Schlagwortarchiv für: Finnclass

2017-finnlass-046 Lobert

Finnclass Goldcup 05.09.2017

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05.09.2017

Jonathan Lobert leads Opel Finn Gold Cup after Day 2 on Balaton

Jonathan Lobert, from France, has taken the lead at the Opel Finn Gold Cup at Balatonföldvár, Hungary. Though he led both races on Day 2 at some point, the tricky Balaton breeze got the better of him twice and the race wins went to Brit, Ed Wright and Swede, Max Salminen. Salminen is now in second with Facundo Olezza, from Argentina, third.

The forecast was for slightly less wind than Monday and from further to the south. But it was still shifty and tricky with many place changes through the fleet. Huge gains and losses could be made with a few lucky, or unlucky, decisions.

Race 3 got away first time in 10-14 knots. Jake Lilley, from Australia, rounded first from Lobert and Ioannis Mitakis, from Greece. Lobert flew down the run to lead through the gate and looked to be heading for a win. However a big right hand shift on the second beat shuffled the leading pack, with new U23 World Champion, Oskari Muhonen, from Finland, leading Wright round the final top mark.

Nicholas Heiner, from the Netherlands, also made gains and was soon chasing the leaders downwind and just moved into second just before the final mark, with Mitakis moving back up to third. Lobert crossed someway back in ninth.

It took some time to get Race 4 away. The wind initially started to drop, but after a 30 minute postponement, was back up to 10-12 knots. One general recall and two black flag starts pulled out seven boats, including overall leader Nenad Bugarin, from Croatia. Lobert was again in front at the top mark, after favouring the middle left, from Arkadiy Kistanov, from Russia, and Salminen. The same three led through the gate, but on the second upwind, the left side came in, with Lobert being more conservative in the middle, and losing out again.

Salminen came past at the top and extended downwind for a comfortable win. Lobert hung on for second and let a tightly packed group across the line with Olezza also gaining hugely to cross third.

Oliver Tweddell, from Australia, almost didn’t make it to the event, suffering from a broken finger. Only given the go ahead last week he is glad he made the decision, as he is now in 13th place, and top Australian, after a reasonable start to the week.

“It was quite an interesting day. We had big right hand phases, followed by left hand phases. It was quite shifty but it made the racing really interesting. I had a reasonable day.”

“It’s going to be a quite high scoring regatta, and especially considering my broken finger I am happy hanging in there when we’ve had free pumping every race.“ He is hoping for no more free pumping for the rest of the week.

Olezza moves up to third after three top four places in a row.

“It’s very tricky because there are a lot of boats and it is very shifty and puffy all over the race course, so sometimes you just need to be a little bit lucky, and just look around.”

He is also not at his best this week with illness. “Tough four races, with full free pumping. I am not in my best shape but will just sail the best I can. The first race [Monday] was not so good for me, but the next three were all top five so I am happy with that and looking forward to some more consistency.”

Wright has perhaps the most inconsistent scoreline so far with two wins, a 58th and a 19th. The former World Champion sits in 12th overall.

After winning the first race today, he was very deep in the second and struggling.
“It wasn’t looking too good at one stage. It’s one of those places where you can take some big chunks out of the fleet on the shifts. I managed to get lucky and round the second top mark pretty well. I went right at the bottom and left at the top. I think the right just ran out of pressure and I had a nice pressure on the left.”

“It’s quite choppy so a bit more pressure over the waves is a big help.”

Lobert could have come ashore with two bullets, but was nevertheless still less happy with a 9,2.

“In the first race I missed the right shift, and in the second race, I was a bit scared from the right in case it happened again so I was staying in the middle, and then it came from the left. You cannot control everyone.”

“It’s a bit frustrating but in those conditions you have to take what you have and in the end it’s two top ten, which is good, and will be a good average. It was a good day in the end.”

It’s a big fleet with big start lines, big shifts and big pressure changes, with lots of sailors already picking up some big points. So it’s no real surprise that only one person in the top 10 has won a race. That could all change tomorrow when with one more race the discard comes in and we start to get a real picture of what is happening. Initial forecasts showed the wind dipping towards the end of the week, so all the sailors will be keen to make every race count.

Racing continues at 10.00 Wednesday.

Check out the links below to follow the racing on Twitter and Facebook. Most mark roundings and finishes are broadcast on Facebook Live through the Finn Class page.

Results after four races
1 FRA 112 Jonathan Lobert FRA 27
2 SWE 33 Max Salminen SWE 31
3 ARG 48 Facundo Olezza ARG 37
4 GRE 77 Ioannis Mitakis GRE 38
5 POL 17 Piotr Kula POL 42
6 NED 89 Nicholas Heiner NED 52
7 HUN 40 Zsombor Berecz HUN 57
8 CZE 5 Ondrej Teply CZE 62
9 GBR 91 Ben Cornish GBR 66
10 GBR 1 Henry Wetherell GBR 74

Highlights video to follow at FINN TV and on Facebook.

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Finnclass Gold Cup 03.09.2017

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03.09.2017

Day of reckoning approaches for Opel Finn Gold Cup fleet on breezy Balaton

The day of reckoning will soon be upon the fleet at the 2017 Opel Finn Gold Cup at Balatonföldvár. At the end of registration 117 Finns have been measured and checked and are ready to race. Preparations are nearly over and the racing will begin after one more sleep. Who is ready and who is not?

Cold and strong winds, as well as the overrunning class AGM kept most of the fleet ashore on Sunday, with only 15 or so heading out to sail the practice race in 15-20 knots. Most of the sailors did the first upwind before heading back to the shelter of the harbour.

At the moment the gusts are still howling through Spartacus Sailing Club, though the forecast is for a slowly reducing wind over the next three to four days. As most of the sailors already know, forecasts change fast here, however hopes are high that the championship will begin on Monday with some good wind.

The class AGM in the morning lasted a mammoth four hours, but with many important topics on the table, almost all the national delegates stayed until the end.

A major event strategy from 2018 to 2020 was discussed to align class events to the fixed circuit with venues to showcase Finn sailing at its best. More details will follow when bids and venues are firm.

There was also lengthy discussions over race formats and class rules, including increasing the minimum wind limit for holding races and running the triangle course, dropping the wind limit for Rule 42, final day format and inclusion of the medal race.
Discussions over enhanced media also generated a lot of interest and ideas, with new strategies being discussed for the coming years.

More details on all the discussions and decisions will be posted at a later date.

The first race of the 2017 Opel Finn Gold Cup is scheduled for Monday morning at 10.00. Follow the racing using the links below.

About the Finn Gold Cup
• 124 of the world’s best Finn sailors are taking part in the Finn Gold Cup at Spartacus Sailing Club in Balatonföldvár, Hungary. It is the highest entry for 35 years.
• The Finn Gold Cup was presented to the International Finn Association by the late F. G. Mitchell of the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club, Great Britain in 1956 and became the World Championship Trophy for the Finn Class.
• 11 races are scheduled over seven days from Monday 4 September to Sunday 10 September, ending with a medal race for the top ten sailors after the opening series.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE 2017 OPEL FINN GOLD CUP

RESULTS
Results and entries will be posted on the event website: 2017.finngoldcup.org

SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow the event on these social media channels
Finn Class Facebook: www.facebook.com/InternationalFinnClass/
Spartacus SC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/finngoldcup/
Finn Class Twitter: https://twitter.com/Finn_Class
Spartacus SC Twitter: https://twitter.com/sparifoldvar
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/finnclass/
Tags: #fgc, #finngoldcup, #finnclass, #finn

PRESS RELEASES
Sign up to receive press releases and latest news here.

PHOTOS
Finn Class photos for free of right editorial use will be available here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/finnclassphotos/albums
High resolution images available from World Sailing’s image library here.
Daily galleries with free photos by Gabor Cserta for editorial use can be found here. (Password = opel)

VIDEO
Dail highlights will be posted on Facebook and on the Finn Class YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/thefinnchannel
All videos can also be viewed through FINN TV here: www.finnclass.org/finn-tv
VNR footage and interviews will be available for media organisations. Please contact Corinne McKenzie for access and specific requests at corinne.mckenzie@orange.fr.

 

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Challenge for 2017 Opel Finn Gold Cup on Balaton 01.09.2017

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01.09.2017

Huge host of talent to challenge for 2017 Opel Finn Gold Cup on Balaton

The 2017 Opel Finn Gold Cup is a true meeting of Finn sailors from around the world. It’s been 35 years since the Finn class has managed to attract as big an entry as it has for this year’s Finn Gold Cup, due to start at Balatonföldvár, Hungary, on Monday.

The month of Finn sailing on the lake moves into the final event with 124 sailors from 32 countries pre-registered for the 61st Finn Gold Cup, the World Championship of the class.

The entry list includes the great and the good, the old and the young, the new and the experienced. Balaton has also attracted sailors from across the age ranges with the Masters, Grand Masters and Grand Grand Masters, and even former Legend, champions in attendance. Of the 45 young sailors who competed in last week’s U23 World Championship across the lake at Balatonfüred, around 35 have also entered the Finn Gold Cup.

The line-up also includes former World and European champions, as well as 12 of the sailors who took part in the Rio 2016 Olympics. It covers the full spectrum of Finn sailors and Finn sailing and whoever comes out on top by next Sunday will be fully deserving of the title of Finn World Champion.

Only two of the sailors here have previously won the title. Ed Wright won in 2010 and Jorge Zarif won in 2013. Both have had good seasons so far with Wright picking up the silver at the Europeans and Zarif winning the World Cup Series Miami. Last year’s champion Giles Scott is not competing, so the Finn Gold Cup will change hands for the first time since Zarif’s win in Tallinn.

The European Champion, Jonathan Lobert, is still looking for his first world title and is one of the clear favourites this week. The 2012 Olympic bronze medallist had a disappointing Olympics in Rio, but has bounced back faster than ever. However, this will be no easy championship, with the tricky conditions that Balaton is famous for, and at least 15-20 sailors capable of winning the title.

There is a deep field of talent in the class with all the major events so far this year being won by different sailors. Nick Heiner is on a high after winning last month’s 2018 World Championship test event in Aarhus, Denmark. Though he made it look fairly easy there, a lot of top names were missing. Alican Kaynar took also took his first major win in the class earlier this year with a victory in Hyeres, as did Max Salminen in Palma. Ben Cornish also took his first major win with gold at the Sailing World Cup Final in Santander.

Also competing on Balaton next week will be the 2010 European Champion, Ioannis Mitakis, as well as other recent Olympians Tapio Nirkko, Facundo Olezza, Anders Pedersen, Piotr Kula, Jake Lilley, Tom Ramshaw and Deniss Karpak.

But, perhaps the biggest headline stealer could be that of Hungary’s own Zsombor Berecz, a sporting and sailing hero in Hungary. The home favourite has been strong all year with a fifth at the Europeans and a silver medals in Santander and Palma.

The last time the Finn class sailed a major Championship on Balaton was the 2007 European Championship, also at Spartacus Vitorlás Egylet at Balatonföldvár, the host club for this championship. That year produced a few surprising results and no one is expecting anything different this year.

Many of the sailors have trimmed off some weight for this event, which of course means the forecast shows moderate to strong winds for the early part of the championship. Practice sessions over the past few days have ranged from northerly 8-12 knots to southerly 12-16 knots. But it’s what happened next week that counts.

Registration and equipment inspection continue until Sunday, with the Opening Ceremony on Saturday evening. Racing is then scheduled from Monday to Sunday with the medal race for the top ten concluding the event.

 

About the Finn Gold Cup
• 124 of the world’s best Finn sailors are taking part in the Finn Gold Cup in Balatonföldvár, Hungary. It is the highest entry for 35 years.
• The Finn Gold Cup was presented to the International Finn Association by the late F. G. Mitchell of the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club, Great Britain in 1956 and became the World Championship Trophy for the Finn Class.
• 11 races are scheduled over seven days from Monday 4 August to Sunday 10 August, ending with a medal race for the top ten sailors after the opening series.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE 2017 OPEL FINN GOLD CUP

RESULTS
Results and entries will be posted on the event website: 2017.finngoldcup.org

SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow the event on the Finn Class social channels
Finn Class Facebook: www.facebook.com/InternationalFinnClass/
Spartacus SC Facebook: https://facebook.com/spartacus.vitorlasegylet
Finn Class Twitter: https://twitter.com/Finn_Class
Spartacus SC Twitter: https://twitter.com/sparifoldvar
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/finnclass/
Tags: #fgc, #finngoldcup, #finnclass, #finn

PRESS RELEASES
Sign up to receive press releases and latest news here.

PHOTOS
Finn Class photos for free of right editorial use will be available here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/finnclassphotos/albums
High resolution images available from World Sailing’s image library here.
Daily galleries with free photos by Gabor Cserta for editorial use can be found here.

VIDEO
Dail highlights will be posted on Facebook and on the Finn Class YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/thefinnchannel
All videos can also be viewed through FINN TV here: www.finnclass.org/finn-tv
VNR footage and interviews will be available for media organisations. Please contact Corinne McKenzie for access and specific requests at corinne.mckenzie@orange.fr.

 

2017-finnlass-039

Finnclass Balaton 26.08.2017

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26.08.2017

Finn sailors swelter in Balaton heat but no racing on Day 5 of U23 Worlds

It was a hot, hot day in Balatonfüred at the U23 Finn World Championship. Despite being sent out in a light breeze mid-afternoon, the wind evaporated very quickly in the 35 degree heat and the race officer sent the fleet home less than 30 minutes after arrival. The lake remained like a mirror for the rest of the afternoon.

Sunday is the final day of racing with two races scheduled at the earlier time of 08.30 to try and make the best of the wind. The forecast predicts wind from 08.00 to 11.00 and with a cut off time of 15.30, this could be the only window for sailing all day.

Of the many sailors here sailing their first major regatta, Joan Cardona Mendez, from Spain, has put together some good results, though he was one of the UFD casualties yesterday. Like most of the sailors here he grew too big for the Laser and saw the Finn as his only option. “My physical conditions made me think the Finn is my best option.”

Before that he sailed Optimist and Laser. “Last year I was second U19 in the youth World Championship and third in the Europeans.”

He only started sailing the Finn one month ago. “The Spanish Federation lent me the boat. My club, Real Club Nautico de Palma, gives me a lot of support and I am where I am because of them.”

“I have been training with this boat only for the last month. I have been in the Dinghy Academy in Valencia during the past four weeks. This week if I make top 10 I will be very happy.” Long term, “Of course I like to imagine Tokyo there in the future.”

“I am discovering the boat and I like it. Much more technical than a Laser.”

The conditions so far on Balaton are perhaps playing to his strengths. “I have been sailing since I was seven. I went to the Europeans and World Championships in Optimist very young and in Laser every year since I started in the class. My experience in international events can help. I am fighter and persistent.”

Cardona is also one of three sailors who will form a small group reporting to the IFA Executive Committee on matters relating to the U23 events. He has four years left as an U23 sailor and along from Cameron Tweedle, from Britain, and Jock Calvert, from Australia it is hoped they can bring an U23 perspective to the International Executive. On Friday morning the sailors held an informal meeting to discuss future plans and events.

Another new Finn sailor, Gordon Stevens from Canada, has been training at the Dinghy Academy in Valencia prior to the Silver Cup and is in 30th place, just outside his goal of placing in the top half of the fleet.

His prior sailing experience includes Optimists, 420s and Laser, but as he continued to grow the Finn became the best option. “I was too big for the Laser and I always wanted to sail the Finn since I first saw videos of it.”

“My long term goals are to make the national team so I can get some support to help pay for the expenses of training and competing in Europe.” At the moment he just “gets some gym time with a trainer for being part of my provincial team.”

“This summer I was training with the Dinghy Academy, but during the school year I am mostly training at home in Nova Scotia either on the water by myself or with one of the Laser groups and their coach.”

He considers his strengths to be “…none free pumping downwind because I find I have a good feel for the wind and also find I am often passing boats in these conditions.”

“But the part of Finn sailing I enjoy the most is the physicality of it. I really like how on free pumping downwind you are able to put as much effort into pumping the boat as possible, which I think really separates this class from others.”

Finn sailing often runs in families and one case in point here this week is Taavi Valter Taveter, son of double Olympian Imre Taveter, from Estonia.

“I started with Optimist and also did Laser. I did some big championships in the Optimist, which were really good training in Europe, but in the Laser I sailed mainly in Estonia in smaller events.”

He is now 100 kg “Then I got too big for the Laser but I still wanted to sail a one man boat.”

He started in the Finn at the end of 2016.

He aspires to follow in his father’s footsteps, who is coaching him as this week. “I would really like to go to the Games for sure. He is a really good coach and I get a lot of good tips from him.”

Earlier in the year he placed second at Warnemunde Week, sailed in stronger winds.
“In Warnemunde it was a good regatta. But here there are many good sailors, so my expectations are not that high. I have not done so well so far, but I would expect to do better if it was breezy because I think I have quite a good physique and I hike quite well.”

It is a big ask, but he has already set his sights on Tokyo. “There are three years before Tokyo, so I hope to make some big steps in my development and then maybe I’ll be able to go to Tokyo.”

But in the immediate future he is also preparing for his first Finn Gold Cup next week just across the lake at Balatonföldar. “It’s a big event with many boats and will be a great experience for me.”

“I think upwind hiking is my biggest strength at the moment. I still need to do a lot of work on my downwind free pumping. Earlier I had some good starts, but this event I haven’t been that good to be honest. I really like the physical part of Finn sailing when the breeze is on and the free pumping. My speed is not there yet in the light winds. I am still looking for the right trim for the sail and the mast angle but in stronger breeze I think I am going a good speed.”

“I also like that the sailors are really friendly and help each other a lot. It’s a really friendly brotherhood.”

As this championship draws to a close, these three sailors, along with the 42 other young Finn sailors, the stars of the future, have one day left to impress.

Showtime is 0830 Sunday.

Results after 6 races
1 FIN 8 Oskari Muhonen 20
2 ARG 48 Facundo Olezza 25
3 IRL 22 Fionn Lyden 27
4 GBR 71 Henry Wetherell 30
5 NOR 9 Lars Johan Brodtkorb 41
6 USA 91 Luke Muller 46
7 CZE 5 Ondrej Teply 48
8 SWE 11 Johannes Pettersson 50
9 GBR 96 Hector Simpson 52
10 FRA 9 Guillaume Boisard 52

 

 

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Finnclass 25.08.2017

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Oskari Muhonen storms to top of U23 Finn Worlds after two late races on Day 4

Another long day of waiting for wind was rewarded with two late races on Day 4 of the U23 Finn World Championship in Balatonfüred, Hungary. Oskari Muhonen, from Finland, won the day to now lead the fleet by five points. He very nearly won both races.

Facundo Olezza, from Argentina, had a day to forget and dropped to second, while Fionn Lyden, of Ireland, had a stellar day to climb to third.

The long postponement was lifted just after 15.30 when a light southerly established itself on the lake following a day of zero breeze and sweltering temperatures. By race time it was 6-8 knots and the best breeze the sailors had seen for three days.

Lyden led round the top after favouring the left from Henry Wetherell, from Britain, and Joan Cardona Méndez, of Spain. Lyden still led at the gate but a crazy second beat let Wetherell through to the lead. He looked to have it sealed but Muhonen caught him downwind, and was ahead at the gate, but on the outside. Wetherall just crossed the finish ahead, but overlapped with Muhonen, with Lyden a comfortable third.

Three of the top 10 picked up a UFD starting penalty, including regatta leader Olezza.

Race 6 was started without delay to make best use of the breeze and this time Lars Johan Brodtkorb led at the top but he infringed Muhonen, who took the lead and sailed away for a huge win. The next boat was not even round the leeward mark as he crossed the finish.

Lyden controlled second place all the way with Jack Arnell, from Britain, moving up to third on the second beat, but was then passed by Brodtkorb on the final downwind.

As the fleet finished, the wind was still in place, albeit lighter, and the race team tried to get a third race in but after two false starts they called it a day with the setting sun spreading its golden light across the usually green Lake Balaton.

Lyden said of the day, “I thought we were done with sailing today, but then they sent out which was good. Both starts were very pin end biased and I managed to get away quite nicely. I was good both top marks and from there I just tried to cover the fleet as best I could to protect the left hand side, which seems to be good here.”

He said he is enjoying his first Finn regatta. “It’s good so far. It’s a really friendly and nice class, and I am looking forward to the Gold Cup as well next week.”

“I love sailing the Finn. I love the more technical side to it and the downwind with free pumping.”

Muhonen moved from sixth to first overall after his day’s work and is now where he wants to be.

“After the bronze in the youth Europeans this year I was thinking about the gold here, as well as getting some good training before the gold cup, but I would just be happy with a medal.”

Muhonen has only been in the class for just over a year. “I came into the Finn because I got to big for the Laser.” Before that he sailed Optimist, Europe and Laser. He won a few National titles in the Europe, and was 10th at the Laser youth worlds.

On Friday’s racing he said, “It was a pretty good day. Not as shifty as the first days.”

On the race win, “I got a pretty good start in the middle and let the Irish guy cross me and went for the left and the pressure. And then I was first at the top mark and pretty much stayed there.”

He trains a lot with his fellow Finn sailors Mikael Hyrylainen and triple Olympian Tapio Nirkko, as well as Max Salmimen from Sweden. “We also get a lot of help from the Federation, so that’s good as well.”

At the Europeans this year he finished as top Finnish sailor. He has his sights firmly set on the long term goals. “My long term goal is definitely Tokyo; and Olympics after that as well.”

He says the most attractive part of Finn sailing to him is the downwind. “Downwind sailing is pretty great, with free pumping and the physical aspect. It’s definitely a good boat to sail.”

“Also the social side of the class is great. Especially this regatta, which has been very well organised.”

He feels he is having a good regatta so far. “It feels good to be leading now, definitely. Two more days to go.”

If today shows anything it is that Balaton still has a lot of surprises in store, and no one can rely on anything. Day 4 produced lots of high scores throughout the leader board and lots of lessons learned. There are still a maximum of six races left to sail, so the championship could be considered only half way through, with just two days to go.

Results after 6 races
1 FIN 8 Oskari Muhonen 20
2 ARG 48 Facundo Olezza 25
3 IRL 22 Fionn Lyden 27
4 GBR 71 Henry Wetherell 30
5 NOR 9 Lars Johan Brodtkorb 41
6 USA 91 Luke Muller 46
7 CZE 5 Ondrej Teply 48
8 SWE 11 Johannes Pettersson 50
9 GBR 96 Hector Simpson 52
10 FRA 9 Guillaume Boisard 52

 

If today shows anything it is that Balaton still has a lot of surprises in store, and no one can rely on anything. Day 4 produced lots of high scores throughout the leader board and lots of lessons learned. There are still a maximum of six races left to sail, so the championship could be considered only half way through, with just two days to go.

Results after 6 races
1 FIN 8 Oskari Muhonen 20
2 ARG 48 Facundo Olezza 25
3 IRL 22 Fionn Lyden 27
4 GBR 71 Henry Wetherell 30
5 NOR 9 Lars Johan Brodtkorb 41
6 USA 91 Luke Muller 46
7 CZE 5 Ondrej Teply 48
8 SWE 11 Johannes Pettersson 50
9 GBR 96 Hector Simpson 52
10 FRA 9 Guillaume Boisard 52

 

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Finnclass 25.08.2017

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25.08.2017

Olezza hold leads after light wind race on Day 3 at U23 Finn Worlds at Balatonfüred

Sebastian Kalafarski of Poland confidently won the only race possible on the third day of racing at the 2017 U23 Finn World Championship for the Finn Silver Cup. However Facundo Olezza of Argentina still holds a 13-point advantage at the top. Luke Muller from USA moves up three places to second while Brit, Henry Wetherell drops one to third.

After a day of waiting around on shore for breeze the fleet was finally sent out mid-afternoon as a light southerly slowly developed. After one false start, the fleet got away in 4-6 knots, but it was relatively steady in direction for a change.

The left side paid with those starting at the pin in the leading group. Joan Cardona Mendez, from Spain, rounded first from Muller and Kalafarski, who started at the boat end. The main group went right on the run, which allowed Kalafarski to sneak through to leeward and round the gate ahead. He locked into the lifting shift up the second beat and was untouchable from then on, holding a nice lead at the top and down to the finish in the gradually fading wind.

Lars Johan Brodtkorb, from Norway, who had made a great start at the pin, rounded fifth and then caught the leaders on the second upwind to round second, which he just held to the finish from a fast chasing pack. Cardona Mendez crossed in third.

By this point the wind had evaporated in the hot Balaton air, but the race committee persevered and 40 minutes later a new breeze arrived. However it didn’t last long and after one false start, the fleet was sent home soon after.

The single race though meant that the championship is now valid one with four races completed and looking at the forecast for the next few days, that is a relief for the organisers.

Muller commented, “It was a bit tricky. I tried to get off the line clean and the guys who turned out best tacked right off the line and held on port for a long time and from there it was really just staying in pressure and keeping the boat speed up.”

“We finished in quite light breeze and then the wind died off. We had surges of pressure come down and the PRO was really trying to gun for another one.”

“I am really happy how I am sailing and working with Luther [Carpenter, his coach] is fantastic and a really big privilege.”

Kalafarski was clearly pleased with the race win. “I started near to the race committee and going to the right side and later I tacked and went with the front group. I was fourth at the top.”

“I like the light wind, and the weather from today is very good for me. I want tomorrow to be the same. I feel very good, it’s fantastic to win the race.”

French ambition

One of the new sailors here this week is Guillaume Boisard, from France, now in ninth overall after a 14th today.

“Sailing the Finn was for me one of my biggest ambitions. This boat is technically demanding and I really like its physical dimension. I consider the Finn as one of most interesting boat to sail. A lot of settings and adjustments exist on this boat, and all these little details can make, at the end, a huge difference between good and very good Finn sailors.”

Boisard, now 20 years old, started sailing in Optmist at Aged 7 before moving through the Europe and Laser classes. His best results were runner-up in the Europe Europeans and a fifth in French Laser Nationals.

He now trains with the group at French National Center in La Rochelle. “My last good results will probably help me to get an athlete high level status for the next season, and in this way I could get some financial help.”

He says he really benefits from the very dynamic La Rochelle dynamic Finn fleet and especially the new French training camp called ‘Master Academy’.

“I sail two to four times a week with very good sailors. I want to mention Laurent Hay, recently second at the World Masters in Barbados, I’m very thankful to him because of all the advice he gave me this season.”

“Sometimes Jonathan Lobert and Fabian Pic sail with us, which is very interesting for me. I had a training session with all of them before coming to Balaton. It makes me feel completely confident for this Silver Cup.”

“Light wind is my specialty, and I would like to benefit from the Balaton Lake to make a good performance.” His goal for the week is top 10 overall. “My strategy and tactics bring me to good positions most of the time and further up in the light wind, where I’m often pretty fast. My technique on the downwind is also one of my main strengths.”

He says he is really enjoying the Finn challenge. “The technical dimension of this boat and all these unique feelings we can only get in this boat. For example, I love free pumping, and you can’t really find it sailing on other boats, except the Europe class.”

There seems little chance at the moment of any free pumping soon. The championship may be valid, but only four races have been sailed from seven scheduled so far out of a total of 13.

Expectations for a sailable wind on Friday are small. Already the start time has been delayed until 12.00. There is a chance some breeze could develop during the afternoon, but it depends who you listen to and for how long.

Results after 4 races
1 ARG 48 Facundo Olezza 14
2 USA 91 Luke Muller 27
3 GBR 71 Henry Wetherell 29
4 IRL 22 Fionn Lyden 34
5 CZE 5 Ondrej Teply 38
6 FIN 8 Oskari Muhonen 39
7 SWE 11 Johannes Pettersson 42
8 NOR 9 Lars Johan Brodtkorb 43
9 FRA 9 Guillaume Boisard 44
10 ESP 235 Joan Cardona Mendez 50

How to follow the 2017 Finn Silver Cup

RESULTS
Results and entries will be posted on the event website: 2017.finnsilvercup.org

SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow the event on the Finn Class social channels
Facebook: www.facebook.com/InternationalFinnClass/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Finn_Class
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/finnclass/
Tags: #fsc, #finnsilvercup, #finnclass, #finn

PRESS RELEASES
Sign up to receive press releases and latest news here.

PHOTOS
Photos for free of right editorial use will be available here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/finnclassphotos/albums

VIDEO
Dail highlights will be posted on Facebook and on the Finn Class YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/thefinnchannel
All videos can also be viewed through FINN TV here: www.finnclass.org/finn-tv

2017-finnlass-036

Finnclass 23.08.2017

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23.08.2017

No racing on Day 2 at U23 Finn Worlds: Finn youth and wind play games all day

Despite spending four hours on the water, no more racing was possible at the U23 Finn World Championship at Balatonfüred. The sailors were twice sent out on the water, but both times came back empty handed.

Everyone expected to lose a day or more of racing, but no one expected to lose the second day, which had the second best forecast of the week.

The day began with an AP ashore, which then continued afloat for an hour before the sailors were sent back to shore to wait under a further AP. Finally they were sent back out again as a relativity stable 6-8 knots had settled over the course area. This started to drop and shift as soon as the fleet arrived and despite two attempts to get the race away, at 17.00 the fleet was sent shore again.

After racing the sailors met in the tent by the marina to debrief and for the prizegiving for Day 1 when each of the three race winners received goodie bags from Rooster, one of the event’s sponsors.

Of the 45 young sailors competing this week, 15 are under 19 years old, therefore, to recognise this, it was announced that an U19 prize will also be awarded to further encourage those just starting their Finn careers.

For Thursday the early forecast is for no wind so the start time has been delayed until 11.30, with three races scheduled if there is sufficient time. Even then the forecast is still only for light winds.

One thing is for sure. It is going to be a long week. With the exception of Friday, the forecasts show little sign of conditions improving, though it’s also getting a lot hotter.

Results after 3 races

1 ARG 48 Facundo Olezza 8
2 GBR 71 Henry Weltherell 21
3 GBR 96 Hector Simpson 22
4 IRL 22 Fionn Lyden 22
5 USA 91 Luke Muller 23
6 SWE 11 Johannes Pettersson 29
7 FRA 9 Guillaume Boisard 30
8 FIN 8 Oskari Muhonen 32
9 CZE 5 Ondrej Teply 33
10 RUS 1 Evgenii Deev 39

Full results so far here.

How to follow the 2017 Finn Silver Cup

RESULTS
Results and entries will be posted on the event website: 2017.finnsilvercup.org

SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow the event on the Finn Class social channels
Facebook: www.facebook.com/InternationalFinnClass/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Finn_Class
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/finnclass/
Tags: #fsc, #finnsilvercup, #finnclass, #finn

PRESS RELEASES
Sign up to receive press releases and latest news here.

PHOTOS
Photos for free of right editorial use will be available here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/finnclassphotos/albums

VIDEO
Dail highlights will be posted on Facebook and on the Finn Class YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/thefinnchannel
All videos can also be viewed through FINN TV here: www.finnclass.org/finn-tv