Two Person Heavyweight Dinghy (Flying Dutchman), Open

In 1968 Rodney Pattisson had skippered his boat to a gold medal in this event in what is considered the most dominant performance in Olympic history, winning five of seven races, finishing second in the other, and being disqualified after winning another race. He returned in 1972 with a different crew member, Christopher Davies, and they defended the British gold medal with a performance that was almost as impressive as in 1968. Pattisson and Davies won four the first six races, and sat out the final race, having secured the gold medal without having to sail.

The Israeli crew of Itzhak Nir and Yair Michaeli finished 26th, and they also did not start the final race. The sixth race took place on Tuesday, 5 September, the same day that cowardly Arab terrorists from the Black September group kidnapped and murdered 11 Israeli athletes and coaches in the Olympic Village and at Fürstenfeldbruck Airport outside of München. The Games were delayed one day for a memorial service on 6 September. In Kiel, the races on 7 September were delayed by heavy fog, so the final race took place on 8 September but Nir and Michaeli chose not to participate.