Designed in 1964 by Norwegian Jan Linge, the Soling first started racing in Norway in 1965. This design became the three-man keelboat class for the Olympics from 1972 until 2000. With its large sail area, the boat requires droop hiking. The Soling is raced worldwide for fleet racing and match racing, with Europe having the largest concentration of active fleets. Canada has three Soling fleets, at Toronto, Bath, and Lac St-Jean. American fleets are most highly concentrated in the Great Lakes region, with additional fleets in the Northeast, on the West Coast, and in Houston. The 2006 world championships, held in Annapolis, featured 39 boats-the largest turnout of Solings in North America for a decade. The Soling is an International Sailing Federation (ISAF) International Keelboat Class Association. For more information, read the Soling Wikipedia article.