Sailing at the 1956 Summer Olympics – 12 m2 Sharpie

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Sailing at the 1956 Summer Olympics – 12 m² Sharpie}}

{{short description|Sailing at the Olympics}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}

{{Infobox Olympic event

|event = 12 m² Sharpie

|games = 1956 Summer

|image = Jack Cropp and Peter Mander 1956.jpg

|image_size = 260px

|caption = Cropp (left) and Mander

|venue = Port Phillip

|dates = 26–29 November and
3–5 December

|competitors = 26

|nations = 13

|teams = 13

|gold = Peter Mander
Jack Cropp

|goldNOC = NZL

|silver = Rolly Tasker
John Scott

|silverNOC = AUS

|bronze = Jasper Blackall
Terence Smith

|bronzeNOC = GBR

|prev =

|next =

}}

{{SailingAt1956SummerOlympics}}

The 12 m² Sharpie was a sailing event in the sailing program of the 1956 Summer Olympics, held at Port Phillip. Seven races were scheduled. Twenty-six sailors, on 13 boats, from 13 nations competed.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/results/9629 |title=Sailing at the 1956 Summer Olympics: Two Person Heavyweight Dinghy (Sharpie), Open |work=Olympedia |accessdate=3 June 2020}}

The races were held on a 10 nautical mile (18.5 km) course. Dutch teams dominated this class in the 1950s, but they boycotted the 1956 Olympics, protesting the Soviet invasion of Hungary. Australia initially won the final, but were demoted to second place after France argued that the Australian boat obstructed their path.[https://web.archive.org/web/20200418132137/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1956/SAI/mixed-two-person-heavyweight-dinghy.html Sailing at the 1956 Melbourne Summer Games: Mixed Two Person Heavyweight Dinghy]. sports-reference.com