22.08.2017

Nice points jump for Facundo Olezza after U23 Finn Worlds opener

The only young sailor at the U23 Finn World Championship in Balatonfured with Olympic experience, Facundo Olezza, from Argentina, made some sense of the chaotic wind conditions on the first day to build a 13 point margin after three very tricky races were sailed.

The British sailors, Henry Wetherell and Hector Simpson are second and third, though the points are very close. The race wins on the opening day went to Olezza, Ondra Teply from Czech Republic and Arkadiy Kistanov from Russia.

The wind on Lake Balaton today was kind of what everyone expected. But it still surprised with its variability, ranging from 2-15 knots and shifting 40-90 degrees at times. Several times the sailors were seen doing straight line tacks.

Defending champion Phillip Kasüske, from Germany, started his defence in the best possible way by leading round the first mark. However it was short lived with Olezza moving ahead downwind and controlling the fleet from the front to take the first race from Oskari Muhonen, from Finland, and Kasüske.

Teply made up for a capsize in the first race with a win in the second. He rounded the top mark in third behind Olezza and Simpson and the three extended on the fleet. Olezza still led around the final windward mark after a mind numbingly shifty second beat, but then both Teply and Simpson sailed round him for the top three.

Teply commented, “It was a very tricky and shifty day and also we had huge gaps sometimes we had 15 knots and sometimes 2, and it was hard to predict, and difficult to chose where to go.”

“I managed to win one race because I was on the good side and still in the wind, so it was easier then and I had a good last downwind so managed to pass two boats.”

“I made one good race but it was not a great day for me as I also had two 16th places. I think I could have done worse but I was hoping to make all the races top 10 and stay consistent, but I didn’t make it.”

If Race 2 was tough, Race 3 was about to get even tougher. With a huge split in the fleet on the first beat, the boats on the Tihany shore looked like they were pointing at the mark while on the opposite side Krzysztof Stromski was several hundred metres detached from the fleet. When he finally tacked, he crossed back ahead of the entire fleet to round in first from Fionn Lyden, of Ireland, and Kistanov. Oscar flag was raised at the top mark for the first time but predictably the wind died soon after and the fleet sailed the run in 2-3 knots with free pumping. Kistanov took the lead at the gate and pulled away nicely as the wind came back in from the left, leaving those on the right stranded. He held his nerve to win the race making up for a UFD and a 30th in the first two races.

Second overall after three races, Wetherell said of the day, “It was a really shifty, gusty day but that was expected. But when you are out there you get to see how shifty it really is so I am quite happy to come away with three counting results today. A lot of guys had some big scores, so I am just trying to keep in the game for now and keep it consistent.”

“You have to constantly look out of the boat. It’s not really a speed day. Just looking around and finding some pressure to get into. Some it is luck and some of it is skill.”

After a bronze medal last year Olezza has since put an Olympics under his belt and was clearly making good decisions today without taking too many risks. A lot of sailors picked up starting penalties, Rule 42 penalties or took too big a risk on the course and paid the price with a high score.

“Today was a hard day and very puffy, so it was essential to find the right pieces of wind that were coming through the land. I think I was just a little bit lucky that I was in the right spot.”

“I think this regatta will have a lot of big numbers in the end so I am just trying to go race by race and just focus on the gusts. It’s very hard. You don’t have a pattern to follow in this kind of place so you just try and be in the right spot and be very aware of what’s happening.”

“The youth Finn fleet is very strong and we have a pretty big number of sailors now so any small mistake can cost you some points.”

Three more races are scheduled for Wednesday, but anyone looking at the wind forecast for the rest of the week will see a lot of small numbers.

About the Finn Silver Cup
• 45 of the world’s best young Finn sailors are taking part in the U23 Finn World Championship for the Jorg Bruder Finn Silver Cup in Balatonfüred, Hungary.
• The ‚Jorg Bruder Silver Cup‘ was presented to the Finn Class in 2003, on the occasion of the Finn Gold Cup in Rio, by the Brazilian Olympic Committee as a memorial to the late great Finn sailor from Brazil.
• 13 races will be held over six days from Tuesday 22 August to Sunday 27 August.

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

20.08..2017

World’s youth attracted by the timeless challenge of the Finn

One of the largest Finn Silver Cups on record is about to begin on the largest lake in Central Europe. Nearly 50 young Finn sailors from 21 countries and four continents are gathering at Balatonfüred, a popular resort town on Lake Balaton’s northern shore.

The list of entrants could read like a who’s who for the 2020, or 2024 Olympic Games, including both those who have experienced Olympic competition, and those who are taking their first steps on the long, personal and physically challenging journey towards that quadrennial pinnacle.

The host club is the MVM Hungarian Power Companies Sport Club (Magyar Villamos Művek Sportegyesület- MVM SE). The sailing club of MVM SE has an idyllic location overlooking the race area with lawns and tree lined boat parks leading down to the water. The sailors are all being made to feel very welcome as the build up continues for the first races on Tuesday.

Within the impressive line-up, three sailors have won the title before and one has gone to the Olympics already. The defending champion is Phillip Kasüske from Germany. He hasn’t put as much time in the boat as he would have liked, having just returned from the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup, where he was the wing trimmer on SVB Team Germany.

“This year I’m trying to defend the title, but not having sailed the Finn as much as the others during the season it is going to be a very hard task.”

Last year in Aarhus, Kasüske took the title off Ondrej Teply, from the Czech Republic.

Teply is optimistic about his chances of a second title. “I am feeling good. I had a bit slower beginning of the season, but after some training in summer I am starting to feel better in the boat, so I hope I will be able to show it in the Silver cup. Balaton can be a light and tricky place, and with the number boats here it could be an interesting regatta. Anyway, my goals are to be around top three like for every junior worlds, and let’s see what happens.”

His strongest opposition could come from the new U23 European Champion, Henry Wetherell, from Britain. Wetherell won the title convincingly in May in Marseille while also placing sixth in the senior fleet.

Having only joined the Finn fleet last year he feels he is making good progress.

“I feel like I’m constantly progressing and making gains. At the last Silver Cup I had only sailed the boat for a couple of weeks, so compared to last year I am 100 times more comfortable with the boat, the setup and my fitness. I have a great group to train with so we are always pushing each other to improve.”

He says he was not too surprised at clinching his first Finn title earlier this year. “I had a great year training with the team and I literally felt as though I was going faster and faster each session. Over the past couple of events before the Europeans I had still been learning the boat. Obviously the format helped me jump up a few spots in the end but over the week I felt I was going well.”

He has set his goals high this week. “My goal for the event is to win. I know the venue is quite light and tricky and there are some really good light wind sailors in the fleet so it will be a tough event. But it’s easier saying it than doing it so we will have to wait and see who is the best on the day.”

The third former champion present in Balatonfüred is Arkadiy Kistanov, from Russia, who won on home waters in 2011. This year will be his final attempt as he will be too old in 2018.

“It was pretty tricky for me to take part in the Silver Cups. Every year I expected something, but every year someone stronger came. I really think the level of top 10 sailors at the Silver Cup should be very high this year.”

“I have three competitions in one month, so I will try to get a good result but I’m not focused only on this aim. This last Silver Cup for me is something special. I want to have some nice, tricky races. I expect light winds and will push; the conditions are good for me and I cannot wait to start racing.”

There are lots of other stories to tell this week. Here are a few more:

Facundo Olezza is he only sailor here with Olympic experience. He placed third in last year’s Silver Cup, just before he went to Rio for the Olympics, where he placed ninth after winning two races.

One sailor who could surprise this week is Lars Johan Brodtkorb. He still splits his time between the Europe dinghy and Finn sailing and is too heavy for one and not really heavy enough for the other. A double Europe World Champion, a few weeks back he jumped straight into an OK Dinghy and won the European title after just four days in the boat. This should give him extra confidence as he approaches what could turn into a light wind decider later in the week.

Last year Jan Orel turned to Finn sailing to turn his life around. This year his younger brother Liam has also begun to sail the Finn. A top Slovenian Optimist sailor in his younger days, he later turned to the Laser and windsurfing, before ending up in the Finn. He’s only done a few months training so far so, but his brother rates him highly for such little time spent in the boat.

Another newcomer is Taavi Valter Taveter. His father Imre sailed two Olympics in the Finn and is in Balatonfüred this week coaching his son. Sailing since the age of six, he was successful in the Optimist class and won several Laser Radial national titles before turning to cross country skiing, for which, now at 190 cm and 97 kg, he feels he is too big. Then, “the old love (sailing) was in his heart, so he decided to start sailing Finn.” His first international Finn regatta was this year’s Kiel Week, where he finished 25th. Later we went to Warnemünder Week and he finished with good second place behind Jan Kurfeld, the 2007 Silver Cup winner

Luke Muller, from the USA, is sailing in his second Finn Silver Cup. Last year he took part in the Europeans and was Caleb Paine’s training partner in Rio [Paine went on to twin the bronze medal], before focussing on school. He said he also gained a lot from training alongside Paine. “It was great because it was by first time using really good equipment. I was fast tracked onto Caleb’s Olympic kit and that was very helpful to see what the boat should feel like. Training and doing practice races with the Olympic fleet was extremely motivating and forced to train at my very best.”

He feels the progress he had made so far has been positive. “I feel that I have made many strides working with Luther [Carpenter] as my coach. I am identifying opportunities on the race course much faster and my knowledge of sail trim is tenfold what it was last year. The only issues I am having now have been due to a lack of training volume, but focus on those weaknesses has helped mitigate them.”

He is very excited to be sailing the Silver Cup this year. “It is where the best youth Finn sailors come together to compete. My goal is to just sail with a clear head and practice the things I have been working on recently. I think there will be a few guys gunning for the win and I hope to be one of those, but we will see, as Balaton will present a unique challenge.”

The practice race takes place Monday afternoon. While the sailors who arrived early have been enjoying the fresh to strong winds over the past few days the breeze is forecast to fall away gradually over the coming week. Thirteen races are scheduled from Tuesday to Sunday to decide the 2017 U23 Finn World Champion.

Photos from last year’s Silver Cup in Aarhus,
except below from 2016 Europeans in Barcelona

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

16.08.2017

Young British Finn squad head to U23 Worlds supported by GAC Pindar

The British Finn Association U23 squad were gathered at the National Sailing Academy in Weymouth last week for a GAC Pindar training camp as their final preparation for this year’s U23 Finn World Championship (the Finn Silver Cup), which begins at Balatonfured, in Hungary, next week. Their coaching programme is coordinated by the BFA and funded by the sailors (or parents) with some help from the BFA and some significant support from GAC Pindar.

Two years ago the British Finn class recognised that many of the young sailors in the class could benefit from training and funding as they aspired to make the transition between local fleets and international competition. For some sailors the squad represents a possible route into the British Sailing Team.

The squad of six, under the guidance of coach James Hadden, a former British Sailing Team member, have made significant improvements.

Cameron Tweedle won the BFA Travellers Trophy last year for the best overall performance at UK events while Callum Dixon finished fifth in the UK National Championships. They have both gained valuable experience by competing at senior international level this year at Palamos, Palma, Hyeres, Marseille and Kiel.

Tweedle commented on the programme. “It’s been a pivotal year with my main focus being my result in Hungary for the Silver Cup. Due to this I have competed at as many high profile events as I possibly could, including Hyeres, the Europeans in Marseille and Kiel Week. In addition to these I have spent the last four weeks living in Weymouth with the aim to move there permanently. This has had a big positive effect on my sailing.”

He said that because everyone in the squad have become friends, it’s sometimes hard to switch to being competitors both whilst racing and off the water. But, “Being a part of the British Under 23 squad has been extremely beneficial, this is because we can consistently train at a high standard and push each other forward both on and off the water.”

Dixon talked about the improvements they had made through the coaching. “Not necessarily in final results, but in the top 10 rounding the windward mark. I feel much more confident and comfortable in the boat after all our winter training. We feel a real team travelling together and it helps keep costs down.”

The British GAC Pindar U23 squad has been busy preparing for the Silver Cup with a series of training camps in Weymouth, led by Hadden. Tweedle is quietly optimistic.

“At last year’s Silver Cup in Aarhus, I came 19th overall whilst posting some top 10 results through out the week. This is something I am pleased and proud about, however I am keen and very capable to improve greatly on my position this year.”

On the competition this year, he said, “I am expecting it to be an extremely competitive week due to the high standard of the entries this year. It’s going to be both physically and psychologically testing. Personally I’d like to be pushing a top 10 position.”

“Balaton is a notoriously light wind venue, this will test me in many different ways to previous competition.”

Of the other squad members, Markus Bettum also competed at Palma and Kiel and James Skulczuk, who joined the squad late last year, competed at Kiel. Markus, James and Joe Stocker have had to juggle their competition programme around university exams but are now able to concentrate on preparation for the U23 World Championships.

The sixth member, Jack Arnell, finished fifth in the 2015 British National Championships but since then has been injured and missed the entire 2016 season and the early part of 2017. He is now getting back to full fitness and looking forward to competing in Hungary.

The BFA U23 squad are part of the largest national team at the Silver Cup, joining British Sailing Team members Hector Simpson and Henry Wetherell in the 48 boat Silver Cup fleet.

The squad are young enough to compete in many more Silver Cups in future years so this year they will be looking to improve on last year’s results and gain more valuable experience.

Tweedle summed up the feeling of them all. “The GAC Pindar BFA U23 squad has been fantastic for all who have been a part of it. The progression is clearly visible for all of the sailors. It is a fantastic stepping-stone towards our eventual aim of being a part of the British Olympic squad.”

Andrew Pindar of sponsors GAC Pindar said, “In the current era of multihulls and foils we decided to recognise, through sponsorship of the British Finn Association Under 23 Programme, the ongoing important role in our sport filled by the Finn Class for over fifty years.”

“Modified and developed with the latest technology and thinking, it is quite remarkable how enduring the Finn class has been and why it has been the boat of choice for some of sailing’s greatest athletes. And with an eye to the future it is great to support and encourage younger powerful sailors to keep this heavyweight solo dinghy well within their sights no matter where their careers may head.”

The U23 programme in the UK continues to attract more young sailors to the Finn who have out-grown the Laser and skiff classes and who now see an attractive pathway to continue their sailing and may well lead to the formation of a second squad.

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