Two-Person Heavyweight Dinghy (Flying Dutchman), Open

The Flying Dutchman class, as a two-person heavyweight dinghy class, had been on the Olympic Program since the 1960 Roma Olympics, but it would be discontinued after 1992. It was not replaced as the trend has been towards smaller and lighter boats in Olympic yachting / sailing.

Americans Paul Foerster and Stephen Bourdow took a big lead by winning the second, third, and fourth races, but they could not fully shake the Spanish crew of Luis Doreste and Domingo Manrique. Doreste and Manrique won only one race, the first, but were consistent and held on for the win despite finishing 13th in the final race.

This was Doreste’s second Olympic gold medal, having won the 470 class at the 1984 Olympics. His brother, José Luis, also won an Olympic sailing gold medal, in the 1988 Finn class. Paul Foerster later won two more Olympic medals in the 470 class, silver in 2000 and gold in 2004. The bronze medal skipper in Barcelona, Jørgen Bojsen-Møller of Denmark, came in as the defending gold medalist in Flying Dutchman, and was competing in the class at his fourth Olympics.