 to promote Soling sailing in the US and Canada. Since then over 50 Soling North American Championship were held. The popularity grew during the Olympic period of the Soling. After that era the event continued and is still reasonable successful. The Soling North American Championship is an "Open" event. This means that competitors from all over the world are eligible to enter. So far oversees entries have only won the Championship three times:
Peter Hall is a sailor from Canada, who represented his country at the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis, United States with team members Scott Morgan and Alain Boucher where they took the Silver medal in the Soling. Also at the 2018 Vintage Yachting Games in Hellerup Denmark, Hall as helmsman together with his fellow crew members Gord de Vries and Johan Offermans took the silver medal in the Soling. Hall is representing Group P in the council of World Sailing. Peter won so far four World Championships. Furthermore, he was president of the International Soling Association from 2015 - 2016.
Ramzi Souli is a sailor from the Netherlands, who represented his country at the 2012 Vintage Yachting Games in Bellano Italy. Souli on the fordeck together with helmsman Rudy den Outer and Gavin Lidlow in the middle took the Silver medal in the Soling. During the 2012 Soling Europeans in Aarhus, Denmark as well as at the 2014 Soling Europeans in Saint-Pierre-Quiberon, France the same team took the 3rd place. Together with Rudy den Outer and Theo de Lange Ramzi became European Champion in the Soling at Mandello del Lario, Italy in 2021, Ramzi holds several Dutch titles in the Soling. He is member of the Kralingsche Zeil Club in Rotterdam.
Leo Determan is a sailor from the Netherlands, who represented his country at the 2008 Vintage Yachting Games in Medemblik The Netherlands. Determan in the middle together with helmsman Rudy den Outer and Ronald den Arend on the foredeck took the Gold medal in the Soling. Leo holds several Dutch titles and one Italian title (2010) in the Soling. He used to be member of Yacht Club VZOD, Rotterdam.
Ronald den Arend is a sailor from the Netherlands, who represented his country at the 2008 Vintage Yachting Games in Medemblik, The Netherlands. Den Arend on the foredeck, together with helmsman Rudy den Outer and Leo Determan in the middle, took the Gold medal in the Soling. Ronald holds several Dutch titles in the Soling. He is a member of the Kralingsche Zeil Club in Rotterdam.
Gavin Lidlow is a sailor from the Netherlands, who represented his country at the 2012 Vintage Yachting Games in Bellano Italy. Lidlow in the middle as tacktician together with helmsman Rudy den Outer and Ramzi Souli on the foredeck took the Silver medal in the Soling. During the 2012 Soling Europeans in Aarhus, Denmark as well as at the 2014 Soling Europeans in Saint-Pierre-Quiberon, France the same team took the 3rd place. Gavin holds several Dutch titles in the Soling. He is member of the Kralingsche Zeil Club in Rotterdam.
Martin Zeileis is a sailor from Austria, together with Karl Haist (helmsman) and Patrick Wichmann (foredeck), Zeileis won second place during the 2012 European Soling Championship. With this team he became the Best Europeans in this series.
The main article describes all European Soling Championships from one the first held in 1968 to the announced Championships in the near future. This article states the detailed results, where relevant the controversies, and the progression of the Championship during the series race by race of the European Soling Championships in the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. This is based on the major sources: World Sailing, the world governing body for the sport of sailing recognized by the IOC and the IPC, and the publications of the International Soling Association.
Netherlands 
