APRIL 2004 - Finn
APRIL 2004 - Finn
APRIL 2004 - Finn
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<strong>APRIL</strong> <strong>2004</strong><br />
<strong>Finn</strong>s in Rio • New formats • Future decisions
From Conception...<br />
...To Perfection<br />
Contacts<br />
Sales: Tel: + 33 (0)2 43 05 69 21<br />
Fax: + 33 (0)2 43 05 43 47<br />
Email: finn@suntouched.co.uk<br />
Manufacturing: Tel: + 36 27 538310<br />
Germany & Scandinavia<br />
Handelsagentur DREIPUNKT – André Budzien<br />
Fon +49 (0385) 3924378<br />
Fax: +49 (0385) 3925786<br />
Email: budzien@t-online.de<br />
Mobile: +49 (0178) 2184971<br />
North America<br />
Lemieux Boats<br />
Tel: 1 905 331 0817 Fax: 1 905 331 8081<br />
email: Lemieux@direct.com<br />
• Designed by an expert team using<br />
state of the art design techniques.<br />
• Slim profile for optimum<br />
aerodynamics<br />
• Manufactured using new high grade<br />
materials<br />
• Extensively tested in all sailing<br />
conditions<br />
• Highest quality finish and durability<br />
only available from Pata Willetts<br />
The New Profile Mast from Pata Willetts Marine<br />
Website: http://www.suntouched.co.uk<br />
<strong>Finn</strong>s and all you need for sailing fast!<br />
Delivery possible at good prices to nearly all major regattas.<br />
Marina Dellas, Segelbedarf, Weskampstr. 10, 26121 Oldenburg, Tel/Fax: +49 441 884765<br />
marina@dellas.de<br />
Images from Rio: ‘Starboard!’; Richard Clarke; Racing in the harbour; Michael Eller, Ben Ainslie with Gold Cup. Opposite page: Penny<br />
and Ralph Roberts on Corcovado; Sebastien Godefroid. Photos: Marco Antonio Rezende/COB and Nuno Caminada
is the official publication of the<br />
International <strong>Finn</strong> Association<br />
Executive Committee of IFA <strong>2004</strong><br />
President<br />
Philippe Rogge<br />
Koning Boudewijnstraat 11, B-9000, Gent<br />
Belgium<br />
Tel: +32 9 244 5188<br />
Fax: +32 1 683 4875<br />
Email: philippe@rogge.com<br />
President of Honour<br />
Gerardo Seeliger c/o ACNO<br />
21 rue d'Artois, Paris 75008 France<br />
Tel(W): +33 1 42 56 21 71<br />
Vice-President – Sailing<br />
Ali Enver Adakan<br />
Badstr. 46, 8590 Romanshorn, Switzerland<br />
Tel (Turkey): + 90 532 275 58 20<br />
Tel (Switzerland): +41 79 600 24 32<br />
Email: ae.adakan@gmx.ch<br />
Vice-President – Development<br />
Clifton Webb<br />
31 Gulf View Road, Murrays Bay<br />
North Shore, Auckland, New-Zealand<br />
Tel: +64 9479 3638<br />
Fax: +64 9 479 3687<br />
Email: Clifton_NZL27@compuserve.com<br />
Vice-President – Masters’ Fleet<br />
Rolf Lehnert<br />
Sonnenhalde 26<br />
D-88161, Lindenberg, Germany<br />
Tel: +49 838 17116<br />
Fax: +49 838 182614<br />
Email: Rolf.Lehnert@allgaeu.org<br />
Executive Director<br />
Corinne McKenzie<br />
3 Impasse de la Bousquette<br />
66370 Pezilla la Riviere, France<br />
Tel: +33 680 924 895 (m)<br />
Fax: +33 468 380913<br />
Email: ifinna@compuserve.com<br />
Honorary Treasurer<br />
Martijn van Muyden<br />
Honingerdijk 67 A, 3063 AK Rotterdam<br />
The Netherlands<br />
Email: mvmuyden@worldonline.nl<br />
Chairman Technical Committee<br />
Richard Hart<br />
26 Lower Spinney, Warsash, Southampton<br />
Hants SO3 9NL, England<br />
Tel: +44 1489 575327<br />
Fax: +44 1489 576908<br />
Email: Richard@Hart331.fsnet.co.uk<br />
IFA Chief Measurer<br />
Jüri Saraskin<br />
Lossi 1A, Tallinn, EE0026, Estonia<br />
Tel: (W) +372 6397041, (H) +372 672 6222<br />
Mobile: + 372 501 1321<br />
Fax: +372 639 7043<br />
Email: perimex@online.ee<br />
IFA Development Coach<br />
Michele Marchesini<br />
v.le Roma 17, 37018 Malcesine, Italy<br />
Tel: +39 45 7400077, Fax: +39 45 7400042<br />
Email: mmarchesini@infinito.it<br />
Chairman of the Marketing Committee and<br />
FINNFARE Editor<br />
Robert Deaves<br />
51 Heath Lane, Ipswich, IP4 5RS. England<br />
Mob: +44 (0)7932 047046<br />
Note: all previous numbers out of date<br />
Email: robert@deaves.com<br />
FINNFARE<br />
Circulation<br />
FINNFARE is a non-profit publication that is distributed<br />
free of charge to all IFA members and to interested<br />
parties connected to the International <strong>Finn</strong> Class around<br />
the world. For extra copies, or if you have addresses of<br />
people who you think should be receiving FINNFARE,<br />
please contact the IFA Office.<br />
Contributions<br />
Articles, race results, photographs and reports from<br />
countries are always welcome. Please include<br />
FINNFARE in your National Association for mailing<br />
newsletters, bulletins, press releases and race reports.<br />
Advertisements<br />
All advertisement enquiries should also be addressed<br />
to the Editor. Technical details and rates are available<br />
on request.<br />
Electronic Mail<br />
When sending editorial, photos and adverts to the editor<br />
by email please do not attach more than one file to each<br />
email. Please include all text items within the email and<br />
not as an attachment. Ideally, please send images as<br />
300 dpi JPEG.<br />
LETTER FROM<br />
JOHN BERTRAND<br />
Congratulations to Ben Ainslie for equalling<br />
Jorg Bruder’s <strong>Finn</strong> Gold Cup record of three<br />
consecutive victories. He is in good<br />
company. I had the great fortune of racing<br />
against Jorg in both the 1970 (Toronto)<br />
Gold Cup and 1971 (Anzio) Gold Cup.<br />
Toronto was my first Gold Cup and I didn’t<br />
see much of Jorg (I finished 9th), but at<br />
Anzio we had a great battle, with Jorg<br />
winning and myself runner-up.<br />
I can still remember the final windward leg<br />
of that last race where I was to leeward<br />
perhaps 50 meters, and on each header I<br />
would tack to try and cross the great man.<br />
Each time Jorg let out a cry of frustration<br />
as he willed his boat foreword. Each time<br />
I did not quite make it and tacked back as<br />
the short sharp shifts went back to favour<br />
Jorg. This went back and forth until I ran<br />
out of runway and Jorg crossed the line<br />
first, me second and we finished the Gold<br />
Cup in that order.<br />
My memory of Jorg was how absolutely<br />
competitive he was at all times. He never<br />
gave up. And what a gentleman he was on<br />
the land. A professor of mathematics in<br />
Brazil plus master mast builder for the <strong>Finn</strong>.<br />
It was a great loss to the international sailing<br />
world when Jorg was lost in the airplane<br />
disaster all those years ago. Those champion<br />
<strong>Finn</strong> sailors are very special people.<br />
IMAGES FROM RIO<br />
IFA WEB SITE<br />
http://www.finnclass.org<br />
Cover photos: Action from <strong>Finn</strong> Gold Cup, Rio de<br />
Janeiro. Photos: Marco Antonio Rezende/COB.<br />
Background photo: John Doerr<br />
FINNFARE <strong>APRIL</strong> <strong>2004</strong>
International <strong>Finn</strong> Asociation<br />
ISAF<br />
Belgian <strong>Finn</strong> Association<br />
British <strong>Finn</strong> Association<br />
Canadian <strong>Finn</strong> Association<br />
Danish <strong>Finn</strong> Association<br />
Dutch <strong>Finn</strong> Association<br />
French <strong>Finn</strong> Association<br />
German <strong>Finn</strong> Association<br />
Hungarian <strong>Finn</strong> Association<br />
Italian <strong>Finn</strong> Association<br />
New Zealand <strong>Finn</strong> Association<br />
Swedish <strong>Finn</strong> Association<br />
Swiss <strong>Finn</strong> Association<br />
USA <strong>Finn</strong> Association<br />
Useful web links<br />
www.finnclass.org<br />
www.sailing.org<br />
www.geocities.com/finnbelgium/<br />
www.finnuk.co.uk<br />
www.finncanada.org<br />
www.finnjolle.dk<br />
www.finn-sailing.nl<br />
www.finn-france.com<br />
www.finnwelle.de<br />
www.telnet.hu/finn<br />
mysite.xtra.co.nz/~NZ<strong>Finn</strong>Assoc<br />
www.finnejolle.nu<br />
www.finn.ch<br />
www.usfinnclass.org<br />
Devoti Sailing Ltd<br />
www.devotisailing.com<br />
Pata Willetts Marine<br />
www.suntouched.co.uk<br />
Lemieux Boats<br />
webhome.idirect.com/~lemieux<br />
North Sails UK www.northsails.co.uk/one-design/finn.htm<br />
North Sails USA<br />
www.northsailsod.com<br />
North Sails NZ<br />
www.nz.northsails.com<br />
Sea-nergy Sails<br />
www.sea-nergy.com<br />
Victory Sails<br />
www.victorysails.com, www.intervela.com<br />
Marina Dellas<br />
www.dellas.de<br />
High Performance Wetsuits NZ www.hikingpantsnz.com<br />
All major <strong>Finn</strong> gear suppliers will get a free listing. All advertisers will<br />
get one year’s inclusion on this list.<br />
<strong>Finn</strong> – Single-Handed Dinghy Men<br />
Issue Date : 6 February <strong>2004</strong><br />
Pos. Name Nation Prev Points<br />
1 Ben AINSLIE GBR 1 5011<br />
2 Mateusz KUSZNIEREWICZ POL 2 4978<br />
3 Sebastien GODEFROID BEL 3 4878<br />
4 Karlo KURET CRO 4 4584<br />
5 Michael FELLMANN GER 5 4526<br />
6 Rafael TRUJILLO VILLAR ESP 6 4515<br />
7 Jonas HOEGH CHRISTENSEN DEN 7 4493<br />
8 Andrew SIMPSON GBR 8 4465<br />
9 Guillaume FLORENT FRA 9 4464<br />
10 Emilios PAPATHANASIOU GRE 10 4356<br />
11 Soren HOLM DEN 11 4268<br />
12 Anthony NOSSITER AUS 12 4256<br />
13 Michael MAIER CZE 13 4206<br />
14 Charlie CUMBLEY GBR 14 4189<br />
15 Jaap ZIELHUIS NED 15 4137<br />
16 Waclaw SZUKIEL POL 16 4120<br />
17 Nenad VIALI CRO 17 4104<br />
18 Marin MISURA CRO 18 4096<br />
19 Ali Enver ADAKAN TUR 19 4010<br />
20 Joao SIGNORINI BRA 20 3910<br />
FINNatics and FINNLOG: Please note that these are now only<br />
available from the IFA through the IFA office, and no longer from<br />
the editor. FINNatics are available at regattas and by post for<br />
GBP 20 incl p&p. FINNLOGs are also available for GBP 5 plus<br />
p&p. Few remaining stocks left, so if you still don’t have these<br />
tomes of <strong>Finn</strong> sailing, buy one quick!<br />
MASTERS <strong>2004</strong><br />
<strong>Finn</strong> World Masters <strong>2004</strong> – Cannes <strong>2004</strong> – Update<br />
The <strong>2004</strong> <strong>Finn</strong> Masters has been redesigned to be more dynamic.<br />
We expect up to 200 registrations and these should have been sent<br />
to Lilo et Rolf Lehnert by 30th of March <strong>2004</strong>. See the German web<br />
site finn-world-master.com. As already practised in Schwerin, the<br />
entire field will be split up four groups. In each regatta two different<br />
groups will sail against each other. Two departures per day – 4 regattas<br />
all together.<br />
www.classefinn.it<br />
In case the winds are too strong (over 20 kn), the ‘old salt’ prize of<br />
the day, will be held, outside the regular Master Regatta. Everybody<br />
can participate, as long as the Regatta Committee allows it... On<br />
Sunday the 30th of May <strong>2004</strong>, immediately after the training regatta,<br />
a Show-Regatta will be held in front of the famous Croisette in Cannes.<br />
Everyone is invited to participate and have fun.<br />
Please consult the French web site www.finn-france.com, for all<br />
organisational queries or send your questions direct by e-mail to<br />
masters<strong>2004</strong>@finn-France.com. Anette (who speaks Swedish, French,<br />
German and English) will help you. Under the ‘MASTERS <strong>2004</strong>’ button<br />
on the website you will find information about weather, accommodation,<br />
restoration, the itinerary map, the map of Cannes and contacts.<br />
The person in charge for the regattas at the Yacht Club of Cannes,<br />
Bruno Fauroux, has an agreement with the City of Cannes, to use<br />
the beach close to the Yacht Club, as well as the parking place behind,<br />
for the Sailors and their mobile homes. The trailers can be parked<br />
close to the Yacht Club clubhouse. Thus, all boats will be close to the<br />
yacht club and all meetings, parties etc will take place on the roof of<br />
the yacht club (which has enough space for 400 persons) offering<br />
a fantastic view of the entire Cannes Bay.<br />
Everyone is doing their best to make this regatta a wonderful event,<br />
with the appropriate media/PR support. Depending on the participating<br />
sponsors a big tombola/prize is planned. The organisation team is<br />
Anette Ylisuvanto, Jacques Lalanne, Yves Zoccol, Loick Zoccola,<br />
Pierre le Chatelier and Michael Kurtz. Annette Ylisuvanto or Michael<br />
Kurtz c/o Pantaenius – Monaco. Tel. : 00377 97984343. Port. :0033<br />
678 634732. Fax : 00377 9798434.<br />
Win a <strong>Finn</strong><br />
Entrants to this year’s World Masters in Cannes may like to take along<br />
a double trailer or a set of roof bars, as a brand new <strong>Finn</strong> will be won<br />
by one lucky sailor during the week. Performance on the water doesn’t<br />
matter in this competition, as the winner will be drawn from one of a<br />
series of daily raffles. The final raffle will be at the prizegiving. Therefore<br />
whatever your scores it is worth completing the regatta as you can<br />
only enter if you sail. This raffle has been made possible by the kind<br />
and generous nature of the co-sponsors – Devoti Sailing, HIT masts,<br />
Harken and North Sails.<br />
4
FINN NEWS – FINN NEWS – FINN NEWS<br />
IFA News<br />
• A <strong>Finn</strong> Clinic will be organised before the European Champ. in La<br />
Rochelle. Will be invited the sailors from countries who haven’t qualified<br />
yet for the <strong>2004</strong> Olympic Games. Please contact the IFA office if you<br />
are planning to take part. This clinic is free of charge.<br />
• AGM: The <strong>2004</strong> AGM will take place on the 8th May in La Rochelle. Please<br />
send your submissions before the 8th of April to the IFA office.<br />
• A PRO will be appointed at all <strong>Finn</strong> Major Championship. Peter<br />
Reggio who officiated as class PRO in Cadiz and PRO in Marblehead<br />
for the 2001 FGC and the 1996 Olympic Games on the <strong>Finn</strong> course<br />
will be the class rep. for the <strong>2004</strong> European Championship in La<br />
Rochelle. Bill Bell will be the Class PRO in Moscow for the 2005 FGC.<br />
2007 ISAF World Sailing Championships<br />
Eight bids are being considered by ISAF to host the 2007 ISAF World<br />
Sailing Championships which are: Canada - Nova Scotia; Germany<br />
- Kiel; Germany - Rostock-Warnemünde; Greece - Athens; Korea -<br />
Busan; Netherlands - Medemblik; Portugal - Cascais; Spain - Cadiz.<br />
The final decision on the chosen venue will be taken at the ISAF Mid-<br />
Year Meetings, 5-6 June <strong>2004</strong>. Source ISAF<br />
New arrival<br />
Congratulations to Mr and Mrs P Rogge on the birth of a beautiful daughter<br />
Alexndra, born on the 5th of December at 6h20, weighing in at 2.9 kg<br />
and 48 cm. Both Mom and Dad are reported to be doing well.<br />
Sailing’s World Series<br />
ISAF, the Olympic Classes and the Organisers of the multi-Olympic<br />
Class Grade 1 Olympic Class Events have discussed the introduction<br />
of an Olympic Classes ‘World Series’ tour. As yet to have a final title,<br />
the ‘World Series’ will be created to introduce a more consistent and<br />
professional circuit for Olympic sailors, and provide the mechanism<br />
to achieve greater exposure and visibility for sailing.<br />
It was agreed that there should be a clear route of ‘World Series’ tour<br />
events around the world. ISAF will further encourage the creation of<br />
a Continental Series in the country/region of the ‘World Series’ events,<br />
which in turn could be preceded by a National Series, thus creating<br />
a clear path of participation, which would also support the development<br />
of sailing in that region.<br />
It is the intention to utilise the existing multi-Olympic Class Graded<br />
events within the ‘World Series’, and to encourage new events<br />
particularly in Asia, Australasia and the America’s to be part of the<br />
‘World Series’ tour. In scheduling the series to synchronise with other<br />
Give your campaign a little more support<br />
FINNFARE <strong>APRIL</strong> <strong>2004</strong><br />
Pro range hikers are available in<br />
std/braces, 3/4 braces, full/length<br />
braces, 3/4 johns and full/length<br />
johns, sizes L to XXXL.<br />
Standard features include 10 mm<br />
pvc battens, 3 mm yamamoto<br />
neoprene, kevlar neoprene crutch<br />
and batten pads, glued and stitched<br />
for strength and warmth, extra<br />
features available include kevlar<br />
neoprene bumpads and knee pads,<br />
pee zips and leg zips.Kevlar<br />
neoprene features now standard<br />
with pro range series<br />
www.hikingpantsnz.com<br />
Email: hikingpants@xtra.co.nz<br />
Phone: +64 9 410 5999<br />
Cell: +64 25 287 5754 • Fax +64 9 4105999<br />
Graded Olympic Class events, not only will a more cohesive event<br />
calendar be created, but the costs to the sailors in travelling and<br />
shipping equipment will be reduced. Moving forwards, it was agreed<br />
that ISAF, the Olympic Classes and multi-Olympic Class Graded Event<br />
The ‘World Series’ proposals would be put to Council at the ISAF Mid-<br />
Year Meeting in June <strong>2004</strong>, for final approval at the ISAF Annual<br />
Conference in November <strong>2004</strong>. Source ISAF<br />
Olympic Update<br />
• ISAF Launches Athens <strong>2004</strong> Microsite<br />
The start of the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad in Athens, Greece<br />
draws ever closer. ISAF has launched a microsite dedicated to<br />
delivering the latest information and news. Visit this at<br />
www.sailing.org/olympics<strong>2004</strong>. A specific news section, which links<br />
from the front page of www.sailing.org, will bring users the latest<br />
general Olympic news from the Greek Capital.<br />
Once the Olympic Sailing Competition starts, ISAF will publish the<br />
latest information direct from the Agios Kosmas Sailing Centre,<br />
including mark by mark roundings, weather information, results and<br />
photos.<br />
Another useful link is the official Athens site: www.athens<strong>2004</strong>.com<br />
• Qualification<br />
The following nations have already qualified for a place on the starting<br />
line in Athens<br />
Host country: GRE<br />
2002 Gold Cup: BEL, BRA, CRO, ESP, GBR, GER, IRL, POL<br />
2003 Gold Cup: AUS, CAN, CZE, DEN, NED, NZL, SLO, SUI, SWE,<br />
TUR, USA<br />
A further 6 places are available at the <strong>Finn</strong> Europeans at La Rochelle<br />
in May.<br />
• Racing<br />
The <strong>Finn</strong> class will race on Course Area D along with the Yngling and<br />
the Star classes.<br />
• Draft Schedule<br />
Opening: 1 August<br />
Measurement: 4-11 August<br />
Practice race: 12 August<br />
Racing: 14-16 August<br />
Reserve day: 17 August<br />
Racing: 18-19 August<br />
Reserve day: 20 August<br />
Racing: 21 August<br />
Closing ceremony: 29 August<br />
<strong>Finn</strong> Gold Cup 2005 – Moscow<br />
The 2005 <strong>Finn</strong> Gold Cup will be held in Moscow in the middle of June,<br />
between the SPA Regatta and Kiel Week. A charter flight will be<br />
organised from Hamburg to minimise travelling costs for sailors.<br />
Moscow Sailing School has ensured funding from the city of Moscow<br />
and will provide a complete hull with mast and sail to the top 100<br />
competitors.<br />
The sailing will be organised on a lake near the Moscow Sailing School<br />
and a floating ‘day Marina’ will be built on the lake. Transport from<br />
the Yacht Club to the day Marina will be organised by motor boats.<br />
Racing will be in groups with a racing format that will allow all sailors<br />
to race against each other until the last day. Richard Hart and Bill Bell<br />
from Australia are already working on this format and a proposition<br />
will be made at the next AGM. [See proposal on page 14 in this<br />
FINNFARE.]<br />
Sailing with the same equipment hasn’t been experienced since the<br />
1996 Olympics, but could be reintroduced in 2008 at the Beijing<br />
Olympics. The 2005 <strong>Finn</strong> Gold Cup will be an excellent opportunity<br />
to reintroduce this system and build up a good <strong>Finn</strong> fleet in Russia.<br />
FINNFARE A
FINN GOLD CUP <strong>2004</strong> – RIO DE JANEIRO<br />
Just five months after the close of the 2003 ISAF World Championship in Cadiz, Spain, <strong>Finn</strong> sailors from across the<br />
world gathered once again to compete for the <strong>Finn</strong> Gold Cup. In the past, the <strong>Finn</strong> Gold Cup has been sailed in some<br />
very attractive and exotic venues, but perhaps none quite matched up to the awe and splendour of Rio de Janeiro. It<br />
was a long held dream of the Brazilian <strong>Finn</strong> Class to host the Gold Cup here, after the 1998 Gold Cup in Ilha Bela,<br />
just north of Rio. 54 boats from 23 countries arrived in Rio for this carnival of <strong>Finn</strong> sailing, just a week before the real<br />
Rio Carnival got under way. Report by Robert Deaves. Photos by Nuno Caminada and Marco Antonio Rezende/COB.<br />
First race to Michael Maier<br />
In a fitful and unpredictable breeze and under<br />
the gaze of Christ the Redeemer high up on<br />
Corcovado, the first race of the <strong>2004</strong> <strong>Finn</strong><br />
Gold Cup got underway in grey and damp<br />
conditions. The windward-leeward course<br />
was set and by the time of the first race at<br />
13.00, the wind was down to 5-7 knots and<br />
very patchy.<br />
However the scene couldn’t have been more<br />
spectacular. With the start line close under<br />
Sugar Loaf Mountain and Corcovado over to<br />
the left, the grandeur of Rio Harbour and the<br />
majestic and formidable looking mountains<br />
cutting the horizon made an awesome vista<br />
from which to start a <strong>Finn</strong> race.<br />
After two general recalls the black flag went<br />
up and this time the fleet got away cleanly.<br />
Most of the fleet headed to the left while a<br />
few went up the middle and the right. First<br />
round was Jaap Zielhuis closely followed by<br />
Stefan de Vries. Behind them chaos ensued<br />
as many sailors got caught out by the strong<br />
tide around the windward mark and bunched<br />
up in a big raft.<br />
Zielhuis protected his lead through the<br />
downwind gate, although Jonas Hoegh-<br />
Christensen was very close behind. These<br />
Ali Enver Adakan (TUR 6) and Ben Ainslie (GBR 3) battle it out<br />
under the towering Corcovado<br />
two began a tough battle heading to the<br />
centre-left of the course after taking a short<br />
hitch right. Behind them Michael Maier and<br />
Mateusz Kusznierewicz headed left and kept<br />
on going. Maier, who had rounded the gate<br />
in 6th hit the left hand corner, tacked and laid<br />
the windward mark in first place.<br />
The clearing cloud brought more wind to the<br />
left and turned the final downwind became a<br />
battle of wills. However Maier kept his cool<br />
to win the first race of the regatta. Hoegh-<br />
Christensen finished in fourth, just ahead of<br />
defending champion Ben Ainslie.<br />
Sander Willems dominates day two<br />
Speed was the crucial element on day two,<br />
at least speed in the right direction. For many<br />
it was just a drag race to the corner and those<br />
who didn’t come in drag ended up looking<br />
at far too many transoms. Two races were<br />
sailed outside Rio Harbour with a magnificent<br />
view (when the cloud cleared) from Sugar<br />
Loaf Mountain down the coast along<br />
Copacabana Beach and onto Ipanema, and<br />
proved a testing time for all concerned with<br />
light and variable winds and a strong current<br />
across the course that caught many out. The<br />
windward leeward loop course was used.<br />
Race two started after a postponement in 3<br />
to 5 knots. Most of the fleet favoured the left<br />
on the first beat, although in general the leaders<br />
emerged from the right. It was a long slow beat<br />
against the tide. First round the weather mark<br />
was Gasper Vincec followed by Richard Clarke,<br />
Guillaume Florent and Karlo Kuret.<br />
Sugar Loaf and the start of race 1<br />
Above: Michael Maier CZE 1<br />
Below: Sander Willems NED 80<br />
6
Above: Start in Rio Harbour, right: Agustin Juarez<br />
FINN GOLD CUP <strong>2004</strong> – FINAL RESULTS<br />
1 GBR 3 Ben Ainslie 56.0 5 17 3 6 1 12 3 9 DNC<br />
2 CAN 303 Richard Clarke 69.0 11 4 19 11 12 13 7 6 5<br />
3 IRL 8 David Burrows 79.0 33 7 11 9 7 5 10 15 15<br />
4 POL 17 Mateuzs Kuzsnierewicz 82.0 3 16 7 2 27 6 14 21 13<br />
5 CRO 25 Marin Misura 82.0 37 6 2 20 13 19 4 11 7<br />
6 GBR 6 Andrew Simpson 89.0 20 36 16 1* 14 4 20 4 9<br />
7 CRO 11 Karlo Kuret 91.0 6 13 17 7 9 20 DNF 17 2<br />
8 ESP 100 Rafael Trujillo Uillar 93.0 45 37 6 3 5 3 8 30 1<br />
9 BRA 10 Joao Signorini 103.0 21 21 8 10 20 15 5 14 10<br />
10 DEN 7 Soren Holm 104.0 15 9 25 14 19 23 9 3 12<br />
11 DEN 200 Jonas Hogh-Christensen 116.0 4 10 9 BFD 22 10 31 10 20<br />
12 NZL 14 Dean Barker 122.0 32 5 44 27 8 11 13 12 14<br />
13 AUS 221 Anthony Nossiter 123.0 30 14 23 5 21 7 23 13 17<br />
14 TUR 6 Ali Enver Adakan 128.0 18 34 22 16 2 9 38 16 11<br />
15 NED 80 Sander E. Willems 131.0 17 2 1 25 3 42 42 8 33<br />
16 CZE 1 Michael Maier 135.0 1 28 14 38 18 29 17 24 4<br />
17 BEL 7 Sebastian Godefroid 146.0 24 3 20 BFD 4 14 36 27 18<br />
18 GBR 15 Charlie Cumbley 148.0 8 11 12 34 24 24 18 23 28<br />
19 FRA 73 Guillaume Florent 155.0 19 1 53 26 6 2 11 37 DNF<br />
20 NED 6 Stefan de Vries 165.0 9 20 24 15 17 27 44 31 22<br />
21 BRA 1 Bruno Prada 167.0 7 DSQ 15 8 15 33 1 33 BFD<br />
22 NED 78 Jaap Zielhuis 168.0 2 8 29 19 23 40 46 26 21<br />
23 POL 12 Waclaw Szukiel 174.0 27 23 4 17 29 32 24 18 BFD<br />
24 FRA 972 Bruno Ismael 180.0 26 33 36 24 10 22 DNF 2 27<br />
25 SLO 5 Gasper Vincec 180.0 44 12 18 13 11 17 27 38 BFD<br />
26 HUN 1 Balazs Hajdu 183.0 23 38 38 18 25 8 19 22 30<br />
27 GBR 550 Matt Howard 191.0 25 25 13 23 26 28 32 40 19<br />
28 CAN 41 Christopher Cook 195.0 DNF 18 37 21 31 25 21 39 3<br />
29 ARG 1 Alejandro Colla 197.0 41 40 10 4 32 21 26 42 23<br />
30 CRO 14 Nenad Viali 210.0 49 32 41 29 41 16 6 19 26<br />
31 SUI 7 Bruger Christoph 211.0 31 24 30 36 16 18 28 28 BFD<br />
32 SWE 736 Johan Tillander 218.0 14 35 28 30 40 31 15 29 36<br />
33 BRA 109 Jorge Zarif 221.0 10 46 48 42 37 35 2 1 BFD<br />
34 SUI 1 Othmar M. V Blumencron 224.0 28 39 5 39 30 34 41 44 8<br />
35 IRL 10 Aaron O’Grady 228.0 13 45 42 32 34 30 25 20 32<br />
36 ESP 107 Agustin Juarez Narrero 232.0 29 29 32 33 39 37 22 25 25<br />
37 GER 79 Michael Fellmann 240.0 22 43 39 28 OCS RAF 40 7 6<br />
38 ITA 15 Michele Marchesine 240.0 12 42 33 31 28 26 34 34 BFD<br />
39 CZE 22 Babicky Roman 260.0 38 19 26 43 43 46 30 45 16<br />
40 FIN 216 Tapio Nirkko 263.0 51 22 21 35 38 36 DNF 5 BFD<br />
41 IRL 5 Youen Jacob 269.0 46 15 45 12 35 44 35 46 37<br />
42 CAN 4 Mike Milner 272.0 43 26 40 40 36 41 12 DNF 34<br />
43 HUN 5 Tibor Pallay 276.0 34 30 31 44 44 43 33 32 29<br />
44 BRA 3 Henry Raul Boening 293.0 40 41 46 37 33 38 45 35 24<br />
45 BRA 100 Maurício Bueno 301.0 36 44 34 41 42 39 29 41 39<br />
46 BRA 18 Marco Aurélio de S· Ribeiro 338.0 42 51 43 48 46 49 43 36 31<br />
47 BRA 101 Jorge Rodrigues 362.0 35 49 47 BFD 49 DNF 49 43 35<br />
48 USA 55 Philippe Kahn 366.0 50 50 49 47 48 45 37 48 42<br />
49 GBR 1 Robert Deaves 371.0 48 52 51 46 50 50 39 49 38<br />
50 ITA 1 Luca Devoti 376.0 39 27 35 DNC DNC DNC DNC DNC DNC<br />
51 GER 266 Michael Eller 378.0 47 48 50 49 47 DNF 47 50 40<br />
52 NED 8 Rodrick Casander 379.0 RAF 47 52 45 45 48 50 51 41<br />
53 BRA 79 Gustavo Pereira Vaitsman 402.0 52 53 54 50 51 47 48 47 BFD<br />
54 GRE 6 Emilios Papathanasiou 440.0 RAF RAF RAF RAF RAF RAF RAF RAF RAF<br />
Historic third win for Ainslie<br />
All week in Rio, people were<br />
talking about Jorg Bruder and<br />
Ben Ainslie. <strong>Finn</strong> sailing has a<br />
special place in the hearts of the<br />
Brazilians, as it was their very<br />
own Jorg Bruder who was the<br />
only <strong>Finn</strong> sailor ever to score<br />
three successive wins at the <strong>Finn</strong><br />
Gold Cup. Between 1970 and<br />
1972 Bruder won two Gold Cups<br />
by the narrowest of margins and<br />
one comfortably, after six times<br />
previously finishing in the top five.<br />
Fate decided he would remain<br />
unbeaten as he was tragically killed<br />
in an air crash on the way to France<br />
to defend his title in 1973.<br />
From the start of the week, Ainslie<br />
had another target on his mind<br />
than the world championship.<br />
Winning the week here would<br />
make it three in a row for the<br />
2000 Olympic Laser Gold<br />
Medalist, after wins in Athens and<br />
Cádiz in 2002 and 2003.<br />
After the final day, Ben said, “I<br />
am really elated about this win.<br />
It’s really special for me to win<br />
the Gold Cup a third time and to<br />
do it in Brazil as well is really<br />
good. It was a very tough regatta<br />
and I really am chuffed to bits to<br />
come out on top. It’s always<br />
special to win a big championship<br />
like this but to win this for the<br />
third time in Brazil and equal<br />
Bruder’s record makes it very<br />
nice for me. It makes all the time<br />
and effort training worthwhile.”<br />
FINNFARE <strong>APRIL</strong> <strong>2004</strong><br />
FINNFARE A
Once a <strong>Finn</strong> sailor...<br />
One rejuvenated <strong>Finn</strong> sailor sailing in Rio was Dean Barker,<br />
helmsman for Team New Zealand, who last sailed a <strong>Finn</strong> in 1996<br />
before moving into the America’s Cup boats. Commenting on his<br />
performance, Barker said, “It’s certainly a challenge sailing the<br />
<strong>Finn</strong> again and is a bit different from sailing the America’s Cup<br />
boats! It can be very frustrating at times because you know you<br />
you can do better. I started sailing the <strong>Finn</strong> again in November<br />
last year and sailed a bit with Clifton (Webb) and Peter Fox in<br />
New Zealand, but I’m still a bit fresh. But it’s great racing one on<br />
one with the other guys here.”<br />
Waclaw Szukiel started at the heavily biased pin end and headed left<br />
inshore and rounded the first mark just behind Rafael Trujillo-Villar<br />
who emerged from the mid left in the lead.<br />
The fleet split on the first run with most favouring the inshore side of<br />
the course to the right. By the downwind gate, Colla had moved into<br />
the lead followed by Trujillo Villar and Szukiel. Szukiel lost heavily on<br />
the second beat but the two front runners stayed the same. In the<br />
increased breeze, now blowing 10-12 knots, Simpson moved up into<br />
a close third around the windward mark followed by Bruno Prada and<br />
Anthony Nossiter.<br />
When asked about how things had changed over the past eight<br />
years Barker said, “Of course the equipment has moved on a bit<br />
since I last sailed them, the boats have become more standardised<br />
so there is no longer so much of a speed differences any more,<br />
and that makes for really good racing. However, downwind<br />
technique has changed a lot since I last sailed. It is much more<br />
refined now and has improved a lot.” On the future he said, “The<br />
New Zealand Olympic selection trials are in Palma and at the<br />
Europeans, so I am going home for a while before coming to<br />
Europe to try and qualify for Athens this summer.<br />
It was all change on the final run to the finish. Simpson found speed<br />
and the right side to take the lead and win the race. He was later spot<br />
checked by the Jury and found to be missing a required piece of<br />
equipment. He was given one penalty point but the race stood. Behind<br />
him Kusznierewicz put on a charge to move from 10th at the windward<br />
mark to 2nd at the finish.<br />
On the run the fleet went mainly left, with Florent leading round the<br />
gate followed by Sander Willems. By now the wind was up to 8 to 10<br />
knots and virtually everyone was following the right hand side of the<br />
course and Florent maintained his lead to win the race on the following<br />
run followed by Willems and Godefroid.<br />
The tide was even stronger for race three but the breeze had gone<br />
back to a fitful 4 to 6 knots, and in spite of an adverse tidal set on the<br />
start line, there were still two general recalls before the race got<br />
underway. Waclaw Szukiel made the best of the start to tack away<br />
immediately to the right and to round the first mark just behind Willems,<br />
Matt Howard and Othmar Mueller Van Blumencron. Waclaw took the<br />
lead on the run to lead through the downwind gate.<br />
On the final upwind leg, everyone headed inshore out of the tide, but an<br />
increase in pressure and backing in direction left those inshore scuppered.<br />
Willems regained the lead and led to the finish to score an impressive win.<br />
The race was lengthened due to the wind gradually decreasing and the<br />
strong tide and made for some very frustrating racing for some.<br />
Proceedings were slightly livened up by a bulk carrier deciding to<br />
cross the course area. The Chairman of the Jury Ralph Robert tried<br />
showing it the yellow flag in an attempt to keep it off the course, but<br />
after a 360 degree turn, the captain decided to come through anyway!<br />
Winner of race two Guillaume Florent commented, “In the first race<br />
there was a bit more breeze and I was sailing fast in the right direction.<br />
I went right on the first beat and centre right on the second and it paid<br />
both times. Then for some reason I tried something completely different<br />
in the second race today, and it didn’t work at all.” Florent had a<br />
shocker in race three, finishing 53rd.<br />
Ben moves into the lead<br />
Race five got underway in a warm north-east 8 to 10 knot breeze.<br />
The windward leeward course was set and most sailors started down<br />
near the pin end. The majority of the fleet headed towards the left of<br />
the course. Sebastian Godefroid and Ainslie moved towards the right,<br />
tacked back to the left and two rounded the top mark first and second<br />
followed by Rafael Trujillo Villar and Ali Enver Adakan.<br />
The leaders split gybes on the first downwind with Ainslie going to<br />
the left and Godefroid heading right. The top sailors were in their<br />
element now as the wind increased allowing them to show off their<br />
great pumping and surfing skills – under the ever watchful eye of the<br />
Jury of course. Godefroid rounded the gate in the lead but went wrong<br />
up the second beat to let Ainslie through to the lead which he held to the<br />
finish. Godefroid eventually finished fourth behind Adakan and Willems.<br />
Race six started in 12-15 knots and for the first time in the regatta the<br />
traditional Olympic course was used with an upwind finish. After one<br />
general recall, the pin end marker was moved and many boats opted<br />
to start at the committee boat, Ainslie among them. However shortly<br />
after the start the wind shifted back and left those at the starboard<br />
end with some catching up to do. The majority of the fleet headed left<br />
again and at the top mark it was Florent leading Trujillo Villar. Ainslie<br />
was somewhere in the 30s and had a lot of work to do.<br />
Large waves and an increased wind facilitated two fantastic reaches,<br />
but it was still Florent at the leeward mark ahead of Trujillo and<br />
Papathanasiou. The fleet virtually all banged left again on the second<br />
beat. Papathanasiou emerged round the top mark in the lead followed<br />
Mateusz Takes The Lead<br />
After an hour waiting in very sloppy waves and a fitful wind, race four<br />
finally started in 7 to 8 knots of breeze from the north east. For the<br />
third day in a row the windward leeward loop was sailed. However it<br />
took three general recalls and a black flag to get the fleet away.<br />
Second overnight Jonas Hoegh-Christensen fell foul of the black flag<br />
along with Sebastien Godefroid and Jorge Rodriguez.<br />
8
y Florent and Trujillo. Positions remained the same on the run and<br />
the final beat, with Simpson moving up to fourth. Ainslie eventually<br />
recovered to 12th place to take the overnight lead.<br />
First and second for Brazil<br />
The <strong>Finn</strong> fleet spent more time being towed around than actually<br />
racing on day five. The fleet headed out to Guanabara Bay for the<br />
scheduled 13.00 start. After a postponement and a wait, the fleet was<br />
towed back into the harbour where a pleasant 7 to 8 knot breeze was<br />
waiting. The press had also arrived with their cameras and helicopters,<br />
so there was quite a commotion within the harbour.<br />
At the start most of the favourites favoured the pin end, but Dean<br />
Barker and Marin Misura led half of the fleet out of the committee<br />
boat end towards the favoured right-hand side. Most of the favourites,<br />
including the top three overnight, went to the left of the course before<br />
digging back in; but it was too late by then as even the slowest of the<br />
boats heading right crossed nearly all those who had gone left, leaving<br />
several high ranking sailors with too much to do.<br />
Soren Holm rounded the top mark in the lead followed by Nenad Viali<br />
and Misura. Ainslie rounded about 14th and headed to the right on the<br />
run, where there looked to be more pressure. It worked a treat as he<br />
rounded the downwind gate in second place just behind Joao Signorini.<br />
Ainslie rounded the top mark in second place just behind Prada and<br />
just ahead of Holm and Misura. Prada maintained his lead on the final<br />
downwind leg to the finish, with Zarif moving up to second to make<br />
it a Brazilian 1, 2. Kusznierewicz finished 14th to give Ainslie an 18<br />
point cushion. Just as the race committee tried to start a second race,<br />
the wind died and it was postponed until the final day.<br />
Ainslie commented on his plans for the final day, “it will just be a<br />
matter of keeping an eye on Mateusz and David, and trying to stay<br />
ahead of them.” Mateusz also reflected on the final day, “obviously I<br />
will still try and win but it’s not going to be easy.”<br />
and now couldn’t be touched for the title. However the race was still<br />
very much on for the other medals with 5 to 6 sailors in with a chance.<br />
When the fleet finally got away, the majority tacked and headed to<br />
the right, although for a while both sides looked good. Then a shift<br />
to the right brought those who had gone far right to the front and<br />
Rafael Trujillo Villar led round the first mark followed by Gasper Vincec<br />
and Karlo Kuret. With the wind picking up to around 12 knots, Rafa<br />
held his lead throughout the race. Chris Cook pulled through on the<br />
downwind leg and ended up third at the finish just behind Kuret.<br />
Richard Clarke, 10 points adrift of a medal going into the day, scored<br />
a 5th, which put together with his 6th in the morning catapulted him<br />
into the silver medal position. Mateusz Kusznierewicz couldn’t quite<br />
find the form he had in the early races and dropped to fourth overall.<br />
Third overnight, David Burrows had a scrappy day but two 15th places<br />
were just enough to keep him in the bronze medal position, which he<br />
was pretty pleased about.<br />
Final day – history made<br />
Milestones in sailing don’t come along every day, but the final day of<br />
the <strong>2004</strong> <strong>Finn</strong> Gold Cup in Rio de Janeiro, there was a very special<br />
milestone. Winning the <strong>Finn</strong> Gold Cup for the third time in a row, Ben<br />
Ainslie (GBR) equalled Jorg Bruder’s record set between 1970 and 72.<br />
Ainslie takes up the story. While he admits to being very nervous<br />
before the start – especially when waiting onshore earlier in the day<br />
for the wind to pick up – as soon as the racing started he settled<br />
down. He relates, “It was essential to be at the committee boat at the<br />
start and head off right out of the tide. I got a good start and went<br />
right right before coming back towards the middle. I was watching for<br />
both Mateusz and David and they went too far in and lost the wind<br />
a bit. When they came out they were behind me and it was looking<br />
good. After that I just played the fleet up the middle, but it was pretty<br />
nerve racking at times.”<br />
Up at the front Jorge Zarif was battling with Tapio Nirkko, Michael<br />
Fellmann and Soren Holm. A large hole in the wind to the right of the<br />
course caused quite a few problems for some sailors, but Zarif –<br />
Brazil’s 1984 Olympic representative – led the way round. Ainslie<br />
rounded the top mark about 14th and managed to climb up to 9th at<br />
the finish, but that didn’t matter. He had beaten both his nearest rivals<br />
Below: Soren Holm leads race 8. Top: Joao Signorini<br />
FINNFARE <strong>APRIL</strong> <strong>2004</strong><br />
FINNFARE A
His bronze medal here this week is David’s first <strong>Finn</strong> World<br />
Championship medal. He commented. “This is an amazing place. I’ve<br />
never been anywhere quite like it. After the pre-regatta training several<br />
of us went up to Buzios, north of Rio for a break. It was a stunning<br />
place, 20 knots winds every day and some gorgeous scenery. I have<br />
really enjoyed it here although the racing has been tough.”<br />
Joao Signorini the leading sailor from Brazil concurred, “It has been<br />
a really great event. There has been a very high level of racing with<br />
the leaderboard changing many times during the week. Rio has showed<br />
that it is a place which can be very tricky. You have to stay calm to race<br />
well here and be consistent. Some guys have had results all over the<br />
place, even on the same day. However it has been a hard event with some<br />
great racing. I think the organisers have done a great job in bringing it all<br />
together and I hope that all the sailors have enjoyed their time in Rio.”<br />
Talking about the championship after the race, Ben Ainslie put his<br />
success here down to consistency, and agreed the conditions have<br />
been difficult. He commented, “This gives me a good confidence boost<br />
for Athens, but it is still six months away and there is a lot that can<br />
happen and a lot of hard work to do in that time.” Overcoming<br />
challenging conditions and a very deep field of talent, Ainslie has now<br />
won all five major championships since he entered the class in 2001.<br />
With the Olympic Games in Athens just 6 months away, is there<br />
anyone who can stop this man?<br />
The <strong>Finn</strong> Festival in Rio was over and the Rio Carnival was just<br />
starting. Rio de Janeiro certainly put on a show to be proud of over<br />
the week. The <strong>Finn</strong> Gold Cup was just one of many preparatory events<br />
for the 2007 Pan-American Games.<br />
An enormous number of people contributed to the success of the<br />
event including the ever present Nuno Caminada, Kadu (Richardo<br />
Baggio) – Sailing Manager of the Iate Clube do Rio de Janeiro, Marco<br />
Aurelio sa Ribeiro and the Brazilian <strong>Finn</strong> Association as well as the<br />
hard working PRO, Pedro Paulo Petersen. Marco Aurelio (below)<br />
commented, “I think it has been a very successful event. Although<br />
the conditions were tricky, I think the sailors who did the right thing<br />
on the water were the winners. It was a fair championship and we are<br />
very pleased with the organisation.”<br />
Junior <strong>Finn</strong> Gold Cup<br />
The <strong>Finn</strong> Junior World Championship had a<br />
reduced entry this year, perhaps due to the<br />
costs of travel, but the IFA are delighted that<br />
the Brazilian Olympic Committee has presented<br />
the class with ‘The Jorg Bruder<br />
Silver Cup’, a perpetual trophy<br />
to be presented to the winner<br />
of the junior event, as a<br />
memorial to the late great<br />
<strong>Finn</strong> sailor from Brazil.<br />
The leading junior in Rio was<br />
Tapio Nirkko, who finished in<br />
40th place in this Gold Cup<br />
just four places ahead of Brazil’s Henry Raul<br />
Boening (below). Nirkko did himself a favour<br />
on the last day race with a 5th in the morning,<br />
as he was black-flagged in the second race as<br />
a premature starter, but still maintained a big<br />
enough points difference on the Brazilian to<br />
take the title.<br />
10
Name: Balazs Hajdu.<br />
Age: My age is 28 years.<br />
What is your home town?: My hometown is Budapest, Hungary.<br />
When did you start sailing?: I started sailing at the age of five with<br />
my mother sailing with me in an Optimist.<br />
Summary of sailing career: 5 years Optimist, 4 years Laser, the<br />
1998 Junior Europeans in Star, 10 year now in the <strong>Finn</strong>.<br />
Why did you take up sailing?: My parents were both regatta sailors<br />
back in the 60s and 70s with my father winning 3 national titles in<br />
single-handed classes and my mother spending 15 years competing<br />
in the Pirate class. So, there was a natural tendency in the family to<br />
spend most of our time close to Lake Balaton, the main sailing venue<br />
in the country.<br />
What was your first boat?: It was a 60+ kilos heavy Optimist.<br />
What was your favourite boat and why?: My first <strong>Finn</strong> which I<br />
bought from Hans Spitzauer. We agreed on the deal sailing back<br />
downwind to the club from one of the races in Anzio in 1995.<br />
What class did you first race in?: My first race class was the Optimist<br />
and my first regatta the Szobi Szorp Cup sponsored by a fruit juice<br />
producing company. The regatta and the free drinks were so popular<br />
that the average size of the fleet racing the regatta used to be 160+<br />
boats each year.<br />
How much time do you spend on the water each week?: After the<br />
Sydney Olympics I graduated and started to work as a lawyer. As a<br />
consequence of that my sailing efforts were restricted to maybe 4-5<br />
local weekend regattas per year. I started my campaign for Athens<br />
<strong>2004</strong> early January this year with a 7 week training camp and racing<br />
in Rio. I plan to sail at least 15 hours a week training up until the<br />
Games.<br />
Who are your sailing heroes and why?: I do not really have sailing<br />
heroes. There are many people I have learnt a lot from, but I believe<br />
that everybody has to find his/her own way to become as good a<br />
sailor as possible.<br />
Why did you take up the <strong>Finn</strong>?: As an 18 year old I got fed up with<br />
the cold when sailing the Laser wearing swimming shorts (only) in<br />
late October regattas. Apart from allowing for some more clothing to<br />
put on, I very much liked the complexity of the <strong>Finn</strong>. Without the <strong>Finn</strong><br />
I could not have been racing in any Olympic dinghy class. As a<br />
teenager I did not want to sail Stars against my father's generation.<br />
How long have you sailed the <strong>Finn</strong>?: It has been 10 years now of<br />
which 4 were quite intense.<br />
What is your favourite venue?: My favourite venue is of course<br />
Lake Balaton. The lake teaches you a lot about balancing conservative<br />
tactics with extreme sailing to corners when needed.<br />
What is your least favourite venue?: Anywhere where the air is<br />
warmer than the water.<br />
When was your first major win?: My first ‘major’ win was the youth<br />
national championship title won as a 16 year old sailing against 19<br />
year olds in the Laser in 1991.<br />
What is your best ever result?: It is difficult to match results in<br />
different regattas. It was maybe my 15th place in the Sydney Olympics<br />
(scoring a 3rd an a 5th on the same day). The last time when a<br />
Hungarian sailor finished better than 15th in the Olympics reaches<br />
back to the 1980 Moscow Games.<br />
What are your strengths in sailing?: The love for the sport.<br />
What are your weaknesses in sailing?: There must be quite a few,<br />
SAILOR PROFILE<br />
RULE CHANGES<br />
as I have never really managed to get into the top 20 in the world for<br />
a long period of time. I’d really like to change this.<br />
What result gave you the most satisfaction?: When I won a bronze<br />
medal at one of the Optimist regattas I first attended.<br />
What is the single most important piece of sailing advice you<br />
could give to a young sailor?: Train with as much intensity and<br />
determination as when racing and have fun during that.<br />
What is the <strong>Finn</strong> classes greatest asset?: The sailors (young and<br />
master) and the superb boat.<br />
What are its disadvantages? Hard to learn and follow the technological<br />
side without professional coach support.<br />
Are there any changes you like see happen to the Olympic classes<br />
sailing circuit?: To have less on-water judging.<br />
What class would you like to move into after the <strong>Finn</strong>?: I would<br />
move to the Star<br />
Do you think the spread of Olympic classes should be changed<br />
and how?: I think the current situation represents the world of sailing<br />
quite well, except for the fact that there is no keelboat with spinnaker<br />
in the Olympics while the vast majority of sailors sail in such classes.<br />
What's the funniest thing you've ever witnessed at a regatta?:<br />
At an around Lake Balaton single-handed yachting event I saw a boat<br />
returning after a few hours sailing to the starting line with its helmsman<br />
sleeping calmly at the rudder.<br />
Other hobbies and interests?: Non-sailing travelling with Edina, my<br />
girlfriend having a chance to see other things than marinas and water<br />
only. I love spending my time with friends and reading.<br />
What job would you be doing if you were not sailing?: After the<br />
Sydney Games I graduated and work currently as a lawyer at<br />
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. (My colleagues start to hate me<br />
coming back to work sunburnt a week or two subsequent to a few<br />
weeks of sailing. The situation after Rio has even worsened.)<br />
Where would you like to see the Gold Cup sailed in the future?:<br />
I would love to race a Gold Cup at Lake Balaton or alternatively in<br />
the Carribics (Mustique would be a fine place).<br />
The following amendments to the Class Rules have been approved<br />
to be effective 1st March <strong>2004</strong>.<br />
Delete Rule 5.7, sub-Rules and remarks<br />
And Replace by<br />
5.7 In alteration to RRS 42:<br />
5.7.1 Flag [Q] displayed at the start or near a mark, indicates that:<br />
FINNFARE <strong>APRIL</strong> <strong>2004</strong><br />
“After starting or rounding the nearby mark, RRS 42 is varied in that<br />
except on a beat to windward, pumping, rocking and ooching are<br />
permitted".<br />
5.7.2 Flag [R] displayed near a mark indicates that: “After rounding<br />
the nearby mark, RRS 42 applies without variation.”<br />
5.7.3 The <strong>Finn</strong> Class recommends that Race Officers apply Rule 5.7.1<br />
in winds of 12 knots and above, measured at deck level.<br />
FINNFARE A
WARM UP IN RIO<br />
Many sailors arrived in Rio several<br />
weeks before the Gold Cup for training<br />
and relaxation. Two warm up regattas<br />
were sailed. First was the Brazilian<br />
National Championship and then the<br />
South American Championship.<br />
Brazilian Nationals <strong>2004</strong><br />
The Brazilian Championship, sailed from 28-<br />
31 January, was the first chance many of the<br />
sailors had to test the waters off Rio. France's<br />
Guillaume Florent beat the one of the local<br />
favourites Joao Signorini as well as current<br />
world champion Ben Ainslie.<br />
The races were sailed in 8 to 12 knot southerly<br />
winds on Guanabara Bay. It had been a very<br />
mild summer in Brazil and the weather for<br />
this event was no different, with comfortable<br />
temperatures and a very weak sun hidden<br />
behind a slight layer of clouds. Many sailors got<br />
to grips with the tide and local geography with<br />
four different winners over the seven races.<br />
BRAZILIAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP <strong>2004</strong><br />
1 FRA 73 Guillaume Florent 2 1 4 6 4 7 2 19<br />
2 BRA 10 João Signorini 1 2 8 7 3 10 1 22<br />
3 GBR 3 Ben Ainslie 3 6 14 2 6 2 4 23<br />
4 NED 80 Sander E. Willems 6 4 12 4 16 3 5 34<br />
5 IRL 8 David Burrows 11 10 6 1 1 13 12 41<br />
6 BRA 1 Bruno Prada 7 3 7 10 9 8 7 41<br />
7 BEL 7 Sebastian Godefroid DNC DNC 3 3 5 6 8 45<br />
8 NED 78 Jaap Zielhuis DNS 5 13 14 8 5 3 48<br />
9 GBR 6 Andrew Simpson DNC DNC 1 DNF 2 1 6 50<br />
10 NZL 14 Dean Barker 4 7 11 8 10 11 10 50<br />
11 HUN 1 Balazs Hajdu 9 8 9 5 12 9 DSQ 52<br />
12 FRA 972 Bruno Ismael 5 DNF 10 9 7 12 14 57<br />
13 NED 6 Stefan de Vries DNC DNC 2 12 13 4 9 60<br />
14 BRA 3 Henry Boening 10 12 5 11 15 14 11 63<br />
15 BRA 100 Maurício Bueno 12 11 15 13 11 15 13 75<br />
16 BRA 180 Gustavo Pereira Vaitsman 13 14 18 15 17 16 16 91<br />
17 ITA 1 Luca Devoti 8 9 DNC DNC 14 DNF DNC 91<br />
18 BRA 111 Marco Aurélio de Sá Ribeiro 15 15 16 16 18 17 15 94<br />
19 BRA 9 Jorge Rodrigues 14 13 17 DNF DNS DNS DNS104<br />
For the final race, the wind shifted on the<br />
committee boat and the time limit drew near.<br />
Florent, leading the championship, pressed<br />
for an early ending. The committee boat tried<br />
to reposition for a last race, but it was not to<br />
be. The buoys were 30 seconds too late in<br />
position and the final race was cancelled.<br />
Florent, married to a Brazilian himself, was<br />
the new <strong>Finn</strong> Class Brazilian Champion.<br />
South American Championship <strong>2004</strong><br />
Straight after this regatta, the South American<br />
Championship was also sailed out of Rio from<br />
February 8-11 with 47 sailors. Croatian sailor<br />
Marin Misura sailed an excellent regatta to win<br />
two races and beat Ainslie on count back after<br />
the two tied on points. Rafael Trujillo, who was<br />
second in last year's Gold Cup, finished third.<br />
For the South Americans and the Gold Cup<br />
a ball system was instituted, where at 11:00<br />
the race officers raised one ball on the club<br />
mast if the race course was to set inside the<br />
bay, or two balls if the race was outside.<br />
After two rainy days, the weather in Rio<br />
cleared and a great sunny Sunday greeted<br />
the <strong>Finn</strong> fleet for the first day of the South<br />
Americans with 47 boats entered. Most<br />
courses were set inside Rio Harbour in light<br />
winds from the south. This gave some of the<br />
newcomers less of a disadvantage in missing<br />
the Brazilian Nationals.<br />
12
SOUTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP <strong>2004</strong><br />
1 CRO 25 Marin Misura 15 1 1 6 5 13<br />
2 GBR 3 Ben Ainslie 5 3 5 4 1 13<br />
3 ESP 100 Rafael Trujillo Villar 3 2 11 14 3 19<br />
4 IRL 8 David Burrows 24 5 3 13 4 25<br />
5 GBR 6 Andrew Simpson 23 4 4 2 16 26<br />
6 NZL 14 Dean Barker 2 10 7 23 8 27<br />
7 FRA 73 Guillaume Florent 4 32 8 10 10 32<br />
8 BRA 1 Bruno Prada 16 11 17 3 12 42<br />
9 DEN 7 Soren Holm 1 23 20 17 14 52<br />
10 BEL 7 Sebastian Godefroid 13 18 28 16 6 53<br />
11 BRA 10 João Signorini 20 35 16 9 11 56<br />
12 POL 17 Mateusz Kuzsnierewicz 32 6 6 12 DNF 56<br />
13 GBR 15 Charlie Cumbley 7 8 DNF 27 15 57<br />
14 CAN 303 Richard Clarke 25 9 9 21 20 59<br />
15 POL 12 Waclaw Szukiel 14 7 19 22 22 62<br />
16 SUI 7 Burger Christoph 6 13 24 24 26 67<br />
17 FIN 216 Tapio Nirkko 19 29 13 7 DNF 68<br />
18 FRA 972 Bruno Ismael 22 19 14 30 13 68<br />
19 SLO 5 Gasper Vincec 36 17 DNF 8 9 70<br />
20 IRL 10 Aaron O’Grady 9 21 10 32 DNF 72<br />
21 CRO 14 Nenad Viali OCS 12 DNF 11 2 73<br />
22 ESP 107 Agustin Juarez Narrero 10 25 22 25 21 78<br />
23 CRO 11 Karlo Kuret 17 36 DNF 20 7 80<br />
24 GBR 550 Matt Howard 18 14 21 28 DNF 81<br />
25 ARG 1 Alejandro Colla 31 RAF 18 15 17 81<br />
26 AUS 221 Anthony Nossiter DNF 24 12 29 18 83<br />
27 BRA 109 Jorge Zarif 21 31 29 5 30 85<br />
28 SUI 1 Othmar M V Blumencron DNF 28 15 19 25 87<br />
29 HUN 1 Balazs Hajdu 11 33 27 37 19 90<br />
30 SWE 736 Johan Tillander 12 26 30 36 23 91<br />
31 BRA 100 Maurício Bueno 33 27 26 18 31 102<br />
32 HUN 5 Tibor Pallay DNF 15 32 33 27 107<br />
33 BRA 11 Fabio Bodra 27 30 25 34 28 110<br />
34 BRA 3 Henry Raul Boening 30 37 23 38 29 119<br />
35 NED 78 Jaap Zielhuis 8 38 DNF 35 DNF129<br />
36 NED 6 Stefan de Vries 29 22 DNF 31 DNF130<br />
37 USA 55 Philippe Kahn 35 34 31 39 33 133<br />
38 BRA 10 Jorge Rodrigues 28 40 34 41 34 136<br />
39 NED 8 Rodrick Casander 26 41 35 42 35 137<br />
40 USA 975 August Miller 34 39 36 40 32 141<br />
41 NED 80 Sander E. Willems DNF DNC DNC 1 DNF145<br />
42 ITA 15 Michele Marchesine DNF DNC DNC 26 24 146<br />
43 ITA 1 Luca Devoti OCS DNC 2 DNC DNC146<br />
44 DEN 200 Jonas Hoegh-Christensen DNF 16 DNF DNC DNC160<br />
45 IRL 5 Youen Jacob DNF 20 DNF DNC DNC164<br />
46 BRA 180 Gustavo Pereira Vaitsman DNF 42 33 DNC DNC171<br />
47 GRE 6 Emilios Papathanasiou DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF192<br />
Far left: Start in Rio Harbour. Lower Left: Luca leads!<br />
Top left: Top four at the Brazilian Nationals – cheer up guys!<br />
Below: Dean Barker rounding a mark<br />
2006 GOLD CUP BIDS<br />
At this year’s IFA AGM, there will be three bids to host the 2006<br />
<strong>Finn</strong> Gold Cup. Each country has sent brief details to FINNFARE.<br />
1. Croatia<br />
Luksa Cicarelli, Croatian <strong>Finn</strong> Class Secretary writes, “We would<br />
like to compete for the organisation of Gold Cup in 2006 for seniors<br />
and juniors in Split, at our club LABUD, under the patronage of<br />
Croatian Sailing Association and the town of Split. Split is more<br />
than 1,700 years old and is located on the Adriatic coast with all the<br />
advantages and maritime conditions essential for competitions like this.<br />
We organised the <strong>Finn</strong> European Championship in 1997, hosting<br />
75 competitors and the World <strong>Finn</strong> Masters in 2002 for 130<br />
competitors. We also hosted the Mediterranean Games in 1979.<br />
Split and the sailing club LABUD are well known in <strong>Finn</strong> competition<br />
for good winds during the chosen dates (end of May and throughout<br />
June), when south wind usually blows 10-25 Knots.<br />
Regatta areas in diameter of 10 nm are surrounded by beautiful<br />
islands. Spectators can watch the regatta from the hill overlooking<br />
the sailing area. This is why we have been awarded the match<br />
race for the last 10 years. We stand very good chances of getting<br />
the organisation of World Masters in the same year, which would<br />
be a real sailing Festival for the <strong>Finn</strong> Class of more than 200 boats.<br />
We hope you will consider our nomination for GOLD CUP in 2006.<br />
As an active sailer, I remember unforgettable and fantastic moments<br />
during joint competition of juniors and veterans on World Cup and<br />
World Masters in La Rochelle and Weymouth.”<br />
2. Denmark<br />
Lars Vesterholm-Lavesen, National Secretary, Danish <strong>Finn</strong><br />
Associationwrites, “The Danish <strong>Finn</strong> Association would like to<br />
make an application to host the <strong>Finn</strong> Gold Cup in 2006. One of<br />
the reasons for this application is the possibility to join up with the<br />
Europe Class World Championship. This event will be hosted in<br />
Skovshoved Sailing Club in early July 2006.<br />
Now why would we want to do our Gold Cup with the Europeclass?<br />
- to me there are a number of good reasons. As an example<br />
one very good reason could be the possibility to promote our class<br />
to the ‘youngster’ currently sailing in the Europe, but also the easy<br />
access to Copenhagen/the marina could be mentioned as good<br />
reasons for Denmark in 2006...<br />
If you should vote for Denmark/Copenhagen we can also supply:<br />
• A marina with excellent facilities and experience to support the event<br />
• Some of the finest sailing waters in Denmark. The sailing conditions<br />
in July are normally sea breezes - in the range of 8-10 m/s.<br />
• A wide range of possible accommodation (camp sites, hostels,<br />
hotels etc.) right next to the marina.<br />
• The centre of Copenhagen is just some 10 km south of the marina<br />
• And a lot more :-)<br />
Anyway now you're warned that we will show up at AGM with a<br />
more formal and colourful application. We hope for Your support!”<br />
3. Palma<br />
The Club Nautico el Arenal held the <strong>Finn</strong> Gold Cup in 1986, and<br />
it is interested to organise it again in 2006. Most of the <strong>Finn</strong> sailors<br />
know the yacht club for a long time because the club has organised<br />
several events:<br />
Annual Princess Sophia Trophy • 1989 IYRU Championship • 1989<br />
Junior European <strong>Finn</strong> Championship • 1996 Europa World<br />
Championship • 1997 European <strong>Finn</strong> Championship • 1998 470<br />
World Championship • 2002 Spring European Star Championship<br />
• <strong>2004</strong> Tornado World Championship<br />
The dates for the 2006 <strong>Finn</strong> Gold Cup could be September 3rd to<br />
10th.<br />
FINNFARE <strong>APRIL</strong> <strong>2004</strong><br />
FINNFARE <strong>APRIL</strong> <strong>2004</strong>
REGATTA FORMAT AND SCORING SYSTEM FOR FGC 2005<br />
In 2005, it is planned to hold the <strong>Finn</strong> Gold Cup on inland water near Moscow. Our VP Sailing, Ali Enver Adakan, visited the<br />
chosen venue to check it out. There could be difficulties for racing perhaps 100 <strong>Finn</strong>s as a single fleet, so during discussions<br />
at the ISAF November Meeting 2003, Corinne McKenzie asked Richard Hart and Bill Bell (<strong>Finn</strong> Sailor and IJ) to look at<br />
possibilities for racing in groups. There is sufficient space for two races to be run simultaneously on different courses.<br />
In the past, national representatives have rejected the suggestion<br />
that the <strong>Finn</strong> Gold Cup be divided into Gold and Silver Fleets half<br />
way through the week, so we have avoided that solution. A short<br />
selection regatta followed by a short final regatta don’t add up to a<br />
Gold Cup Regatta, in our view!<br />
At the Masters’ in Schwerin 2003, on a piece of water rather similar<br />
to that near Moscow, 160 <strong>Finn</strong>s were raced successfully. The boats<br />
were divided into four groups, chosen at random. These raced in pairs<br />
(heats or ‘flights’) simultaneously, each group racing every other group<br />
twice (AB, AC, AD twice). The finish order was taken from the six<br />
pairs of race results, with one discard.<br />
The system seemed highly successful. I heard nobody complaining<br />
about the system, nor did I hear any suggestion that the results were<br />
influenced by the group that a sailor happened to be in. Although, in<br />
the event, the planned six pairs of races were held, I believe that if<br />
weather conditions had resulted in only five pairs of races instead of<br />
six, or eight pairs instead of nine, the results would still have been<br />
accepted as fair.<br />
For the <strong>Finn</strong> Gold Cup, there is the disadvantage that two clear leaders<br />
might be in separate starts for the final day. It seems sensible to<br />
provide for a head-to-head Final by splitting to Gold and Silver Fleets<br />
for the last day only. The last day does not carry a weighting in the<br />
points (except that the Gold Winner gets 0.5 points, and a heat winner<br />
gets 1.0 point). The last race can be your discard.<br />
Recommendations<br />
That for the 2005 FGC, racing should be scheduled for six (or nine)<br />
pairs of ‘heat’ races, with four groups of boats scheduled to meet by<br />
rotation (AB, AC, AD repeated). A final pair of races should be<br />
scheduled, with the boats grouped into Gold (30%) and Silver Fleets.<br />
Before racing commences, the first 4 sailors in the most recent ISAF<br />
Olympic Rankings should be seeded into separate groups. The<br />
remaining sailors should be allocated randomly to the four groups.<br />
That the Low Point System be used, with finishing places in the Final<br />
Races scoring half the number of points allocated to places in the<br />
Group Heats (the Silver Fleet scores would be consecutive to the last<br />
possible Gold Fleet score).<br />
Example programmes<br />
Flight 1 Flight 2<br />
Race 1 AB CD<br />
Race 2 AC BD<br />
Race 3 AD BC<br />
Race 4 CD AB<br />
Race 5 BD AC<br />
Race 6 BC AD<br />
Final<br />
Gold Fleet (First 30%) Silver Fleet<br />
How the point system would work (example, 103 boats).<br />
The principle is that the winners of a heat should both get points<br />
similar to the first and second in the Gold Final, second in a heat<br />
should both get similar points to third and fourth in the final, etc.<br />
103 boats are divided into groups of 26, 25, 26 and 26. A winner gets<br />
1.0 point, place 52 gets 52.0 points. DNS, DSF and DSQ boats get<br />
53 points.<br />
After six pairs of races, and after allowing a discard, the highest 31<br />
boats are allocated to the Gold Fleet, plus two others that have the<br />
same score as boat 31: total 33.<br />
The winner of the Gold Fleet gets 0.5 point, the second boat gets 1.0<br />
point, etc. The last Gold Fleet boat to finish has place 29 and gets<br />
14.5 points. DNS etc. get 53 points.<br />
The winner of the Silver Fleet gets (33÷2) + 0.5 = 17.0 points, the<br />
second gets 17.5 points etc. DNS etc get 53 points.<br />
Final scores are calculated, with the possibility that the discard may<br />
now be from the Gold or Silver result. Ties are broken as per book<br />
(currently RRS Section I Appendix A).<br />
14
SUBMISSION FROM IFA FOR THE 2008 OLYMPIC REGATTA<br />
Selection of the <strong>Finn</strong> as equipment for the 2008 Olympic Sailing<br />
regatta – Men’s Single-Handed dinghy<br />
The International <strong>Finn</strong> Association would like to propose the<br />
<strong>Finn</strong> as equipment for the 2008 Olympic Sailing Regatta, in the<br />
Men’s single-handed dinghy event.<br />
CRITERIA<br />
Universally available Equipment.<br />
Active <strong>Finn</strong> builders: Devoti (Poland), Lemieux (Canada), Pata<br />
(Hungary), Wilke (Switzerland), Mader (Germany), Sipos (Hungary),<br />
Marten (New-Zealand), Vanguard (USA), and very soon in Argentina.<br />
At recent World championships, at least 30 % of the competing boats<br />
were charter boats.<br />
Sailed Worldwide<br />
The <strong>Finn</strong> has been an International class since the 1950s and is sailed<br />
worldwide. There are around 35 to 40 countries that have an active<br />
National <strong>Finn</strong> class; however the <strong>Finn</strong> is sailed in about 50 countries<br />
and on 5 continents. About 6000 boats have been built, of which about<br />
2000 are actively raced by Class Association members.<br />
Suitable for Average Physique<br />
How is Average Physique to be defined? If we consider the average<br />
weight for the male population aged from 19 to 35 years old, the<br />
average physique would be from 85 to 90 kgs depending on the<br />
countries.<br />
The <strong>Finn</strong> ideally suits people from 90 kg upwards, which nowadays<br />
has become a reasonably average weight for full grown adult males.<br />
Furthermore, the width of the optimum weight range of the <strong>Finn</strong> of<br />
about 20 Kilos allows a big percentage of the population to sail, as<br />
in no other single-handed. At the last Olympic Games and in most<br />
recent major Championship, 1st and second places went to sailors<br />
with 20 kgs difference.<br />
We believe that it is essential that Olympic sailing provides for sailors<br />
from the widest possible range of weights and sizes. The <strong>Finn</strong> Class<br />
is the only dinghy class suitable for average and also larger men.<br />
The <strong>Finn</strong> also allows sailors from different age groups to sail<br />
competitively. At the 2000 Olympics, the youngest sailor was 22 years<br />
old, the oldest 39 with the average at 25 years old.<br />
Economical<br />
As per a survey of the RYA, the <strong>Finn</strong> due to its long lasting hull and<br />
mast is one of the cheapest sailing dinghies to campaign. (in fact the<br />
running costs of a <strong>Finn</strong> campaign are comparable to those of a Laser<br />
campaign)<br />
Athletic<br />
The <strong>Finn</strong> is the only truly athletic single-handed for sailors from 90<br />
to 115 kgs.<br />
The hiking and sailing techniques require a high level of fitness for<br />
Olympic competition, and the extreme maneuverability of the boat<br />
demands agility as well as strength.<br />
Technically simple / Out of the Box<br />
The quality of <strong>Finn</strong>s produced, along with the technical information<br />
supplied by the major builders, sail and mast makers (curves, bends...)<br />
now enables sailors worldwide to charter boats and win medals at<br />
World Championships, and the very best from other classes to quickly<br />
become competitive in the <strong>Finn</strong>. What differentiate a successful from<br />
a less successful <strong>Finn</strong> sailor are talent and the amount of training.<br />
The great particularity of the <strong>Finn</strong> is its adjustability. With the same<br />
boat, sailors from various physiques can adjust very simply the<br />
centerboard position or mast rake to adapt the boat to their weight<br />
and height to sail competitively. At the 2003 <strong>Finn</strong> Gold Cup Ben Ainslie<br />
won the regatta at a weight of 90kgs while with an identical boat,<br />
Rafael Trujillo from Spain finished second with a weight of 110 kgs.<br />
At the <strong>2004</strong> <strong>Finn</strong> Gold Cup, Dean Barker finished 12th after 8 years<br />
away from the <strong>Finn</strong>. He declared that “<strong>Finn</strong>s are now so even in<br />
construction that it does minimize the difference between sailors and<br />
allows me to obtain a good result without having had to spend months<br />
selecting my equipment.”<br />
Due to the constant upgrade and refinements of class rules, the <strong>Finn</strong><br />
is technically innovative with its simple but high-tech rig. The class<br />
rules have successfully produced a large number of boats which are<br />
widely acknowledged as having very uniform speed potential, yet<br />
have allowed the class to lead the sport in the development and use<br />
of new materials and construction techniques.<br />
We believe that using purely ‘out of the Box’ equipment can be<br />
dangerous as it can prevent any development of the class and the<br />
sport. It can lead to a monopoly.<br />
Other criteria<br />
• The <strong>Finn</strong> is the class that provides most of the AC skippers, Volvo<br />
Round the World sailors, with the likes of Dean Barker coming back<br />
to it to prove themselves. Many of the ISAF World Sailor of the Year<br />
recipients are or have been <strong>Finn</strong> sailors (Mateusz Kusznierewicz,<br />
Ben Ainslie, Russell Coutts, Jochen Schumann...). The interest of the<br />
media for a sailing event comes primarily from the ‘stars’ participating<br />
in the event.<br />
• With an average skipper age of 25 years at the 2000 Sydney Olympic<br />
Games, the <strong>Finn</strong> has one of the youngest average ages in Olympic<br />
classes.<br />
• The <strong>Finn</strong> is the fastest single-handed hiking dinghy. It is also the<br />
most reliable displacement boat. The Olympic equipment needs to<br />
include this type of boat as it is fuelling the professional circuit<br />
(America’s Cup...).<br />
\<br />
• The <strong>Finn</strong> as Olympic equipment ensures the continuity from Olympic<br />
sailing to Professional sailing. Within the Olympic equipment it is also<br />
important to ensure continuity from Laser to <strong>Finn</strong> to Star.<br />
• Thanks to the careful work of the IFA Technical Committee, the <strong>Finn</strong><br />
is at the forefront of Technology and keeps on updating. Due to a<br />
controlled rate of change, the <strong>Finn</strong> class has been contributing largely<br />
to the development of the sport of sailing. For example, the Lamboley<br />
pendulum test as developed within the Class, shows how scantlings<br />
and construction can be effectively controlled without constraint to<br />
licensing or manufacturers’ classes.<br />
In any case, we believe the <strong>Finn</strong> perfectly fits the criteria listed in ISAF<br />
Regulation 16.1.4 (a):<br />
“(i) Must allow athletes around the world, male, female and of different<br />
FINNFARE <strong>APRIL</strong> <strong>2004</strong><br />
size and weight, to participate<br />
(ii) Must give the best sailors in each country the opportunity to<br />
participate in readily accessible equipment<br />
(iv) Must combine both traditional and modern events and classes,<br />
to reflect, display and promote competitive sailing”<br />
FINNFARE <strong>APRIL</strong> <strong>2004</strong>
COUNTRIES REPORTS<br />
DENMARK<br />
Lars Vesterholm writes: “Once again<br />
a Danish greeting to our friends in the<br />
<strong>Finn</strong>-class. In this first <strong>Finn</strong>fare of the<br />
year we salute you with a nice picture<br />
taken at last years Master. The picture<br />
illustrates what I guess we are all<br />
longing for - "bare bellied"-sailors,<br />
beers at the dinghy-park after some<br />
good sailing and a little sun and<br />
warmth in general.<br />
In Denmark this winter has allowed<br />
for sailing in most of our marinas. In<br />
December our annual Christmasregatta<br />
was held in Hellerup.<br />
This event that host many classes<br />
sailing together was for the first time<br />
in years dominated by the <strong>Finn</strong>-class<br />
with 9 entries. Overall winner was<br />
Thomas Laursen and second overall<br />
was Lars Hendriksen (at the event<br />
some of our top-sailers bailed out -<br />
Soren and Jonas seemed occupied<br />
elsewhere... :-).<br />
From a distance we saw that the Gold<br />
Cup in Rio was conducted in very<br />
difficult conditions. Our Danish<br />
representatives finished in 9th and<br />
10th place - probably to their own<br />
dislike - but it promises for a hard trial<br />
for the Olympics. Congratulations from<br />
the rest of us - and good wind and<br />
speed to the both of you!<br />
Finally I will draw the attention to our<br />
effort to host the Gold Cup in 2006<br />
(with the Europe Class). I hope You<br />
will all support this event at the AGM<br />
in La Rochelle.”<br />
Do Like Nelson, fight on the Sound<br />
<strong>2004</strong>, will give International <strong>Finn</strong> Sailors a chance to<br />
sail two great regattas on the same waters where<br />
Nelson and Parker fought the common fleet of<br />
Denmark and Norway, which at that time was the<br />
second strongest navy in the world.<br />
The waters between Copenhagen and Malmø, can be<br />
quite difficult to navigate for larger ships, due to<br />
numerous shallow spots, and quite a lot of mostly<br />
northerly current. You will all get a chance of a lifetime,<br />
to fight with the mainly Swedish and Danish <strong>Finn</strong><br />
fleet at the Eurolymp regatta in Rungsted from the<br />
3rd to the 6th of June, and at the Swedish<br />
Championship in Malmø over the 10-14 of June<br />
The distance between the two places are less than<br />
an hour by car, and about three hours, if you choose<br />
to sail, across the Battleground outside Copenhagen.<br />
Those of you who are coming will also experience<br />
the very long days we have in June, were the sun<br />
barely disappears for a few hours between 2300 and<br />
0230, so better bring your sunglasses.<br />
For more info, check out the Danish <strong>Finn</strong> Home Page:<br />
www.finnjolle.dk. Looking forward to see a lot of you<br />
guys, and we can promise you that the beer is good,<br />
and the girls are good looking.<br />
Richard Berg-Larsen<br />
<strong>Finn</strong> sailor since 1974<br />
FRANCE<br />
Armistice 2003 – ‘A pure moment of rock’n’roll’<br />
Hourtin 31st October - 2nd November<br />
Jean-Marc Albert writes, “The 2003 Armistice<br />
Race at Hourtin saw 53 <strong>Finn</strong>sters racing in wind<br />
conditions between medium and fresh breeze (f<br />
3-6). Some of them used to race the international<br />
circuit. There were 1 Italian, 1 Australian (who<br />
lives in France) and 6 from the Netherlands. The<br />
French sailing team were stopped on the road to<br />
Hourtin by a car breakdown. Even my old Clipper<br />
<strong>Finn</strong> was back, finishing 51st.<br />
After a year of boring and random light airs,<br />
it was a real pleasure to hike and plane and<br />
finish more physically than nervously tired. I<br />
thought to myself, when I passed the first<br />
windward mark in 5th position in race 4 , ‘It’s<br />
a pure moment of rock’n’roll.’<br />
16<br />
Mario Salani won the race overall with four<br />
first places and three seconds, followed by<br />
Jean-Paul Gaston and Pierre Le Chatelier. It<br />
was really a nice race. I finished 14th, a good<br />
place for me.”<br />
Results:<br />
1 ITA 1 Salani Mario 8<br />
2 FRA 8 Gaston Jean Paul 19<br />
3 FRA 7 le Chatelier Pierre 34<br />
4 NED 1 Vanderhorst Jan 38<br />
5 NED Altena John 51<br />
6 AUS 222 McKenzie Paul 61<br />
7 FRA 826 Malservet Gilles 63<br />
8 FRA 77 Duru Jean 66<br />
9 FRA 848 Roumaillac Jean Claude 75<br />
10 FRA 791 Granchamp Jean Jacques 80<br />
11 FRA 804 Seguin Gael 96<br />
12 FRA 822 Lesage Vincent 101<br />
13 FRA 73 Lemaitre Simon 104<br />
14 FRA 19 Abert Jean Marc 109<br />
15 FRA 534 Luce Pierre 111<br />
16 FRA 797 Deseilligny Christophe 112<br />
17 NED Lamme Jan Jaap 121<br />
18 FRA Tanguy Sylvain 124<br />
19 NED Heusden Olaf 129<br />
20 FRA 76 Hautecoeur Jean Pierre 132<br />
21 FRA 800 Zoccola Yves 138<br />
Left: France’s Bruno Ismael at<br />
the Gold Cup in Rio<br />
22 FRA 817 Vallier Philippe 139<br />
23 NED Baerends Ruurd 143<br />
24 NED Top Ronald 144<br />
25 FRA Keraudy Alain 151<br />
26 FRA 807 Siot Rene 152<br />
27 FRA 794 Rochet Joseph 153<br />
28 FRA 846 Henaff Gilles 153<br />
29 FRA 6 Limare Francois 162<br />
30 FRA 786 Lamballe Philippe 163<br />
31 FRA 847 Chomet Patrick 165<br />
32 FRA 1 Poissant Didier 189<br />
33 FRA 806 Zagazuc Patrick 190<br />
34 FRA Gaucher Xavier 195<br />
35 FRA Michaud Alain 198<br />
36 FRA 3 Mondeteguy Pierre 209<br />
37 FRA 837 Guillou alain-Pierre 231<br />
38 FRA Ribet Marc 235<br />
39 FRA Roux Philippe 237<br />
40 FRA 67 Limare Pierre 240<br />
41 FRA 24 Limouse Marc 243<br />
42 FRA 785 Liguet Jean Joseph 258<br />
43 FRA 792 Chagnaud Francis 258<br />
44 FRA 762 Dubois Brigitte 263<br />
45 FRA 850 Tetard Pascal 282<br />
46 FRA 718 Huynh Patrick 284<br />
47 FRA Joliff Gildas 286<br />
48 FRA 839 Brunet Claude 291<br />
49 FRA 818 Carsoule Michel 297<br />
50 FRA 750 Beaulande Yves 306<br />
51 FRA 769 Panico Yannick 309<br />
52 FRA 88 Nowicki Jan 315
GERMANY<br />
German Int. Championship 2003<br />
Flensburg (73 entries)<br />
1 Matthias Miller GER<br />
2 Eberhard Bieberitz GER<br />
3 Roam Babicky CZE<br />
4 Wolfgang Tamm GER<br />
5 Karl-Heinz Erich GER<br />
6 André Budzien GER<br />
7 Jürgen Eiermann GER<br />
8 Paul Kessler GER<br />
9 Hans-Günter Ehlers GER<br />
10 Peter Manns GER<br />
11 Michael Fellmann GER<br />
12 Friedrich Müller GER<br />
13 Gunter Arndt DEN<br />
14 Benedikt Gäch GER<br />
15 Harmut Duisberg GER<br />
16 Klaus-Dieter Götz GER<br />
17 Herbert Sondermann GER<br />
18 Kai Falkenthal GER<br />
Ranking list 2003<br />
(139 entres)<br />
1 Michael Fellmann<br />
2 Eberhard Bieberitz<br />
3 Mathias Miller<br />
4 André Budzien<br />
5 Karl-Heinz Erich<br />
6 Jürgen Eiermann<br />
7 Wolfgang Tamm<br />
8 Friedrich Müller<br />
9 Hans-Günter Ehlers<br />
10 Walter Mai<br />
NEW ZEALAND<br />
NZ <strong>Finn</strong> Veterans Championships <strong>2004</strong><br />
Waiuku Yacht Club’s Veteran <strong>Finn</strong> regatta<br />
ran over the weekend of 6-7 March with some<br />
of the closest racing seen in recent times. By<br />
the end of the fourth race the race honours<br />
were shared by David Hoogenboom, John<br />
Duff, Alan Dawson and Justin Hurst. Two<br />
short races completed the series following a<br />
one hour delay while the race officers waited<br />
for a new north-west breeze to settle.<br />
Racing was incredibly close over the short<br />
races, with only 100 metres or less covering<br />
the fleet of 14 <strong>Finn</strong>s at the finish, and plenty<br />
of action at the marks. Hoogenboom, fresh<br />
from a 2nd place in the <strong>Finn</strong> Nationals, slipped<br />
past Gerrit Bearda at the finish of race five<br />
to bring him into a three-way tie for 1st with<br />
THE NETHERLANDS<br />
Oldtimer-race Harderwijk<br />
The Dutch <strong>Finn</strong> Association has decided to<br />
start up a competition for older boats only.<br />
The intention is to give this group an<br />
opportunity to race against each other and<br />
to promote <strong>Finn</strong> sailing for starting sailors .<br />
The entry is only allowed for boats other than<br />
Devoti, Lemieux, Pata and Wilke<br />
You are allowed to sail any kind of normal<br />
allowed gear and the restrictions are only on<br />
the hull.<strong>Finn</strong> Club Holland hopes this initiative<br />
will help to promote <strong>Finn</strong> sailing and give<br />
more fun to those who own the old-timers.<br />
Normally they can only sail in the back of the<br />
fleet but now theyhave equal opponents.<br />
First test will be in Harderwijk on 28-29 of<br />
August . This weekend is also the place for<br />
the Randmeerrace which is a normal <strong>Finn</strong><br />
regatta so the oldies can meet the youngsters<br />
on the lake but will have their own start and<br />
competition. <strong>Finn</strong> Club Holland invites<br />
everybody to join this weekend and enjoy<br />
regatta sailing again!<br />
Ewout Meijer is new chairman<br />
Han Beverwijk, chairman of <strong>Finn</strong> Club<br />
Holland, has resigned at the General Annual<br />
Meeting on January 11th <strong>2004</strong>. He could no<br />
longer combine his responsibilities as a union<br />
coach with an active role as a chairman. Han<br />
Duff and Dawson. He then took out the series<br />
with another clean but close win in the last<br />
race, with Duff 2nd and Dawson 3rd on<br />
countback. Christine Headey from Thames<br />
won the title for the first aluminium mast,<br />
while Rex Erikson was winner of the superveteran<br />
division (over 60 yrs).<br />
Results<br />
1 David Hoogenboom 9<br />
2 John Duff 12<br />
3 Alan Dawson 12<br />
4 Justin Hurst 25<br />
5 Gerrit Bearda 26<br />
6 Rex Erikson 29<br />
7 Christine Headey 29<br />
8 Geoff Letcher 36<br />
9 Kevin Stone 36<br />
10 Peter Brooks 40<br />
11 Ian Wiseman 49<br />
will be involved<br />
with FCH as a<br />
class coach.<br />
Ewout Meijer<br />
(pictured) has<br />
been elected<br />
unanimously by<br />
the members for<br />
the position of<br />
chairman of <strong>Finn</strong><br />
Club Holland.<br />
Ewout Meijer has been known for several<br />
years as a very active <strong>Finn</strong>-sailer. After his<br />
election he received the annual award for the<br />
Gaastra Pro Ranking in 2003. FCH welcomes<br />
Ewout as the new chairman.<br />
We expect that his involvement with the <strong>Finn</strong><br />
Class and active participation in a large<br />
number of national and international sailing<br />
events will be stimulating for the further<br />
development of the Dutch <strong>Finn</strong> class<br />
organisation. We wish Ewout all the success<br />
in his new role.<br />
Justin Hurst and Christine Headey<br />
rounding leeward mark<br />
12 Bruce Watson 56<br />
13 Jim Goodare 56<br />
14 Paul Cane 68<br />
FINNFARE <strong>APRIL</strong> <strong>2004</strong><br />
Last race, fleet running down to the finish<br />
with David Hoogenboom leading in<br />
NZL234.<br />
FINNFARE <strong>APRIL</strong> <strong>2004</strong>
Three races were sailed each day and apart<br />
from the overall winner being Alan Dawson,<br />
the next 3-4 places were hotly contested and<br />
only decided on the final race. The<br />
Commodore’s wife Toni, excelled herself with<br />
a good turnout of food to the delight of our<br />
well-oiled visitors from the Waiuku Yacht Club.<br />
We will be seeing them again next year when<br />
Thames SC will once again host the NI<br />
Champs and possibly be included in a small<br />
Christine Headey chasing Peter Brookes<br />
around the leeward mark.<br />
NZ North Island <strong>Finn</strong> Championships 2003<br />
The North Island <strong>Finn</strong> Championships were<br />
held over the weekend of 29-30 of November<br />
where 9 competitors took part at the very well<br />
organised event at Thames SC. A variety of<br />
wind conditions were experienced ranging from<br />
light to medium on Saturday to strong winds<br />
on Sunday producing excellent surf conditions<br />
for those white-knuckle rides downwind.<br />
SWITZERLAND<br />
The early winter classic attracted 31 boats<br />
this time including all top <strong>Finn</strong> sailors from<br />
Switzerland. After an extended honeymoon<br />
Peter Theurer also made his <strong>Finn</strong> comeback!<br />
Good weather conditions allowed five races<br />
to be sailed in light to medium winds.<br />
Christoph Christen once again was the man<br />
to beat and he made everything look easy<br />
with a fine performance winning three out of<br />
five races. Despite a black flag Christoph<br />
Burger ended up in second place followed<br />
by a very happy national secretary in third<br />
place. The distribution of the gingerbread<br />
prizes once again marked the end of a great<br />
Swiss <strong>Finn</strong> season! For results see:<br />
http://www.swisssailing.ch/rco/aktuell/Lebk<br />
uchen1_Nov2003_<strong>Finn</strong>.htm<br />
The Swiss <strong>Finn</strong> team at Cannes regatta<br />
<strong>2004</strong> (February 18-21) Top: Thomas Brack,<br />
Dominique Wüchli, Hans Fatzer. Bottom:<br />
Peter Kurz, Franz Bürgi<br />
Ranking list (1.1.<strong>2004</strong>) – 48 listed<br />
1 SUI 5 Christoph Christen 404<br />
2 SUI 12 Franz Bürgi 385<br />
3 SUI 4 Daniel Brun 364<br />
4 SUI 50 Wolfgang Rickert 362<br />
5 SUI 8 Nick Benz 328<br />
6 SUI 11 Hans Fatzer 310<br />
7 SUI 6 Dominique Wölchli 307<br />
8 SUI 14 Andreas Meyer 300<br />
9 SUI 99 Thomas Brack 290<br />
18<br />
10 SUI 96 Hans Lehmann 280<br />
11 SUI 17 Frederick Huck 277<br />
12 SUI 65 Mark Kruisheer 274<br />
13 SUI 60 Peter Kurz 264<br />
14 SUI 13 Peter Kilchenmann 265<br />
15 SUI 100 David Veit 261<br />
16 SUI 62 Silvan Zuppiger 257<br />
17 SUI 48 Andreas Fürer 245<br />
18 SUI 531 Roland Schneider 229<br />
19 SUI 64 Hansruedi Osterwalder227<br />
20 SUI 67 Peter Theurer 222<br />
USA<br />
Rolex Miami OCR<br />
26 - 30 Jan <strong>2004</strong><br />
Biscayne Bay, Miami, Florida<br />
1 Mateusz KUSZNIEREWICZ POL<br />
2 Jonas HOEGH CHRISTENSEN DEN<br />
3 Geoff EWENSON USA<br />
4 Kevin HALL USA<br />
5 Mo HART USA<br />
6 Chris COOK CAN<br />
7 Mike MILNER CAN<br />
8 Eric OETGEN USA<br />
9 A VOLBLUMENCRON USA<br />
10 Aaron O`GRADY IRL<br />
11 John PORTER USA<br />
12 Darrell PECK USA<br />
13 Bryan BOYD USA<br />
14 Andrew KERN USA<br />
15 Henry SPRAGUE USA<br />
16 Kurt TAULBEE USA<br />
17 A PAPE USA<br />
18 Waclaw SZUKIEL POL<br />
19 Brian HUNTSMAN USA<br />
20 Louie NADY USA<br />
21 Petter FJELD NOR<br />
22 A NIEUWSTAD USA<br />
23 Phil TATE USA<br />
24 Bill UPTHEGROVE USA<br />
25 August MILLER USA<br />
NI <strong>Finn</strong> Champs: (left to right) Brent<br />
Hamilton, Geoff Letcher, John Duff, Alan<br />
Dawson, Ian Wiseman, Christine Headey,<br />
John Farquhar, Peter Brookes<br />
<strong>Finn</strong> regional circuit covering Auckland and<br />
neighbouring districts.<br />
Results<br />
1 Alan Dawson Waiuku YC<br />
2 Christine Headey Thames SC<br />
3 Brent Hamilton Waiuku YC<br />
Right: Thomas Brack SUI 99 at Cannes<br />
Left: ‘Jacket Flying’ – what Swiss <strong>Finn</strong>sters<br />
do when there is too much wind to sail<br />
US Nationals 2003<br />
Lauderdale YC, Nov 14.16<br />
1 Andrew Simpson GBR 6 10<br />
2 Jonas Hogh-Christensen DEN 200 12<br />
3 Kevin Hall USA 12 224<br />
4 Mo Hart USA 16 25<br />
5 Othmar Mv Blumencron SUI 1 29<br />
6 Eric Oetgen USA 1160 40<br />
7 Aaron O’Grdy IRL 10 41<br />
8 Darrell Peck USA 1181 46<br />
9 Geoff Ewensen USA 11 46<br />
10 Andrew Kern USA 78 48<br />
11 John Porter USA 14 64<br />
12 Skip Dieball USA 10 66<br />
13 Louie Nady USA 150 70<br />
14 Kristian Aderman SWE 7 71<br />
15 Bryan Boyd USA 1140 76<br />
16 Brett Webb USA 1197 95<br />
17 Pau; Phelan CAN 220 102<br />
18 Henry Sprague USA 74 104<br />
19 Jemermy Pape USA 6 108<br />
20 Gus Miller USA 975 109<br />
21 Bill Upthegrove USA 7 137<br />
22 Charles Heimler USA 1132140<br />
23 Andras Nady USA 970 141<br />
24 Tim Slater USA 17 141<br />
25 David Branch USA3 142<br />
26 Robert Plant GBR 3 147<br />
27 Patrick Weaver USA 151 162<br />
28 Robert Carlen USA 1109162<br />
29 Lyndon Lee USA 1176171
INTERNATIONAL RACING CALENDAR <strong>2004</strong><br />
<strong>APRIL</strong><br />
April 2-9 XXXV Princess Sofia Trophy Palma de Mallo Spain<br />
April 7-11 Izola Spring Cup Izola Slovenia<br />
April 17-18 Southern Championships (tbc) Warsash UK phil.laycock@lineone.net<br />
April 23-30 Semaine Olympique Francaise Hyeres France<br />
MAY<br />
May 7-9 Nesselblatt Steinhude Germany www.wvstm.de<br />
May 7-15 EUROPEANS La Rochelle France<br />
May 8-9 Lilac Festival OCR Ontario Canada<br />
May 14 - 16 Balaton Championship Balatonfured, ... Hungary<br />
May 22-23 Canadian OCR Toronto Canada<br />
May 26 - 30 Regatta Port Bourgas <strong>2004</strong> Bourgas BUL<br />
May 26-30 SPA Regatta Medemblik Netherlands www.sparegatta.org<br />
May 28 June 4 FINN WOLRD MASTERS Cannes France<br />
JUNE<br />
June 2 - 6 Scandinavian Race Week Rungsted Denmark<br />
June 10-13 Austrian Championship Attersee Austria<br />
June 11-13 British Nationals Torbay UK phil.laycock@lineone.net<br />
June 11-13 Open Swedish Championship Malmo Sweden<br />
June 15 - 20 International Youth Regatta Moscow, CSK VMF Russia<br />
June 18-20 Niendorfer Einhandjolle Niendorf Germany fax +49 4503 8478<br />
June 23-27 Kiel Week Kiel Germany fax +49 431 83939<br />
June 30- 4 July Austrian Lakes Week Eurolymp Neusiedlersee Austria<br />
JULY<br />
July 3-10 International Baltic Regatta St Petersburg Russia<br />
July 3-11 Warnemunder Woche Warnemunde Germany<br />
July 8-11 Intervela Riva Del Garda Italy<br />
July 9 - 14 HYA 75 Yrs Jubileum Regatta Balatonfured Hungary<br />
July 14-17 French Nationals Loctudny France www.finn-france.com<br />
July 23-1 August Travemunder Woche Travemunder Germany<br />
July 25- 31 Istanbul Sailing Week Istanbul Turkey<br />
July 31-August 1 French Open Socoa France www.finn-france.com<br />
AUGUST<br />
August 3-7 Idea Gdynia Sailing Days Gdynia Poland<br />
August 14-29 <strong>2004</strong> Olympic Regatta Athens Greece<br />
August 21-29 CORK Kingston Canada<br />
August 23-1 Travemunder Woche Travemunder Germany<br />
SEPTEMBER<br />
September 2-5 Lipno Regatta Cerna v Posuma Czech Republic<br />
September 6-10 German Championship Seebruck Germany www.seebrucker-regatta-verein.de<br />
September 7-11 International German Championship Flensburg Germany<br />
September 10-14 International Swiss Championship Reichenau Switzerland franz.buergi@freesurf.ch<br />
OCTOBER<br />
October 1-3 Malcesine <strong>Finn</strong> Cup Malcesine Italy<br />
October 24-28 Tzeni Grammalidou Cup Thessaloniki Gulf Greece<br />
NOVEMBER<br />
November 6-7 International Gingerbread Regatta Thun Switzerland franz.buergi@freesurf.ch<br />
November 26 - 28 International Opatija Cup Opatija Croatia<br />
DECEMBER<br />
December 2-5 St Nicholas Race Pula Coratia<br />
December 26-30 Chrismas Race Palamos Spain<br />
2005<br />
February 4 - 7 Sail Auckland Regatta Auckland New Zealand<br />
March 11 - 15 XI Barcelona Olympic Sailing Week Barcelona Spain<br />
April 22 - 29 Semaine Olympique Francaise Hyeres FINNFARE France<strong>APRIL</strong> <strong>2004</strong><br />
For further information on any<br />
event, to check the latest<br />
information on dates and<br />
venues or to add events and<br />
contact numbers to this list<br />
contact the IFA Office or see<br />
the IFA or ISAF website. Please<br />
check all details with organisers<br />
before travelling.