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SUBSCRIPTIONS
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Lawrence Crispin at the 2024 Masters in Punta Ala.
Masters President’s Message
Following our largest Finn Masters event for six years I think we can look forward to the future with confidence and a welcome return to the former growth we were experiencing before the pandemic. As usual, we punched our way through the many issues that seem to run alongside a large event, but we continue to listen to opinions on how we can fine-tune and improve the Masters events.
The one thing that did keep rearing its head was the random selection process that we used, although it is currently based on a totally random process, originally developed by Richard Hart in 2014 and then further developed by Ray New and then Russell New and Steve Hayles. However, as we experienced in Punta Ala random can have issues in that some sailors in the top section of the fleet never had the opportunity to sail against each other, and some sailors were sailing each other almost every day. We had a lot of suggestions following this and I know that the Dutch are keen to look at another format for the larger fleet separation. Discussions are ongoing
about the format for 2025, however it was clear at the Annual Masters Meeting, that very few want a final series, meaning that everyone races together in groups until the final day.
With memories of Italy starting to fade in the distance, our sights are now turned to the Europeans in Cannes. Stretching the summer with Finn sailing is always a good one for me! I’m looking forward to seeing many of you again before a number of us hide away for the winter period and what better place than the South of France. (The discounted deadline is looming so please enter soon).
Over the next couple of months, the workload for Medemblik will start to escalate and we will endeavour to keep you up to speed with news as it happens, particularly with accommodation/ camping, in order that you can plan your travel.
We are also looking in detail at some interesting future venues, but more on that later.
CONTACTS AND CALENDAR
Finn World Masters Committee Event Calendar 2024-6
President Masters’ Fleet
Andy Denison (GBR 20)
12 Castle Street, Christchurch
BH23 1DT, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1202 484748
Mob +44 (0)7802 355 522
Email: andy@denisons.com
Henk de Jager (NED 11)
Agnietenstraat 47
5301ET Zaltbommel
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 622 23 5079
Mob: +7 701 754 1813
Email: henk.dejager11@gmail.com
Phil Chadwick (AUS 75)
85 Stratton Terrace, Manly, QLD 4179
Australia
Tel: +61 400 965 917
Email: philchadwick65@icloud.com
2024 18-25 Oct
2025
5-13 April
Marc Allain des Beauvais (FRA 99)
62 Avenue Camus, 44000 Nantes,
France
Tel: +33 (0)285 520 330
Mob: +33 (0)6 07 29 27 56
Email: marc@transmer.com
Open/Masters Europeans Cannes FRA
Open/Masters Europeans Naples ITA 13-20 June Finn World Masters Medemblik NED
2026
20-27 Feb Finn World Masters Brisbane AUS Sept European Masters Spain tbc
For National events please check local websites for latest information. Further updates also at www.finnworldmasters.com
Supplier Directory
BOATBUILDERS
AND SUPPLIERS
Devoti Sailing www.devotisailing.com
Finnports www.finnports.com.au AUS Dinghy Racing Centre www.dinghyracingcentre.nl NED
HiTechSailing www.hitechsailing.com
Jibetech www.jibetech.com
Jorge Rodrigues jrsilva@gmail.com
DC Composites www.dc-composites.com
Pata Boats www.patafinn.hu
Pata Finns Africa www.patafinnsafrica.com
Suntouched www.suntouched.co.uk
Wilke www.wilke.ch
MASTS & BOOMS
Allen www.allenbrothers.co.uk
Art of Racing (booms) www.artofracing.co.nz
www.c-tech.co.nz
Masts www.dinghyracingcentre.nl
Pata www.patafinn.hu
Pata Finns Africa www.patafinnsafrica.com
PAST PRESIDENTS
Andreas Bollongino (GER 19)
Burgstraße 15, 78479, Reichenau
Germany
Tel: +49 7534 5814901
Mob: +49 175 7998338
Email: andreas@bollongino.net
1978-1992 Georg Oser 1992-2008 Rolf Lehnert 2008-2013 Fons van Gent 2013-present Andy Denison
*Please note that there may be changes in the committee at the AMM
STAFF
Robert Deaves (webmaster, secretary, magazine editor, media)
2 Exeter Road, Ipswich, IP3 8JL. UK
Tel/WhatsApp: +44 (0)7936 356 663
Email: media@finnworldmaster.com
Suntouched www.suntouched.co.uk
Wilke www.wilke.ch
SAILS
Doyle Raudaschl www.raudaschl.co.at
Dynamic Sails www.dynamicsails.com
One Sails www.onesails.com
North Sails www.northonedesign.com
Turtle Sails www.turtlesails.de
Ullman Sails www.ullmansails.co.uk
Victory Sails www.victorysails.com
WB Sails www.wb-sails.fi
OTHER
Finnsailing.de www.finnsailing.de
HIT Trailers www.hittrailer.nl
Marina Dellas www.dellas.de
Sandiline www.sandiline.com
Godet trophy 2024
At the opening ceremony of the Finn World Masters Masters, Andy Denison presented the Godet Trophy for 2024, to Claire Des Beauvais Desfossés.
The Godet Trophy is awarded annually to recognise outstanding contributions to the work of the Finn World Masters. For more years than many remember Claire has been documenting our events with photography as well as more recently with Facebook Live feeds from the race course, and this has become a valued and appreciated part of the class media output. So many thanks Claire, for all the great work and support, and long may it continue.
EVENT PHOTOS
All photos from the major Finn events can be bought as prints or downloads here: http://robertdeaves.smugmug.com
The majority of photos are tagged with name and sail number so just enter this in the search box to see all your photos.
#FINNtALKS
Don’t forget to check out the latest #finntalks on youtube on FINN TV or on the Finn Channel.
There are now 22 #FINNTALKS available including Philippe Rogge, Andy Denison, Josje Hofland, Tomas Mihalik and Luca Devoti . If you would like to be featured please get in touch.
Watch at finnclass.org/finn-tv/finntalks or www.youtube.com/thefinnchannel
EQUIPMENT USED AT 2024 FINN WORLD MASTERS
Thanks to August Atz and Giacomo Sabbatini for collating the data
LAURENT HAY FINALLY SECURES WORLD MASTERS IN ITALY
One of the great disparities in the Finn world was that despite being World No 1 for the last two years, Laurent Hay had never won a major title, despite coming very close on a number of occasions. He finally put that right at the 2024 Finn World Masters at the PuntAla Camp & Resort on the shores of the Gulf of Follonica, in Tuscany, Italy, though it was as close a finish as it was possible to get. In the end the world title came down to a brilliant split-second decision from Hay, 50 metres from the finish line of the final race, to overtake two boats, with his bow less than 1 metre from disappointment.
Former winner Valerian Lebrun was second with Martijn van Muyden in third. Both were only sailing their second World Masters.
In the end, 285 Finns from 30 nations arrived in Punta Ala for a week of sublime sailing off a beautiful beach. The host club, Centro Velico Punta Ala, is set in a beautiful forest alongside a stunning beach besides the Tyrrhenian Sea.
The practice race on Sunday was cancelled due to strong winds from a passing storm with temperatures in the high 20s, though the forecast for the rest of the week was for light to moderate winds and plenty of sunshine.
A FULL PROGRAMME of eight group races were sailed on Monday. Yellow and Blue groups sail on the North course area with Red and Green groups sailed on the South course. All eight group races were won by different boats.
The races were won by three-time champion, Andre Budzien, Enrico Passoni, two-time champion, John Greenwood and Rudolf Lidarik. The southern area had a more unstable wind resulting in a race abandonment and delay. Again, there were four race winners, Nanno Schuttrups, Laurent Hay, Akos Lukats and Nick Craig. Masters President, Andy Denison
commented “It doesn't get much better than this.” Nearly 300 Finns enjoying sublime sailing in 30 degrees, 8-12 knots, launching from a gorgeous beach is about as good as it gets, and though the racing was challenging, it was a spectacular day to remember.”
Martijn van Muyden: “It was a pretty nice day actually. We had more breeze than expected. I was out on the north course in the yellow group and on first start it was quite shifty and also the wind went up and down, so really tricky conditions but we had a nice day.”
Sebastien Godefroid: “It wasn't easy. The wind was going in all directions, but I think the race committee did quite a good job in kind of getting the middle of it but yeah for the sailors it was very difficult with big shifts and big changes in pressure. It was very difficult. I thought I would have it a bit easier but the fleet is really competitive.”
64 BRA 11 Robert Rittscher 21 16 5 (bfd) 4 38 18 102
65 FIN 22 Ville Valtonen 41 7 8 9 14 23 (bfd) 102
66 ITA 4 Francesco Faggiani 27 14 11 27 9 15 (dnf) 103
67 AUT 73 Markus Schneeberger 11 14 (30) 29 13 9 29 105
68 FIN 269 Mikko Tiilikka 18 21 16 (bfd) 4 28 19 106
69 HUN 180 Gergely Gerencser 19 (ret) 15 27 20 20 5 106
70 GBR
71
72
73
LAURENT HAY TOOK the lead on the second day after another eight group races were sailed. He was on equal points with van Muyden, with Nanno Schuttrups down to third.
After a short delay on the beach to wait for the wind the fleet was sent out in a building breeze and scorching hot sunshine.
On the South course area, Red and Green groups had the best conditions of the day as well as the shortest day. Defending Champion, Filipe Silva led his group from start to finish and followed that up with a third, after a challenging day on Monday, while Hay picked up a second race win ahead of van Muyden. In the second race, European Masters champion, Peter Peet took the win in red while van Muyden turned the tables to win Green ahead of Hay, keeping it very close at the top.
The North course area, with Yellow and Blue groups, proved to be a challenging and long day with the boats boat back on the beach until early evening. An unstable wind, multiple recalls and many black flags delayed start after start, such that in the final race the breeze was starting to die and made for a long race and a long sail home. Roberto Benamati took both wins in the Blue group while in the Yellow group belonged to the Dutch with wins for Thierry van Vierssen and Bas de Waal.
HAY EXTENDED ON Wednesday with just one race scheduled, but again it turned into a perfect sailing day. Lebrun climbed back into second position, with van Muiden in third.
On both racing areas, the breeze initially blew at around 5-6 knots, rapidly increasing to 12-13 knots during the first upwind leg for the yellow and red groups. Shortly after, the Oscar flag, indicating free pumping, was displayed.
Peter Peet led the Yellow group, with a significant advantage over Robert Rittscher and Francesco Faggiani. In the Red fleet, Hay won race, ahead of Nick
Craig and van Muyden. Hay remained the sailor to beat, with Van Muyden closely challenging for the Gold Cup. In the green fleet, Peter Mosny had a strong first upwind, emerging from the middle left. However, Andre Budzien won the race, followed by Karel Van Hellemond and Jan Willem Kok.
Andre Budzien. “We had great conditions on the water. We had more breeze than expected and the right side seemed to be the right choice. It was definitely more wavy, which made it a bit harder to launch, but also much easier sailing in.”
The annual gala dinner was held Wednesday night and will be remembered as one of the most sumptuous and well-presented Masters dinners ever.
ONLY ONE RACE was managed on each of the last two days, but Thursday’s single race followed a long wait for a thunderstorm to pass over, but left behind superb conditions for a late race. Each day had been better than the previous day and Thursday produced the best sailing yet with the breeze building very quickly to 14-18 knots for some amazing conditions.
The key interest was in red group, starting on the South course. Florian Raudaschl started well and led all the way to win by a huge margin, with regatta Hay in second, while Green group, was won by van Muyden. On the North course area, Valerian Lebrun won his group quite easily to close the gap on Hay, while Schuttrups also won his second race of the week to end the day in fifth.
Florian Raudaschl: “I really enjoyed the conditions, it was perfect sailing, big waves. I changed some settings compared to the other days, but mainly I chose the right side. I saw Laurent doing it yesterday, so I basically copied what he did. I stuck to the right, where it was less wavy and where there was more pressure.”
THE FINAL DAY could not have been closer. It was an exciting day, and a challenging day for the race teams and the sailors. After an exceptional week, the wind on Friday took a long time to stabilise, and with a 15.00 cutoff, it was run down to the wire. The final race was only started at the last possible minute before the time limit expired.
231 GER 5 Herbert Straub 56 54 50 50 44 59 (dnf) 313
Yellow and Blue groups on the North course were able to start first and were almost finished by the time the Red group was started on South course. Giacomo Giovanelli won the Yellow group and Roberto Strappati won the Blue group, but title challenger van Muyden could only manage a sixth place. So, the title came down to Lebrun and Hay.
To win, Valerian Lebrun needed to win Red group and he did just that, leading from the first reach for a comfortable win. Behind him in the Green group, Hay needed to finish top two to secure the title. However, it didn’t go to plan and he struggled to find the front, sometimes as deep as 12th, but on the final downwind he went wide, passed eight boats and then rounded the final gate mark fourth, behind two Dutch boats.
The Dutch boats fought for second place and just metres from the finish, one took the other high, which gave Hay the opportunity he needed. He immediately dived low, caught a wave and all three boats crossed the line in seconds. Hay thought he had crossed third, but he had actually done enough and crossed in second. He had won the Finn World Masters by less than a second and less than a metre at the finish.
After 14 years Hay had finally lifted a major title. It was his first ever major championship in the class after three times coming second and three times third. Valerian Lebrun was second with Martijn van Muyden in third.
Van Muyden: “I feel pretty good, even if I am a bit disappointed about today. We got nice racing, nice conditions, so I am pretty happy. Today we had quite a long waiting, the wind was all over the place. I was struggling a bit. I finished sixth, surely not enough, both Valérian and Laurent had better results, so yeah it’s a third place for me and I am happy with it.”
Lebrun: “Today it was really hard. We got tons of waiting and it was really hard to stay focused and then I knew I had to win the race to get a chance to win and that’s what I did. Laurent finished second and he won the event, the only thing I can do is congratulate him, he deserves it. He’s been on the podium for many years and he’s a fantastic Finn sailor.”
364
268 GER 293 Georg Siebeck 56 40 dnf dnf dnf (dnf) 53 365
269 AUT 47 Ernst Maier 64 65 64 62 57 54 (dnf) 366
Hay: “It was amazing, the level was really high. I knew I needed to handle today with no risk. I knew that to win the event I either had to win the last race or finish second. I had to beat my friend Valérian, who is my training partner in La Rochelle and he pushes me a lot and thanks to him I improved a lot.”
At the epic prizegiving the biggest cheers are always for the Legends of the class. Everyone aspires to be sailing Finns in the 70s, but also this year there were six Super Legends. All were honoured at the start of the Prizegiving. Rodrick Casander won the Super Legends, while Rob Coutts was the runaway winner of the Legends.
European Masters champion, Peter Peet won the Great Grand Master, Hay the Grand Masters and Lebrun the Masters. All great sailors and champions.
AN AMAZING WEEK in Punta Ala had come to an end, and everyone had a fantastic time with epic weather, tight racing, and that special atmosphere than comes with any Finn regatta. Thanks to the PuntAla Camp & Resort and the Centro Velico Punta Ala for putting on a really special event. It was Finntastic.
Next year the event heads to Medemblik, The Netherlands with planning always underway for 400 boats. Now that would be quite something.
CONTINUALLY ATTRACTED TO THE FINN VIBE
The evergreen John Greenwood first sailed a Finn some 43 years ago back in 1981 and thinks he has probably been sailing them on and off for at least half that time. After campaigning for the Olympics in the Finn in 1984 and the Star in 1992, he returned in the Finn in 1998 and won the 2000 and 2002 Finn World Masters. He finally clinched the British National Championship for the first time ever in 2021, 40 years after he first started in the class.
John’s grandfather and father were both founder members of Ogston Sailing Club, located in the middle of England. It was 250 acres (about 100 hectares of water) in a flooded valley. The Club was formed in 1959, the year he was born.
‘I started at the front of the boat with Dad when I was four and got a go at the back when I was seven. We started in National 14-foot boats and then raced in whatever was popular at the time. As I grew up, I just tried to race as much as I could. My first singlehander was a Solo dinghy, which I had when I was maybe 12 or 13. I remember people taking me away to compete in different sailing weeks in the summer, so I had a chance to sail on coastal waters from quite an early age. When I was 17 and could drive, Dad got me a new Laser and that was it. I was off each weekend racing and just wanted to do as much as I could. Since first sailing the Finn, I’ve sailed small keelboats and occasionally on big boats. I’ve had two goes at Olympic selection. In the Finn 1981-84 and in the Star, 1988-92, each time giving up work and sailing as much as I could, and each time coming up short. That experience was a great ‘life lesson’ and has pretty much shaped everything I do.’
FIRST FINN
Ever since he was young, he was fascinated by the Finn. ‘It’s what I aspired to, I guess. Paul Elvström was the main man in our sport when I was growing up, along with top UK sailor Rodney Pattison (Flying Dutchman Gold in 1968 and 1972 then silver in 1976). There were no Finns at my Club, so I grew up looking at pictures and reading reports of UK and international regattas, and following the results. It was not until I was 21 (1981) that I bought one. It was a honeycomb-built Taylor and it was a brick, massively stiff, but it was a start and it got me on the water. I appeared on the UK Finn scene with a Laser pal, Mark Littlejohn (later Laser Champion and Dutch Laser Coach) and we were both scooped up by Rod Carr, who’d just been appointed as RYA Olympic Manager following the UK boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games. Rod was a Finn Sailor and from Nottingham, so he knew a lot of the people I knew. With not much persuasion at all, I stopped working and moved down to Southampton, sleeping on the floor of the house where Tim Tavinor (then an Engineering student at Southampton University) was living. Rod organised some support from the University Physical Education Department, plus sorted me out an old Vanguard boat, and that was it, I was a young Finn sailor, and I was on ‘the programme’.’
He sailed through to 1985 and finished with Finn sailing after the 1985 Gold Cup, where he’d been testing a one-piece aluminium mast from Proctors (now Selden). ‘I got back into the
Finn in 1998, I think. Big Mac (Rob McMillan) reached out to me to ask if I’d buy all his Finn kit as he was moving down under. It sounded like a great chance to get back into the boat. I’d been sailing at a local lake in a Solo dinghy again, mostly with the kids onboard, so it was a great chance to do some ‘real racing’ again. Rob was selling a newish boat that Tim had built for himself. I was married with two kids and a decent well-paid job by then, so I was back into Finn sailing.’
At the moment Finn sailing is the only sailing he does. “Although I’ve got a 1970’s composite OK Dinghy at home that I’ve never sailed. I don’t often sail at my Club either. The last time I sailed something other than my Finn, I crewed for by brother-inlaw in an H-boat that he chartered for Cowes Week last year. Before Covid I spent a bit of time in a 1970’s wooden Albacore dinghy, which is like a two-handed Finn, same length, similar shape, just two sails. It was fun, a new challenge and great racing against different people, but to be honest, nothing really compares to the Finn in terms of the physical and mental effort or the rewards that gives you.”
IT'S THE VIBE
holiday for lots of reasons and one that I will always look back on as being ‘happy’ time.”
‘I think the feeling of community and spending time with the people I don’t see very often. I also hate seeing people struggle or having a hard time with their boats. So, sharing and helping people see things differently always creates good memories for me.’
He remains very attracted to sail the Finn and the Masters to keep coming back. “It’s not so much the racing or the effort, it’s the ‘vibe’. For me it’s the ‘dependency’ on your own efforts, not the efforts of others. Yes, it’s hard sometimes and the Finn ‘tests’ you. But knowing that everyone else is going through the same thing creates a feeling of ‘brotherhood’ that I’ve never found in any other fleet. Plus, you can’t be too much of a jerk on the racecourse otherwise you’ll never be able to get your boat off the beach or launch it. It took me a while to learn that.”
This year was John’s ninth FWM regatta (2000, 2002, 2006, 2012, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2024). ‘The most memorable was probably Split in 2002 the because it was the only time that Bridget, my wife and the kids (Katie and Nick) were there. It was the second time I’d entered the regatta and the second time I’d won it. I’d travelled down with Tim a couple of weeks before to do the Croatia Nationals. Tim had organised us to stay on a big boat in the marina. For the week of the regatta our wives and five kids arrived, all under 10 years old, stayed on the boat together and then all went cruising for a week afterwards. It was an awesome
He thinks the biggest difference to the boats today than 40 years ago is that the Finn is a lot easier to sail now and a lot easier to set up. “We certainly have our Technical Committee to thank for that. We also have our modern boatbuilders as well as our mast and sail makers to thank for their investments in design and in maintaining production quality. I think it’s easier to jump into the Class now and do well than it’s ever been. I was lucky, I’ve had some great people who helped me along the way and without their support and efforts, I’d never have done so well or had so much fun.”
Outside of Finn sailing, ‘I work for myself basically and I’m still working. For the last 30 years or so I’ve helped large organisations manage their customers better, which usually means costing them less. These days that’s mostly a tech’ thing, especially using AI and machines. Since 2012, I’ve specialised more in customer payments and the security standards around that. It’s a bit geeky, but not many folks know about it. I’m super interested in the tech stuff, and it allows me to get involved in some really interesting projects and help organisations do a better job and perform better, which is what I enjoy. Outside work and sailing, my wife Bridget now paints, so seeing her work in exhibitions is a real thrill. Plus, we’ve just become grandparents, which feels very grown up.’
And something completely different, ‘Back in 1986/7, I was involved in launching Europe’s first range of character bakeware. I used SP’s epoxy resins and dental moulding techniques to make vacuum forming tooling. I then used that to make a range of chocolate and jelly moulds in kiddies character shapes that I sold to a couple of large supermarket chains.’
GEAR DEVELOPMENT
John has a long history in developing gear to benefit the fleet as well as always being seen helping sailors with their setup
‘I think we have to make things ‘easier and longer lasting’. It’s essential that we prioritise ‘value’ and we should not be afraid to compromise a bit of performance to achieve that. Our Class will not thrive in a non-Olympic environment if our manufacturers continue to priorities performance in the context of relatively young, full-time athletes who have National Association money and resources supporting them.
‘I think we are already seeing those changes. There are two I can think of. First, the building of the TT2s to produce a more
toP LeFt: PuntaLa 2024 (8tH and seCond gReat gRand MasteR • bottoM LeFt: CaMPione 2023 (2nd) above • MaR MenoR 2021 (17tH and tHiRd ggM) • beLow HeLsinki 2022 (8tH and toP ggM)
all-round, low rocker hull design that’s easier to sail. Also making sure that the hull is super fair and everything is lined up properly, straight off the production line, not as an ‘optional extra’ or ‘work shop essential’. The second is building the super successful MB1 / GS1 North sails design out of Dacron. Using the same stable radial panel construction and just changing the cloth gives us a proven design that’s built out of cloth that does not shrink and hopefully will last 10 or 20 times longer as a performance piece of equipment.
‘From listening to David Howlett (Sid) over many years, I’ve learnt that the Finn rig is a dynamic, not a static thing. It works best when the sail and mast combination fit with the dynamic characteristics of the sailor and the hull. Rigs have therefore evolved as our Olympian and Grand Prix sailors have evolved as well as the technology to measure and improve their performance. So, if you are 20-30 years older and 20-30 cm shorter than our typical Olympian, the rig they use is not the rig for you. It’s as simple as that.
‘So, my thinking over the years has been to look at rigs that are easier to sail with. Rigs that acknowledge that my body is
different, my hiking dynamic is different, and my steering skills aren’t as sharp or accurate as I believe they are. I worked with Ullman Sails for a while 10 years ago to do something different. We ended up with a great looking moulded sail that we ‘cut and glued’ but never got into production. I then worked with the team at North UK to expand on some of the work they had been doing with more open leech sails and made out of a Kevlar based cloth to get over the shrinkage issue. I also got involved in the North crosscut sail project, again focused on something that’s easier to use that delivered value. Hopefully going full circle with a modern yarn tempered Dacron will work for us all. Certainly, everything that I’ve seen so far with the North Dacron sail looks great. I’ve used it for a couple of months now and no shrinkage and no stretch either. Still looking good and going well.’
BOAT SET UP
“I think we can get too focused on all the little measurements and forget to get our heads out of the boat. As Sid always says, “sailing is a heads-up sport”. It’s easy to get stuck trying to optimise settings and performance. I remember Tim telling me a couple of years ago, that if I stuck my hand down the hatch to adjust my mast rake one more time, he’d chop my fingers off. Since then, I’ve tried to focus more on my racing.’
Magic numbers? ‘I think the answer to that depends on your body, how dynamic you are and how capable you are as a sailboat racer. It also depends a bit on your mast numbers and the sail you use. I’ve used the GS1 Minus for the last could of years and my mast is standard luff curve and about 375 sideways, same mast numbers that I had 25 years ago. With that rig I set up with the centreboard fixed at 2068 and have both ends of the centreboard case filled, but that’s because I’ve gone down the low drag / keep it simple route.
‘Of course, moving the centreboard back takes the helm off, but for me, it’s just another thing to think about. Back in
1998 I set up the mast with the back of the mast ring 3750 from Station 0 and then go 10-30mm forward in a breeze. With my TT2 (low rocker) I set the mast up 3770 from Station 0 and go forward from there. To be honest, those settings where when I was 105kg to 98kg. Now I’m 5 or 6 kg lighter, I might be adjusting those, even if I manage to get fitter and hike a bit harder. The leech tension I set up in the boat park at 34kg measuring to the side. I then adjust on the water, based on how the boat feels and the wind forecast, using 0.5kg chocks.’
Biggest mistakes? ‘I see a lot of sailors struggling with ‘helm’ and not getting the boat ‘running’ easily. This means they have never probably felt what ‘fast’ really feels like. Not measuring the sail leech, setting up with too much tension and probably not getting the mast forward enough in the boat.’
The three most important things to get right on the boat are, ‘F/A mast position, F/A centreboard position and mast rake / leech tension.’
And the three things to do when deciding to go to a regatta at a new venue? ‘First, sort out who I’m travelling with, which means giving Tavs a call. Usually, it’s him calling me to sort out when we are setting off. The boat prep is the same wherever I’m racing. The second, where we are staying. And third, anything about the venue in terms of notes, talking to people who have raced there etc.
Current and wind forecasts I usually sort out when I get there and can see what’s going on.’
THE CLASS
He believes the current format of the Finn events is good and should be nurtured.
‘First and foremost, the Finn World Masters is a hugely successful member’s event. We should celebrate that and recognise it for what it is, a global success story. Not just in our Class or in sailing, but in sport internationally. Two things have made the Masters the ‘success’ that it is. Firstly, that the ‘idea’ of an annual Finn Masters Regatta came about because Finn sailors wanted to get together, compete against each other and have the chance to bring their partners / wives along if they wanted to. To race in a ‘protected way’ that recognised that they were no longer their athletic selves and that competing against younger Olympians and Olympic aspirants was just harder and maybe not as much fun. Hence the idea of getting together to race over five days during the European Whitsun holiday, at great venues with manageable racing conditions.
‘The second reason for the FWM success is that the IFA has always had a specialist team supporting the event. A group of volunteers dedicated to making the event the success that it is today and has been for many years.
‘My view is that we should not risk this ‘success’. This is an IFA Members event, for IFA members who have hit specific age categories, but still want to race against their peers on level terms. I think that means ‘no grand final’, even though that format can often prevent top ten sailors racing against each other for the overall title or even age group titles. I believe we should leave the racing format as it is, maybe fine tune the fleet selection mechanism and build on the ‘social’ component of the regatta. We had a fantastic dinner this year. Maybe a couple more informal ‘bring your own’ food / drinks type social events, guest speakers, free coaching and discussion sessions built into the pre-race programme.
‘I think the FWM event needs to focus on how it maintains its international positioning as a 300 plus International Regatta. In my view this means something different to our Gold Cup as our world championship event. So, I think more emphasis as a ‘gathering’ of the brotherhood. Maybe more planned and structured social activity, more knowledge sharing, more ‘community’.’
However, ‘We cannot allow ourselves to be seen as an old man’s Class. By that I mean giving the perception that the Finn is a boat sailed by overweight men who drink a lot of wine and beer. In my view, we are already there. We have to change that and change it quickly. Our strategy has to focus on long term attractiveness. Which means engaging new people as well as retaining the people we have. That means great events. To deliver that we need to support our National Associations, making things easier for them as well as making the most of our heritage and what we already have.
‘Two initiatives jump to mind. Firstly, re-establishing the Finn Gold Cup as our Class World Championship regatta. To use our heritage to positively engage us as existing Members and to draw in fresh talent who are capable of playing an active ongoing part in the Class at national level. Second, I think we need to embrace technology. WE have to collect and use of data to enhance our levels of interest and improve our quality of racing for us as sailors and for our race admin teams. We could make life so much easier for them, and more interesting for us, a great opportunity.’
THE FUTURE?
‘I’m excited about the future of the Class as long as we unite and manage ourselves as one Membership group, one Class, one ‘brotherhood’ of Finn sailors. I think we need to attract new talent by making the same active effort to promote our Finn Gold Cup as we have so successfully with the FWM. By new talent I don’t mean 23-year-olds, I mean people with the time and resources to get actively involved with the Class and get the most out of what we have to offer. The best way to support our U23s is to lend them our equipment and make it easier for them to attend events. That’s down to our existing Membership to support, not parents who may not have the resources. To get young sailors to support our international regattas (FGC, Europeans, North Americans etc) we need to support our National Associations. Maybe providing a single global technology platform that would reduce their costs, make a better Member experience and reduce our dependency on a few active committed volunteers.’
John concluded by saying the most important factors for a venue for the Masters are, ‘Sun, warm water, camping and moderate breezes. I think the big thing that Puntala gave us was ‘being together’. I don’t think we fully understand how important that is to us as a community and as individuals. We don’t see each other that often, so the more we can do on venue selection to keep us all together and keep us interacting with each other, the better.’
toP LeFt and RigHt: CaMPione 2023 • LeFt: HeLsinki: 2022
CHRIS WATTS LOOKS
AT APPENDIX
P IN PUNTA ALA
Over20 years ago, the President of ISAF, now World Sailing, referred to a Finn sailing event as an Air Rowing competition and commissioned a group which contained at least two Finn sailors to come up with a solution to return it to a sailing competition. This was the birth of Appendix P, which was introduced at a Southampton conference where a representative from each MNA was invited to run training sessions in their own country.
The Finn Masters adopted Appendix P for the first time at their Worlds in Cannes, when it was realised that having the jury afloat would mean protests under rule 42 and possibly disqualifications, and taking a two-turns penalty, then called a 720, sounded a lot better.
Since then, the number of yellow flag penalties has dropped considerably as more and more sailors understood the limitations and the judges became more consistent in their judgements. Most of the recent FMWs have included a short briefing on common breaches and the Class Website has also further guidance. Good sailors will sail to the limit of the rules to be as fast as possible, and it is inevitable that they will occasionally go past the limit or even old habits click in when not concentrating, as it is only at big championships that they will meet on the water judging.
This year in Punta Ala only 16 yellow flags were given, which included three Finns being given a second penalty - remember that there were 285 Finns entered. No names!
I asked the judges at Punta Ala to pick one of the penalties they gave and to explain in detail as to why it was given with the purpose of illustrating the processes that are undertaken before making a decision. The first principle is that no penalty will be given unless they can clearly explain to the sailor why it was given. Most of you took up this option either on the water or in the jury tent at the end of racing.
CASE 1
About 20 seconds before a light wind start, the helm moved to heel the boat to leeward and then brought the boat back upright to accelerate into a gap. He was then very static for about 15 seconds, maintaining position. Then he repeated the roll at the starting signal. So, repeated rolling in the same vicinity.
You only get one opportunity to bring the boat up to speed at the start, and it can be very tempting to repeat the roll in the same area.
CASE 2
There were a couple of cases of boats taking incomplete penalties. They did not complete the two-turn penalty, each turn including one tack and one gybe, as required by RRS 44.2.
In one instance, on a downwind leg a boat was penalised in accordance with P 1.2 (yellow flagged by the jury) for rocking. The wind was about 12 knots and the sea was choppy. The boat acknowledged the award of penalty.
Though she was relatively clear of other boats, it took about 10 seconds before she commenced her penalty. Starting from port she tacked and gybed completing one turn. Continuing in the same direction she tacked a second time and sailed away to the mark. She did not gybe a second time, thus did not complete the second turn as required by RRS 44.2
The Jury further penalised the boat for her breach of RRS 44.2 by awarding DSQ in compliance with RRS P2.1.
This unfortunately can be quite common, there were five incidents of either an incomplete penalty, two turns, being taken or forgetting that at the second penalty you have to retire. A quick read of Appendix P will show you how getting the penalty wrong can be severe.
CASE 3
One of the long-term issues in the Finn Masters reappeared in two penalties.
Repeatedly pulling the mainsail in and out in a rhythmical manner that has nothing to do with change of speed or direction is not trimming and is called fanning, which is a kind of pump. There were two occasions where the helm could clearly be seen to be fanning the sail in and out, in and out, in and out almost to the rhythm of a ticking clock. The hand holding the mainsheet straight from the boom working in unison with the boom going in and out. There was no change in direction, no waves, no excuse for breaking the rule and so a yellow flag was given.
iMages aRe FoR iLLustRation onLy and not ReLated to inCidents Mentioned
CASE 4
I do not have access to my written notes right now, but I do remember two Finns making the same mistake on the first day. We both watched both boats repeatedly attempting to surf down a small wave. All attempts were unsuccessful, so we penalized them after the third time. Here’s the applicable interpretation:
PUMP 8
A pull of any sail made to attempt to surf or plane when surfing or planing conditions are marginal is permitted even if the attempt is not successful.
If a boat repeats an unsuccessful attempt to plane or surf, she is in the yellow light area. A third consecutive unsuccessful attempt is prohibited.
There were three penalties given for unsuccessful pumping to promote surfing and one for repeated pumping whilst already surfing. A boat to be clear on this rule has to be seen rapidly accelerating down the face of a wave after the pump and then not pumping again until no longer surfing or planning. We will be watching the end of your boom and hand movements and be somewhere abeam of you to judge as to whether you are successful or not.
In conclusion, the jury, mostly having been competitive sailors, know where on the race course breaches of rule 42 are likely to occur, and boats doing things differently to the others really stand out. The judges have to decide why they look different and if they are breaking the rule.
However, the important thing to celebrate is that considering the number of boats that were racing in Punta Ala, any rules problems were minor and it is so good to be part of a fleet that is a pleasure to work with. Hoping to see you all next year in Medemblik.
PRoduCed witH tHe assistanCe oF JosJe HoFLand, JoHn doeRR and tRibHuwan JaiswaL.
2025 FWM - MEDEMBLIK
The Finn Masters World Championship 2025 will be a special jubilee event, wrutes Jan Zetzema, President of the FWM2025 Team
In this year the Finn Masters celebrates its 55th anniversary, a milestone that we will commemorate in grand style from June 13 to 20, 2024, in Medemblik.
With an expected turnout of around 400 participants and a total guest group of over 650 people, this promises to be a spectacular event. More than 400 sailors from over 30 countries, ranging in age from 40 to 84, will compete for the world title off the coast of Medemblik. The Finn fleet will sail in four fleets on two race courses.
The Royal Netherlands Yacht Club Hollandia is honoured to host the Finn fleet at the Regatta Centre Medemblik, a location renowned worldwide as one of the best sailing venues in Europe. Finn sailors feel at home here, and this event is an opportunity to continue that tradition.
Among the expected participants are some of the biggest names in sailing, including Dutch favourites Roy Heiner, Pieter-Jan Postma, Belgian Olympic Silver medallist Sebbe Godefroid as well as recent FWM champions Filipe Silva and Laurent Hay.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to be part of an event that will make history. The FWM 2025 team looks forward to welcoming you to Medemblik for an unforgettable week of top-tier sports, tradition, and international camaraderie.
ENTRY
Around mid-October the entry will open: www.manage2sail.com
ACCOMMODATION
Check the event website regularly: offers and how to use the discount will be published. www.fwm2025.com
CHARTER BOATS
Dinghy Racing Centre, Devoti Sailing, Finnsailing.de, Finn Sailing Academy
PREPARE FOR THE FWM 2025
To get already in the mood and have a meet &greet @Brakeboer, Europe’s most famous Finn-café, you can still join the Open Dutch nationals, to be held in Medemblik from 20-22 September.
The event is also organised by Royal Hollandia and open to (inter)national Finn sailors: there are already 50 entries from 6 countries. Entry: www.manage2sail.com
Looking forward to meet you in Medemblik!
2024 EC - CANNES
The 2024 Open Europeans, incorporating the Finn European Masters will return to Cannes, 20 years after the same club held the Finn World Masters from 18-15 October. The host club will be the Yacht Club de Cannes, which also organises the annual Semaine Internationale des Finn.
Located at the Pointe Croisette, the infrastructure of the Yacht Club de Cannes is organized in an area of approximately 600 square metres including offices, locker rooms, sailing and competition school, 130 berths reserved for members, a crane and a club house with bar and restaurant, and a private harbour with crane. On the water, there are two possible race areas –East Bay and West Bay – protected by the islands of Lérins.
Cannes is one of the most attractive Mediterranean destinations, with spectacular beaches an in addition to the Vieux Port and Le Suquet, which bring a picturesque supplement to the area. Cannes is world famous for its film festivals and yachting events.
There is a huge range of accommodation in Cannes, from upmarket hotels to budget conscious apartments. Everyone can find accommodation that suits them according to his budget, with most bookable online.
TRANSPORT
Located 27 km from Nice Côte d’Azur airport, Cannes can be reached in less than 30 minutes. Nice Côte d’Azur serves 90 destinations with direct flights, and almost 50 airlines Cannes is linked to all major European cities by road. The city is connected by the A8 motorway, ‘La Provençale’ (exit Cannes La Bocca or Mougins/Cannes), from Aix en Provence to the west and Italy to the east.
The city of Cannes has excellent connections via TGV and express train, which link it to all French regions and the major cities of Europe.
FINNS
Entry is open at 2024.finneuropeans.org and at the time of publishing, entries stand at around 70. A warm up regatta is also being held over the first weekend.
2026 FWM - BRISBANE
It’s a long way ahead, but excitement is already building ahead of the Finn World Masters and Finn Gold Cup being held at the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, Brisbane, Australia, in January/February 2026. The voting at both the Masters Annual Meeting and the IFA AGM was unanimously in favour of this combined event.
The weather at that time of year is characterised by predominantly north easterly sea breezes, with temperatures in the high 20s to low 30s and warm waters.
Southeast Queensland has a strong fleet of Finns, with 39 boats competing at the Finn National Championships in January 2023. With the increasing attention on Brisbane because of the 2032 Olympics, there is strong support and sponsorship from both Government and corporate organisations.
It will mark the first time the Finn World Masters has been to Australia, and will be 50 years after the last Finn Gold Cup in Brisbane.
The club is located 30 mins from Brisbane International airport and for those looking to extend their Australian visit, easy driving distances to the beautiful Sunshine and Gold Coasts.
The Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron is located 15km from the Port of Brisbane, for easy transport of shipping containers for International competitors.
Within 1km of RQYS, Manly Shopping Village caters for various shopping, dining & entertainment options.
The Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron provides a range of sailing courses to cater to many types of boats. The inshore courses on Waterloo Bay are only 20 minutes from the Squadron, where tidal influence is minimal and prevailing winds are from the south-east to the north-east. The ‘Circle’ course has minimal amounts of recreational traffic and no commercial activities. Most breeze conditions allow for an uninhibited beat of up to 1.3 nm.
KEEP THE LEVEL HIGH AND MAKE IT EASY
After campaigning a Finn for most of the 1980s, Peter Peet returned to the Finn fleet and the front of the Finn fleet in 2020. He has placed fifth three times at the Finn World Masters, in 2021, 2023 and 2024, and third in 2022. He also won the 2023 European Masters at Campione.
What is your background in sailing?
From the age of 12 I sailed in a boat similar to the Optimist, and then after that some windsurfing, Laser, Star, big boats and in all kind of national classes.
What about the Finn?
I sailed Finn from 1983 until 1988 (national selection) and later was as a reserve participant in 1988 for Seoul, Korea, for the Finn and Star classes. In those years I did a lot of travelling through Europe for Worlds and Europeans. I returned to the Finn in the summer of 2020.
What made you return to the class?
There is a big crowd at our club, the Kaag, and the enthusiasm of the sailors. I like the challenge to stay fit to participate at the highest level.
What does it mean to you to be a Finn sailor?
A lot. I sail at my club, but also to challenge myself on Europeans and Worlds.
What other sailing do you do and how does that compare to the Finn?
I sail some national classes with three persons, just for fun , and some kitesurfing and foiling.
What attracts you to sail the Finn and the Masters?
The level of competition and to meet new people.
What about winning last year at Campione and what did you learn there?
It was certainly a highlight for me. Lake Garda always delivers, with the scenery and the hospitality, although Punta Ala also was an interesting one. I think all the racing in Italy was very good for me. The main lesson in Campione was to have good starts and keep on sailing, as well as staying away from BFD and the Jury.
What’s your best memory of sailing the Masters events?
The high level of competition and high number of sailors.
What do you think are the key ingredient to foster class growth?
Keep the racing and the race committee on an high level, and in big fleets.
What do you do outside of Finn sailing?
I have a printing production facility. Most of my clients are renowned sporting brands. We produce all kinds of stickers, printing and embroidery.
Tell us something unusual you have done. Six times I did a kite event in the Netherlands stretching over 135 kilometres. We raised money for the heart Foundation. It is a fantastic feeling to do this together with 600 other kiters. And when I am not working , I like cycling a lot on the road or the beach.
Next year is Medemblik. How are the Dutch preparing for this? Sail and race as much as we can, and stay fit. Enjoy the sailing and the rest will come.
Do you have particular favourite conditions and style of sailing? I like waves and some breeze, with more than 12 knots, and I still need to improve my skills downwind.
What are your thoughts on the current format?
It is OK but I still think it would be better (when we sail in fleets) to make sure everyone sails against each other (instead of random). And even a Gold and Silver Fleet would be my preference.
How do you think the Masters model be improved?
Keep the level as high as possible, on the water and on shore.
What the strategy for the class in the coming years?
Keep the Gold Cup and Worlds Masters separate, but perhaps it is time to combine Masters Europeans and normal Europeans.
What other initiatives would you like to see from the Finn class? Expand the wind limit.
What is important in a venue for the Masters to make it attractive to as many as possible?
Make it as easy for everybody. I know that is not easy but Punta Ala was perfect with a nice beach, good coffee and drinks, perfect housing, tents, and places for campers, so everybody was happy. And perfect racing. In the mornings some coffees nice and relaxed and in the afternoon with good racing.
How do you see the future of the class?
Keep the Gold Cup and Europeans at challenging venues, on the open sea.
A DREAM COME TRUE - FINNS IN LOFOTEN
F
inn Sailing Academy runs a turn key solution for Finn sailing during the winter, based at the south of Portugal at the Algarve in Vilamoura. Since the beginning the academy organises the winter FSA Invitational regatta, now established on the first week end of each February, in 2025 the IV edition will take place.
FSA is now organizing pop up events and sailing experiences at original sailing locations, Lofoten Invitational was the chosen location for the kick off project, with eight members of the Academy accepting the challenge and engaged in the expedition to Lofoten. The event was organised in collaboration with Asker Sailing Club and with the support of PL Sails.
The three-day event, with six races sailed and a midnight golden race experience with double points, sailed during the ‘exotic day’ considered by Norwegians, 20ºC plus during 24h, last time this happened was over 10 years ago, “Fortune favours the bold.”
Congratulations to Michael Ziller for winning the first ever Finn race sailed north of the Arctic Circle, being awarded with the Memorial Amadeus Cup.
The close fight overall was decided at the final Midnight Golden Race, with Filipe, Otto and Jan making the podium.
A special thanks to PL Sails for supporting the event; João Ferreira for Photography; Arild & Jorn for management and organisation; Espen for Coaching and Race Officer, Marcin, Henrique, Laurent, Arild, Otto, Jan and Michael for accepting the challenge.
aLL PHotos: Fsa - osga_PHoto
Marcin Greogorowicz, SUI
“Timeless. an unforgettable experience. Quality time with good people. Good conversations, unforgettable pictures It was a very good experience. The regatta and the place on the last day It was a special occasion with special people and in a special place The event, like every FSA event, was very well organized. A lot of respect to Filipe Silva for the effort.
I would be very happy to take part in future events. Also thanks to Arild for the great local support, Joao Ferreira for the great photos, Espen Guttormsen for coaching and running the regattas and finally to Pedro Pires Lima the sailmaker for the sails we could use.”
Jan Henrich Meyer, GER
“I started my journey to the Lofoten Islands from Lübeck in a camper van in order to gather impressions of the landscapes of Scandinavia while travelling. I was particularly impressed by the north of Sweden and the border crossing to Norway. However, the ferry journey from the mainland to the Lofoten Islands and the impressions on arrival were the icing on the cake. I have never seen anything like it in my life.
“Before the first race, I was still quite cool and didn't give it much thought. But when we left the harbour and I could see the coastline from the water, I thought: “Wow, this is really happening. I'm sailing north of the Arctic Circle.” In the days
Otto Strandvig, DEN
“Lofoten – what a place and what a crazy idea to have a Finn regatta there. FSA and the Norwegian team did an amazing job organising this plug’n’go event. The midnight sun is something else and I wish that everyone will get a chance to see it. In a Finn it’s an out-ofbody experience. The event was a string of highlights, but the can-do vibe is what made the biggest impression. An expedition north of the polar circle is incomparable.”
Would you attend a similar event?
“Absolutely.”
that followed, this euphoria gave way to a satisfaction that is hard to describe. I love being on the water, but in this area it was something very special.
“I went to Lofoten with the motivation to have a great time and go on holiday. That's why I didn't set out to learn much or work on my skills. Nevertheless, I was able to pick up a few valuable tips from our race officer and coach Espen Guttormsen. I am very grateful for that.
However, one of the biggest benefits for me was the discussions I had with experienced sailors such as Otto Strandvig and Michael Ziller about sails and boat trim. In particular, discussing the advantages and disadvantages of PL sails compared to the established manufacturers broadened my horizons.
I really enjoyed the mix of regatta sailing, coaching and sharing experiences. So yes, I can recommend the format and the event itself to anyone who wants to combine a short vacation with a unique sailing experience. For those who want intensive training and tough competition, it might not be for you.”
The experience? “Slow down and concentrate on only one experience in a great place with great people and great organisation and hospitality. FSA organized an extraordinary event and I was part of an experience, you could never do alone. There is no comparison to this experience of landscape and timelessness.
"Many thanks to all the people who put their very special energy in the successful organization with so many memorable details … I am looking forward to the next location.” On winning the first race sailed north of the Arctic Circle in the Finn, “Double first - triple adrenaline among great international sailors.”
Michael Ziller, GER
Jan Henrich Meyer summed up the experience, “From the choice of location, accommodation and on-site service to the catering, I think Filipe has exactly the right touch for events of this kind. For the participants, everything basically runs itself and you don't have to worry about anything, while at the same time you always have the feeling that you're travelling with a group of friends who are all on the same page. I think
Henrique Costa Silva, POR
“Very, satisfying, nice interaction with the sail maker and sharing the experience with brand new sails. Honestly it was over my expectations, very good environment among all guys, some quite competitive. Quite amazing.”
Filipe and his team simply had an incredible passion for this trip and the overall event, and you can feel that in every detail.”
And again? “Absolutely! At the same time, the footprint associated with the participants' travel activities gives me pause for thought. The temperatures on the Lofoten Islands were over 25° Celsius, which, according to the locals, is rather unusual even in summer. So, you could feel the climate change on the ground. If we could find a way to combine an event like this with climate-conscious behaviour, all obstacles would be removed for me.”
Next year another exotic place will be chosen to deliver another extraordinary experience to all FSA members during the summer. The Finn Sailing Academy special invitation regatta in the Lofoten Islands was a resounding success, as well as a dream come true, with a great sailing experience for all of the sailors that attended.
Laurent Chapuis, SUI
“Incredible landscapes, wonderful light and a very different way of life. With so many peaks around, it felt like sailing in some mountain lakes in Europe. Learning? “Adapting to different boats and masts, new sails, tricky wind conditions. Very, very good organisation, the lodging was great, there was great help on the water; maybe since there was such a good coach, spend more time discussing the sailing techniques of each sailor, sail trim differences, with videos or photos.
The high-quality organisation was key to an excellent experience, I would greatly recommend similar future events, and take part in them.”
Should FSA continue organising events in unique locations like Lofoten?
“Unconditionally yes!”
ANNUAL MASTERS MEETING MINUTES
Held at Puntala Camp&Resort, Italy Wednesday 12 June 2024 at10:00
Present Andy Denison (Masters President), Committee: Henk de Jager, Andreas Bollongino, and about 150 Finn Masters
1. Opening address
The Master’s President Andy Denison welcomed all the sailors to the 2024 Masters meeting. Request for a round of applause to Robert Deaves for his work and efforts.
2. Apologies
There were no apologies.
3. Approval of 2023 minutes from 2023 Kavala. All agreed.
4. President’s Report
Since a number of us last met at Univela in Lake Garda I have spent a fair amount of time with Robert and Maria putting in place this year’s World Masters Championship. It’s wonderful to see so many of you and it tells me that we must be doing something right.
As a ‘not for profit organisation’, my goal is to have some of the best sailing / racing and social in the best places around the world.
However, success brings with its headaches, two race areas, more staff, more ribs and boat storage. Whilst we do our upmost to keep entry fees as reasonable as possible be prepared for the larger events with 300 plus sailors to be a higher entry fee. Following on some issues in the past (we do listen), trying to improve the event, I asked Martin Hughes to assist with an early arrival and assistance with this venue, for equipment inspection and a general run through for safety teams. As you may appreciate some countries are better at it than others and the thought is to try and bring some sort of acceptable standard for all our benefits. We welcome Martin to the front to receive a gift from us.
Ladies programme, also a vote of thanks goes to Liz Burrell with liaising with our wives and partners and the venues. Liz also welcome to the front and receive a gift from the class also. The events for the next five years give a focus to us and as I said to try and give us the best sailing and social, the plan is to keep it as local as we can, but as I’ve said in the past we do need to travel every few years. We are a worldwide class and event and it gives more of our fellow sailors in the southern hemisphere a chance to join in. With that said I am looking forward to Australia 2026, it will be the first time for me and it’s at the right time of the year for us northern hemisphere sailors.
Events, we will cover later.
As I say it’s business as usual, we are on a good path with a good level of entries at some fabulous sail racing events.
4. Committee re-election
No one is due to be re-elected this year although a few members are due next year. Replacements will be looked for please come to us if you feel you can help/support.
5. Masters Budget/Accounts
Very healthy accounts and our budget is always well structured and planned, so far, our budgets are on target or above, financially we are in a good place, while maintaining our annual fixed costs with our revenue streams.
6. Thoughts from 2023
• Equipment issues in Kavala, which I think from earlier Martin now being on board has smoothed this over and were all happy with.
Immortal/super legends, no change needed Classic boat definition is, some adjustments made with presentations
7. Future venues
Dubai, Morrocco, Estartit (Near Palamos), Mar Menor, Douarnenez
2026 dates: 7-10 February Australian Nationals, 12-19 Gold Cup 20-27 FWM Brisbane
8. Rule change
Current rule: B3.4: Four race shall be completed to constituted a series.
Proposed new rule: B3.4: One race shall be completed to constitute a series. However, four races shall be completed before the Finn World Masters title and the Austrian-Hungaria Gold Cup will be awarded.
Show of hands: massive ‘for’ to change the rule.
9. Update to FWM 2025 Medemblik
Chris Frijdel presented an update, a small presentation and q&a, history of Medemblik and detailed drawings of potential layout. The expectation from the OA is 400 sailors this is what they are accounting for within their planning. FREE BEER every day happy hour was well received. Entry will be via Manage2Sail.
2026 Brisbane: Bob Buchanan, also gave a small verbal presentation on behalf of RQYS, Dave Bull & Phil Chadwick. Although a little while to go it’s good to have the knowledge in advance but work form the team onsite is well underway. Shipping via DB Schneker, with discussions are for many access ports and return journeys.
10. AOB
Andreas Bollongino proposed that valid a request for refund on late entries fees and adjustments but the IFMC will investigate and adapt a refund policy on an individual basis, on injury and doctor’s notes to satisfy the committee, not all funds but a way towards helping last minute cancellations, a discretionary decision by the committee.
Carbon Boom: Martin Hughes talked about a new carbon boom for development and testing before approval by technical committees it will be several years to action this.
Format: Brief discussion led by the President. Race format of gold/silver fleets was voted out before and this week we are running the current random format. Are you happy we what we have or for the committee to decide a course of action for something else. A show of hands was made and a strong ‘for’ regarding the current format.
Apprentice division request to be brought toward the committee verbally.
11. Date of next meeting 18 June 2025 Medemblik 10:00
Andy thanked all that attended and closed the meeting at 10:40.
ABOUT THE FINN WORLD MASTERS
Finn sailors of the age of 40 and above are called ‘Masters’ and are divided into age groups. Master (40-49), Grand Master (50-59), Great Grand Master (60-69) and Legend (70-79) and Super Legend (80 and above).
Each year they sail the Finn World Masters and Finn European Masters. Note: If, in a specific year, you reach(ed) the age as listed, the accompanying title is applicable from January 1 to December 31 of that year. Also existing are the large local groups of Finn sailors, which are actively involved in national or club level regattas. Ages vary between 18 and 75
years, but in the Finn Legends some sailors are above 80 years. The binding factor characterising these Finn sailors is that all have a sport-loving, collegial and institution based on friendship and respect.
Venues for future championships are decided each year at the Annual Masters Meeting during the Finn World Masters. Venues can be
voted up to three years in advance. All the rules and governing documents for the Finn Masters and the championships can be found in the Finn World Masters Rules and Event Manual, which can be downloaded from the Finn Masters website at https:// www.finnworldmaster.com/about/ documents
NOTE: all ages and years are inclusive of that year
UPCOMING EVENTS
Bids for 2027 welcome and will be decided from 2025.
FINN WORLD MASTERS 1970-2024
1970 St Moritz, Switzerland
1 Mel Oskamp, Netherlands
2 Othmar Reich, Switzerland
3 Worn Clark, South Africa
1971 Medemblik, Holland
1 Andreino Menoni, Italy
2 Othmar Reich, Switzerland
3 Mel Oskamp, Netherlands
1972 Gargnano, Garda, Italy
1 Mel Oskamp, Netherlands
2 Andreino Menoni, Italy
3 Beda Zingg, Switzerland
1973 - Not awarded
1974 Port Carmargue, France
1 Andre Mevel, France
2 Mel Oskamp, Netherlands
3 Vernon Stratton, Great Britain
1975 Port Carmargue, France
1 Andre Mevel, France
2 Othmar Reich, Switzerland
3 Erich Kaspareth, Italy
1976 Port Carmargue, France
1 Andre Mevel, France
2 Laszlo Zsindely, Switzerland
3 Othmar Reich, Switzerland
1977 Port Carmargue, France
1 Georg Oser, Switzerland
2 Heinz Reiter, Germany
3 Andre Mevel, France
1978 Port Carmargue, France
1 Heinz Reiter, Germany
2 P Lebois, France
3 Georg Oser, Switzerland
1979 Port Carmargue, France
1 Karel Hruby, Czechoslovakia
2 C Sturm, Switzerland
3 Andre Mevel, France
1980 Lake Lipno, Czechoslovakia
1 Georg Oser, Switzerland
2 Karel Hruby, Czechoslovakia
3 Jiri Maier, Czechoslovakia
1981 Port Carmargue, France
1 Gy Wossala, Hungary
2 Georg Oser, Switzerland
3 Frank Roth, Switzerland
1982 Lake Neusiedl, Austria
1 Georg Oser, Switzerland
2 Ivan Hoffmann, Czechoslovakia
3 Friedrich Müller, Germany
1983 Port Carmargue, France
1 Heini Unterhauser, Italy
2 Frank Roth, Switzerland
3 Herbert Herwig, Germany
1984 Lago di Caldaro, Italy
1 Walter Mai, Germany
2 Palle-Steen Larsen, Denmark
3 Friedrich Müller, Germany
1985 Seebruck, FR Germany
1 Jørgen Lindhardtsen, Denmark
2 Klaus Stuffer, Italy
3 Henning Wind, Denmark
1986 Lagi di Bracciano, Italy
1 Heini Unterhauser, Italy
2 Klaus Stuffer, Italy
3 Georg Oser, Switzerland
1987 Les Embiez, France
1 Peter Raderschadt, Germany
2 Walter Mai, Germany
3 Ivor Ganahl, Switzerland
1988 Lido degli Estensi, Italy
1 Hans Fatzer, Switzerland
2 Jiri Outrata, Czechoslovakia
3 Kurt Schimitzek, Austria
1989 Torbole, Garda, Italy
1 Peter Raderschadt, Germany
2 Kurt Shimitzek, Austria
3 Mikael Brandt, Sweden
1990 Altenhein, Switzerland
1 Mikael Brandt, Sweden
2 Friedrich Müller, Germany
3 Jiri Outrata, Czechoslovakia
1991 Port Carmargue, France
1 Kurt Schimitzek, Germany
2 Jochen Lollert, Germany
3 Hermann Heide, Germany
1992 Uppsala, Sweden
1 Roland Balthasar, Germany
2 Herman Heide, Germany
3 Peter Vollebregt, Netherlands
1993 Lake Bracciano, Italy
1 Peter Vollebregt, Netherlands
2 Walter Mai, Germany
3 Jan Bjornberg, Sweden
1994 Diessen, Germany
1 Roland Balthasar, Germany
1 Jiri Outrata, Czech Republic
3 Walter Mai, Germany
1995 Malcesine, Garda, Italy
1 Larry Lemieux, Canada
2 Kurt Shimitzek, Germany
3 Wolfgang Gerz, Germany
1996 La Rochelle, France
1 Roland Balthasar, Germany
2 Wolfgang Gerz, Germany
3 Walter Mai, Germany
*For the Austrian Hungaria Cup (Presented 1982 by Peter Mohilla and Gy Wossala)
1997 Cervia, Italy
1 Wolfgang Gerz, Germany
2 Larry Lemieux, Canada
3 Minski Fabris, Croatia
1998 Castelleto di Brenzone, Garda, Italy
1 Larry Lemieux, Canada
2 Minski Fabris, Croatia
3 Wolfgang Gerz, Germany
1999 Maubuisson, France
1 Larry Lemieux, Canada
2 Greg Davis, South Africa
3 Jean Paul Gaston, France
2000 Weymouth, England
1 John Greenwood, Great Britain
2 Larry Lemieux, Canada
3 Andrew Cooper, Great Britain
2001 Kingston, Canada
1 Larry Lemieux, Canada
2 Hein-Peter Okker, Netherlands
3 Eberhard Bieberitz, Germany
2002 Split, Croatia
1 John Greenwood, Great Britain
2 Minski Fabris, Croatia
3 Larry Lemieux, Canada
2003 Schwerin, Germany
1 Eberhard Bieberitz, Germany
2 André Budzien, Germany
3 Roman Teply, Italy
2004 Cannes, France
1 Larry Lemieux, Canada
2 André Budzien, Germany
3 Michael Gubi, Austria
2005 Bracciano Lake, Italy
1 Silvio Santoni, Italy
2 André Budzien, Germany
3 Allen Burrell, Great Britain
2006 Lake Balaton, Hungary
1 Michael Maier, Czech Republic
2 André Budzien, Germany
3 Michael Gubi, Austria
2007 Murcia, Spain
1 André Budzien, Germany
2 Agustin Juarez, Spain
3 Allen Burrell, Great Britain
2008 Medemblik, Netherlands
1 André Budzien, Germany
2 Mihail Kopanov, Bulgaria
3 Han Bergsma, Netherlands
2009 Maubuisson, France
1 André Budzien, Germany
2 Jurgen Eiermann, Germany
3 Laurent Hay, France
2010 Split, Croatia
1 Michael Maier, Czech Republic
2 André Budzien, Germany
3 Christen Christoph, Switzerland
2011 Punta Ala, Italy
1 Michael Maier, Czech Republic
2 Allen Burrell, Great Britain
3 Uli Breuer, Germany
2012 Pwllheli, Wales
1 Michael Maier, Czech Republic
2 Allen Burrell, Great Britain
3 Laurent Hay, France
2013 La Rochelle, France
1 Michael Maier, Czech Republic
2 André Budzien, Germany
3 Erik Lidecis, USA
2014 Sopot, Poland
1 Michael Maier, Czech Republic
2 André Budzien, Germany
3 Akeksandr Kukliukin, Russia
2015 Kavala, Greece
1 Vladimir Krutskikh, Russia
2 Dmitry Petrov, Russia
3 Giacomo Giovanelli, Italy
2016 Torbole, Italy
1 Rafael Trujillo, Spain
2 Vladimir Krutskikh, Russia
3 Michael Maier, Czech Republic
2017 Barbados
1 Vladimir Krutskikh, Russia
2 Laurent Hay, France
3 Rafael Trujillo, Spain
2018 El Balís, Spain
1 José Luis Doreste, Spain
2 Antonio Poncell, Chile
3 Giacomo Giovanelli, Italy
2019 Skovshoved, Denmark
1 Vladimir Krutskikh, Russia
2 Michael Maier, Czech Republic
3 Laurent Hay, France
2020 Port Zelánde, Netherlands
Not sailed due to COVID-19
2021 Los Alcazares, Spain
1 Valérian Lebrun, France
2 Filipe Silva, Portugal
3 David Terol, Spain
2022, Helsinki, Finland
1 Pieter-Jan Postma, The Netherlands
2 Laurent Hay, France
3 Peter Peet, The Netherlands
2023, Nea Iraklitsa, Greece
1 Filipe Silva, Portugal
2 Laurent Hay, France
3 Peter Mosny, Slovakia
2024, Punta Ala, Italy
1 Laurent Hay, France
2 Valerian Lebrun, France
3 Martijn van Muyden, Netherlands
MASTERS
(President’s Cup, Presented 2014)
2014 Aleksandr Kuliukin, Russia
2015 Vladimir Krutskhik, Russia
2016 Rafael Trujillo, Spain
2017 Vladimir Krutskhik, Russia
2018 Giacomo Giovanelli, Italy
2019 Vladimir Krutskikh, Russia
2020 Not sailed
2021 Valérian Lebrun, France
2022 Pieter-Jan Postma, The Netherlands
2023 Filipe Silva, Portugal
2024 Valerian Lebrun, France
GRAND MASTERS
(Finn Veteran Gold Cup - Trophäe Marktgemeinde Kaltern 1984)
2004 Larry Lemieux, Canada AlanTucker,SouthAfrica(1stGGM)
2005 Friedrich Müller, Germany
2006 Friedrich Müller, Germany
2007 Luksa Cicarelli, Croatia
2008 Luksa Cicarelli, Croatia
2009 Jørgen Lindhardtsen, Denmark
2010 Luksa Cicarelli, Croatia
2011 Michael Brandt, Sweden
2012 Pascal Tetard, France
2013 Henk de Jager, Netherlands
2014 Henry Sprague, USA
2015 Francesco Cinque, Italy
2016 Marc Allain des Beauvais, France
2017 Marc Allain des Beauvais, France
2018 José Luis Doreste, Spain
2019 Thomas Schmid, Germany
2020 Not sailed
2021 Greg Wilcox, New Zealand
2022 John Greenwood, Britain
2023 Antal Székely, Hungary
2024
LEGENDS
(Legends Trophy presented in 2012)
2006 Walter Mai, Germany
2007 Seigfried Bohl, Germany
2008 Walter Mai, Germany
2009 Walter Mai, Germany
2010 Richard Hart, Great Britain
2011 Howard Sellars, Great Britain
2012 Howard Sellars, Great Britain
2013 Friedrich Müller, Germany
2014 Richard Hart, Great Britain
2015 Henry Sprague, USA
2016 Howard Sellars, Great Britain
2017 Henry Sprague, USA
2018 Friedrich Müller, Germany
2019 Henry Sprague, USA
2020 Not sailed
2021 Hans Fatzer, Switzerland
2022 Hans Fatzer, Switzerland
2023 Jiri Outrata, Czech Republic
2024 Rob Coutts, New Zealand
SUPER LEGENDS
2016 Pedro Jiminez-Meifren, Spain
2017 Gerd Bohnsack, South Africa
2018 Gus Miller, USA
2019 Richard Hart, Great Britain
2020 Not sailed
2021 Richard Hart, Great Britain
2022 Richard Hart, Britain
2023 Howard Sellars, Britain
2024 Roderick Casander, The Netherlands
LADIES
(Ladies Trophy presented 2012)
2006 Bozena Smidova, Czech Republic
2007 Bozena Smidova, Czech Republic
2008 Bozena Smidova, Czech Republic
2009 Brigitte Devilliers, France
2010 Brigitte Devilliers, France
2011 Sabine Breuer, Germany
2012 Sabine Breuer, Germany
2018 Tina Sperl, Austria
2019 Tina Sperl, Austria
2020 Not sailed
2021 No competitors
2022 Tina Sperl, Austria
2023 Tina Sperl, Austria
2024 Claudia Graber, Austria
GOLDEN CRUTCH
1988 Han van Vierssen, Netherlands
1989 Horst Klein, Germany
1990 Rolf Lehnert, Germany
1991 Herbert Sondermann, Germany
1992 Jürgen Kraft, Germany
1993 Lucio Nodari, Italy
1994 Dieter Borges, Germany
1995 Hans-Günther Ehlers, Germany
1996 Jiri Outrata, Czech Republic
1997 Kurt Schimitzek, Austria
1998 Kurt Schimitzek, Austria
1999 Herbert Sondermann
2000 Claudio Bosetti, Italy
2001 Louie Nady, USA
2002 Mladen Makjanic, Croatia
2003 Peter Raderschadt, Germany
2004 Martin Plecity, Czech Republic
2005 Nicola Menoni, Italy
2006 Bernd Moser, Austria
2007 David Potter, Great Britain
2008 Laurent Hay, France
2009 Francesco Cinque, France
2010 Bas de Waal, Netherlands
2011 Arwin Karssemeijer, Netherlands
2012 Panagiotis Davourlis, Greece
2013 Raymond Hall, New Zealand
2014 Alexiy Marchevskiy, Russia
2015 Henry Sprague, USA
2016 Martijn van Muyden, Netherlands
2017 Antonio Poncell, Chile
2018 Fredrik Tegnhed, Sweden
2019 Taras Havrysh, Ukraine
2020 Not sailed
2021 Paul McKenzie, Austalia
2022 Bas de Waal, The Netherlands
2023 Simon Percival, Britain
2024 Filipe Silva, Portugal
EURO CUP 2011-2017
2011 Ian Ainslie, South Africa Balaton
2012 Minski Fabris, Croatia Balaton
2013 Igor Frolov, Russia Balaton
2014 Felix Denikaev, Russia Balaton
2015 Ian Ainslie, South Africa Balaton
2016 Ian Ainslie, South Africa Balaton
2017 André Budzien, Germany Balaton
FINN EUROPEAN MASTERS
2018 Split, Croatia
1 Vladimir Krutskikh, Russia
2 Karlo Kuret, Croatia
3 Michael Maier, Czech Republic
2019, Schwerin, Germany
1 Filipe Silva, Portugal
2 Bas de Waal, The Netherlands
3 André Budzien, Germany
2020, Gdynia, Poland
1 Milan Vujasinovic, Croatia
2 Filipe Silva, Portugal
3 Felix Denikaev, Russia
2021, Tihany, Balaton, Hungary
1 Akos Lukats, Hungary
2 Bas de Waal, The Netherlands
3 Taras Havrysh, Ukraine
2022, L’Hospitalet, Spain
1 Giacomo Gionvanelli Italy
2 Laurent Hay, France
3 Florian Faucheux, France
2023, Campione, Italy
1 Peter Peet, The Netherlands
2 John Greenwood, Britain
3 Simon Bovay, Switzerland
COUPE GODET TROPHY
(Awarded for outstanding contribution to the Finn Masters. Presented by Godet, in 2019)
2017 Richard Hart, GBR
2018 Vasilis Pigadas, GRE
2019 Ray New, GBR
2020 Jan Zetzema & FWM2020 OC, NED
2021 Robert Deaves
2022 Jan Kingma, NED
2023 Chris Watts, GBR
2024 Claire Des Beauvais Desfossés, FRA
* NOTE: These lists generally represent the engraving on the trophies. Some trophies appear to have been used for various categories over the years. Where there are inconsistencies or lack of engravings, other names are displayed in italics. It seems some sailors won categories but the trophies were presented to others. Please send any updates, additions or corrections to media@finnworldmasters.com.
