Olympic Trial Event
Unidentified photographer, Wassaw Sound, circa 1996
Georgia Amateur Athletic Foundation Collection, Kenan Research Center at Atlanta History Center
Opened: 1996 | Still in use and temporary
With the best coastal conditions for sailing near Atlanta, the waters off Savannah were designated for 1996 Olympic yachting events. Many existing boating facilities were used during the planning, trials, and events themselves, but the needs of the Games dictated some improvements and new constructions in the area. Officials constructed an Olympic Marina on Wilmington Island as the main hub, and launched a temporary barge structure, called the Day Marina in the middle of Wassaw Sound to run the events. Many pieces of public art and markers along Savannah’s waterways still note the city’s Olympic history.