INTERVIEW WITH FILIPE SILVA - POR 21 After some years, I started to really miss the racing characteristics of singlehanded boats, where you only depend on yourself, so I decided to search for the best alternative. Then I realized the only highly competitive singlehanded class we have for heavier sailors is the Finn, and I joined in 2017. It took me a few months to adjust my style to the boat’s characteristics, and in 2018 I did my first Masters event. What does it mean to you to be a Finn sailor? Finn is an incredibly fast and sensitive boat, that demands a lot from the sailors. It makes highly competitive regattas, perhaps the most competitive we find in sailing – it’s almost addictive. Maybe that’s why many former Olympic champions, some of the best ever, have sailed or are now sailing in the Finn class.
We have all it takes to make the Finn class grow ilipe Silva switched to the Finn class in 2017 and sailed F his first Masters event in 2018. He went on to win the Finn European Masters in Schwerin in 2019 and then
picked up second place at the 2021 Finn World Masters in Los Alcazares. Here he explains why he is loving the Finn class and why he set up a Finn Sailing Academy in his hometown of Vilamoura in Portugal.
What is your background in sailing? My father was passionate about the sea, also a sailor himself, but he didn’t compete in regattas. At a certain point in his life, he became Commodore of the Vilamoura Yacht Clube (CIMAV), Portugal, and that brought me closer to sailing sport. I started in the Optimist class at the age of six and never stopped. Sailing competitions became the passion of my life. I was champion in the Optimists, in the Laser class, in the Dragon and Laser SB20 classes, until I switched to the Finn class in 2017. Why and how did you start in the Finn? When my weight went over 86 kilos, I could no longer be competitive in the Laser class, so I moved on to bigger boats.
What other sailing do you do? I am still sailing in the Dragon class and just recently I even bought a boat. It is a very elegant boat, which is a pleasure to sail. The spirit of the races and in the Dragon class community is also incredible, but the competitive intensity is not the same that we find in the Finn class. What attracts you to sail the Finn and the Masters? You are competing with the best. The Masters offers a very interesting and rare combination. It’s like a set of old friends where they all have a strong competitive spirit. Everybody wants to win, but not to win at any price. It’s very positive. They all want the medals, but they respect from the heart and celebrate who wins them. Which Masters were the most memorable? Since 2018 I have participated in almost all the European and World Masters races. Talking about competitive spirit, the regatta that brings me the best memory was my gold medal at the European Masters in Schwerin, Germany. The second one was my silver medal in the World Masters in Spain. ON THE FINN SAILING ACADEMY in vilamoura how and why did it start? As well as being passionate about sailing, I am also a natural born hotelier. I was raised and live in Vilamoura, Algarve, Portugal, one of the best regions in the world when it comes to combining sun, beach and ocean. I share my life between my hotel unit and the practice of sailing, and I always wanted to find a way of combining the two things I most enjoy doing in life. Now that I have enough sailing experience and curriculum to feel able to teach things to others, I decided to implement the dream of having my own sailing academy. This is not a sailing academy run like a typical business, nor is it an additional service offered by the hotel unit. I wanted to create something that would be a continuity of myself, where I would participate intensely; sharing my knowledge of sailing, and that would also promote sailing in the Vilamoura region and the Finn class; a purpose at this stage of my life. What are you offering to sailors? My idea was to find a way to gather very experienced sailors, coming from many parts of the world, and offer sailing clinics that helps them improve their individual skills. In addition, I also would like to create the opportunity for young sailors to get in contact with the most experienced; to offer the best experience possible to every participant, each week-long programme is adapted to the characteristics of each group. The Finn Sailing Academy offers
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FINN MASTERS MAGAZINE & YEARBOOK 2022
