When the Dutch first developed "jaghtschiffs," they made fast and agile vessels ideal for protection and running down pirates. In fact, the word "jaght" means "to chase, hunt or pursue."
But little did the Dutch know that their form of transport would become a sport. The transformation started in the mid-1600s, when the sport caught on with the British Empire, which changed jaght to yacht as we know it today.
In 1851, the Hundred Guineas Cup -- a 60-mile race around the Isle of Wight -- marked the first international yachting event and the sport made its Olympic debut in 1896 in Athens.
Four years later, the U.S. competed in the event for the first time in the Olympics. They would not compete again until 1928, but a team has been sent every Olympics since, except for when the U.S. boycotted the 1980 Games in Russia.