finn class yacht

International Finn Class

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Class Website

One-Design Class Type: Dinghy

Was this boat built to be sailed by youth or adults? Both

Approximately how many class members do you have? 4500

Photo Credit:Unkown

Photo Credit: Buccaner Yacht Club

Photo Credit: Unknown

About International Finn Class

This singlehanded boat was designed specifically for the Olympics and requires sailors to be average size or above. The fiberglass hull is built to very tight tolerances ensuring a strict one design shape. Well maintained boats from the 1990’s are still competitive and win national events. The high technology, un-stayed carbon fiber mast is available in different degrees of flexibility to suit the sailor’s physical capabilities and allow a wider range of heights and weights to be competitive. The Finn performs very well in both light air, making it ideally suited for small lakes, and is robust enough to be sailed in extreme conditions.

The class culture and community has been best expressed by sailing legend Gus Miller:

“Without a lot of friends, you cannot have good racing, nor can you have good practice, nor can you have an intensely enjoyable time that leaves your life richer. Finn sailors share the knowledge that even if you master yourself, you can never master the boat – it is too subtle to accomplish this.

Finn sailors try to outwork each other, destroy the others on the water with that hard work, then come ashore in sharing the resulting intense adversity. This generates a kind of love that then gets shared with newcomers who will receive lots of help in figuring things out.”

New fleets are forming around the country.

Videos of Interest: Finn tacking tips – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iXFQDslkto Finn Gybing with plenty of breeze on! 30 knot gusts! – YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wyd82-CV2I Steering in waves – YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNl3rlYdZPE Finn Pumping explained by Ben Ainslie – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEQttj8E1b0 light wind sail trim/speed training Finn Club Holland – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efKMsCLcqmc Dinghy Academy: Finn free pumping in 20 knots, a hard day at work… – YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj2QrrfO2u8 Finn Class Rule 42 Clinic 2015 – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NynKiO8w0Rs Rule 42: Finn Class Common Breaches – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6OFea9rZA8 Rule 42 Part 2 – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzaBzEXk8qU Fitness Sailing Workout Plan: The 15 Best Home Exercises for Sailors – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoVf-TP-44A Fitness Top Tips with Finn Sailor Andrew Mills – Pumping Iron with the British Sailing Team – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrjG7SegyAQ Computer Animations Dynamic simulation of the Finn sailing in waves – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTN-4ISwAJs Interference between boats when sailing upwind – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udiLSjJy6_s Star Class CFD Animation – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIMTxNBLSnE From 6 to 20 knots in 10 seconds. A dynamic Finn simulation – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGa-_5yoh9s Finn Free Pumping – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HknYHzhv0AA Flow separation Finn sail – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERoWHwHPveE Finn Technology Finn Mast Project@Dassault Systemes – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_V7VMbBhjw Flow visualisation with particles around a Finn sail – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m58zdJEsFvk General TheFinnChannel – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheFinnChannel

Boats Produced: Over 35,000

Class boat builder(s):

Devoti Sailing, devotisailing.com/finn/ Jibetech, www.jibetech.com Pata Marine, [email protected]

Approximately how many boats are in the USA/North America? 1100

Where is your One-Design class typically sailed in the USA? List regions of the country:

Florida, California, Midwest, Northeast, Colorado, Gulf Coast

Does this class have a spinnaker or gennaker? No

How many people sail as a crew including the helm?  1

Ideal combined weight of range of crew:  180-260 Lbs

Boat Designed in  1949

Length (feet/inches): 14’6″

Beam: 60″

Weight of rigged boat without sails: 205 Lbs.

Draft: 39″

Mast Height: 22′

Coaching or Clinic Resources

Tuning guides, class rules (pdf doc).

Back to One-Design Central

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Yachting World

• Digital Edition

Finn dinghy: Farewell to Olympics

• Helen Fretter
• June 25, 2021

It has been a part of sailing in the Olympics since 1952, but this summer, when the Finn dinghy fleet takes to the waters of Enoshima it will be its final Olympic outing

This summer will be last time we see the Finn dinghy at the Olympic Games. In order to meet the directive from the International Olympic Committee for equal participation and events for men and women at the Paris 2024 Games, World Sailing made the decision to drop the Finn class from the Olympic roster, in favour of a mixed double-handed offshore event (along with a mixed kiteboarding relay race, while the mixed offshore event was itself recently ditched for separate Men’s and Women’s kitesurfing medals).

After the departure of the Star ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games, the Finn took up the mantle as longest serving Olympic class – a baton, which will now be passed to the 470 class.

The Finn dinghy is synonymous with greatness. It debuted as an Olympic class in Helskini in 1952, where gold was won by Danish legend Paul Elvstrøm, defending the heavyweight dinghy title he had won at London in the Firefly class.

Elvstrøm went on to win three consecutive Finn golds, setting the bar for a class that has been a rite of passage for many of the greatest sailors of all time. Jochen Schümann, Russell Coutts, Iain Percy and, of course, four-times Gold medallist Ben Ainslie fill the roll of honour.

With a 69-year Olympic history, the Finn is the longest standing item of Olympic sailing equipment, having been designed in 1949 by Swedish canoe designer, Rickard Sarby. The 1952 Games was also the first time the Soviet Union and People’s Republic of China took part, women track athletes ran no further than 200 metres, and the Fosbury flop hadn’t been invented, so seismic have the changes been to the modern Olympics since its introduction.

Finn dinghy class secretary, and author of several books on its history, Robert Deaves explains: “For many sailors, back then and today, the Finn became a lifestyle choice as much as an Olympic sport. Sailors would immerse themselves in a training routine, devoted to living and breathing the boat. The boat came to exemplify the Olympic motto of ‘Citius, Altius, Fortius’, as the sailors challenged themselves to become faster, better and stronger.

Article continues below…

Giles Scott: Can the Brit secure a second gold in Tokyo?

Giles Scott is waiting. Like all of this year’s Olympic cohort, he is in a strange pre-Games limbo. Normally at…

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With just three years until the 2024 Olympics take place in Paris, the Olympic sailing classes for the 2024 Games…

“The original boats had wooden hulls, wooden spars and cotton sails. Today’s Finns use modern materials such as carbon masts, Kevlar sails and GRP hulls, but the basic concept, shape and dimensions are the same.

“The key to the boat is twofold. First the hull needs the correct flexibility and ability to ‘twist’ through waves and gusts, and secondly the rig can be tailored to each sailor’s weight, height and sailing style. Improved technology such as carbon masts and GRP hulls made this process more scientific and repeatable. The objective is always creating power and speed, but also with the ability to depower automatically through the gusts, with the hull twisting and the mast falling off to open the leech.”

Ben Ainslie says part of the class’s appeal is that it is a complete test. “It’s a huge, huge physical challenge. To be successful in the class you have to be committed to your training, to the physical aspect of the sport, but also the technical challenges of making a Finn go fast set you in good stead for going into other areas, such as the America’s Cup. Understanding the dynamics of what makes the boat go fast is really critical to having a successful career.”

In 2018 the sport’s governing body, World Sailing, voted to replace the Finn dinghy at the Olympics with a mixed offshore class, in part due to the need for parity of men’s and women’s medals. The decision was much debated – not least following the IOC’s request that World Sailing propose an alternative, leading some to briefly hope that the Finn could be reinstated. But most believe the Finn’s days are forever over, leaving few Olympic options for heavier male dinghy sailors.

“I’ve always tried to stay away as much as possible from the politics side of World Sailing and class selection, and not really get involved,” says Giles Scott. “But I think it’s been a bit of a calamity of errors. It’s not been great that the IOC had to wade in. The Finn being on the butt end of that is obviously a shame, and I think every Finn sailor would say that because we do love the boat.

“But the one thing that stands out for me is that it is not necessarily the class, it’s the people, and the fact that there’s not really a replacement for the guys coming through that are too big to sail Lasers and 49ers.

“That’s the real shame because I think back and, if this had been happening 10 years ago or so, then I wouldn’t be an Olympic champion and I quite possibly wouldn’t have had the same doors opened for me in other forms of sailing.”

Ainslie concurs: “I think it’s a real shame. For the Finn class because of its history, but also for the sport of sailing, because it’s really hard to see an avenue at the moment for bigger athletes to compete in the Olympics and sailing.

“And I think that’s a real missed opportunity for the sport to be able to showcase athletes of that intensity at that size.”

Away from the Olympic circuit, however, there is every indication that the Finn will continue to flourish. The class not only runs enormously popular Masters events, but also Grand Masters, and even Grand Grand Masters, so lifelong is the loyalty of many Finn sailors to the design.

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Finn (Dinghy) Class

The Finn dinghy is the men’s single-handed, cat-rigged Olympic class for sailing. It was designed by Swedish canoe designer, Rickard Sarby, in 1949 for the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. Since the 1952 debut of the boat, the design has been in every summer Olympics, making it one of the most prolific Olympic sailboats as it is the longest serving dinghy in the Olympic Regatta.[3] It currently fills the slot for the Heavyweight Dinghy at the Olympic games. It has been contended that the Finn is the most physical and tactical singlehander sailboat in the world.

Finn Specifications:

LOA: 14’9 / 4.5m Beam: 4’10 / 1.47m Draft: 6.7″ / .17m Hull Weight: 236 lbs / 107kg Sail Area: 114 sq ft /10.6 sq m International Finn Association

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• 420 Class Dinghy
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• National Solo (Dinghy) Class
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2022 U.S. Finn Nationals Results

The Finn U.S. National Championship had one of the best showings in the last few years, with close to 40 boats on the starting line. The variety of conditions was almost perfect for the Finn Class. Winds ranging from 8 to 30 knots gave competitors a wide range of options to showcase their skills, physique, and stamina.

Leading the fleet from day one, Eric Lidecis (USA 505) and Craig Monk (NZL 237) fought till the last race. Despite more “bullets” under Craig’s belt, Eric showed more consistency and took the 2022 U.S. National Championship Trophy home. Steady behind with 24 points, Craig Monk in the second, and Anatolii Nosar (UKR 7), with 32 points in the third.

The top Youth sailor Peter Sangmeister (USA 86), took home the perpetual Bev Coutts Youth Trophy, donated to the USAFA by the Coutts family in 2021.

Complete Results

The 2023 Finn U.S. Nationals are scheduled at the North Cape Yacht Club in the Summer or Fall of 2023.

The next big events are the 2022 Masters North American Championship in Rochester, NY and the 2023 Finn Gold Cup in Miami, FL.

Pre-register (no payment required) today at:

• https://yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eid=14917
• https://www.fgcmiami2023.com/

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Photos from the 2022 Finn National Championships at ABYC

2022 usafa agm results, rodion mazin, you might also like, 2024 finn gulf coast championship, 2023 finn north american championship, 2023 agm call for bids.

When asked what boat you sail it is sufficient to say 'Finn' to prove excellence. Paul Henderson (1998)

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Finn Class News - November 2023: IFA President Rob McMillan sums up the past season

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Finn Class Measurement Form and Measurement Certificate can be downloaded from the World Sailing website. Here

Current Finn Class Rules can be downloaded from the World Sailing website. Here

IFA Event Manual 2023 PDF (This document replaces the Championship Rules, Championship Manual, Silver Cup Rules, application form, and other documents) 

IFA Constitution 2017  ( PDF )

Sailing at its best - free to use video on Finn sailing. [ download ]  12.4 Mb

LATEST NEWS

• April 2024 FINNFARE: Focus on past, present and future
• Little change at top for first Finn World Ranking of 2024
• Finn World Ranking 005 - March 2024
• Entry open for 2024 Finn Open Europeans in Cannes
• Finn Class returns to Aarhus for 2024 Finn Gold Cup
• Happy New Year from the Finn Class on its 75th Anniversary
• Entry is open for 2024 Finn Gold Cup in Aarhus
• Queensland States at RQYC
• November 2023 FINNFARE published
• 2024 World Tour for Finns
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• Laurent Hay completes full year as the Finn World No. 1
• Finn World Ranking 004 - October 2023
• James Golden wins 2023 Finn Silver Cup
• James Golden leads Silver Cup after Day 3
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• Big changes but Laurent Hay remains Finn World No. 1 after major events
• Finn World Ranking 003 - June 2023
• RIP Martin Mikkelsen

MEDIA PARTNER

A Jeremy Rodgers Finn restoration – Peter Vinton reports on Martin Hughes’ impressive classic Finn restoration project.

Peter Vinton, British Finn Classics representative.

More Classic Finns discovered.

British Finn K17 Allegretto has recently re-emerged after being kept in a barn for around 40 years! This Finn was originally bought by Chris Heywood with his brother and sailed in the 1956 Olympic trials after which she was little used. Chris was a good friend of Charles Curry and spent many summers being mentored, camping in Charles’ garden and sailing in Chichester Harbour. Allegretto was sailed a few times in the 1990’s on Kielder Water by his daughter Viola and her Uncle but subsequently has spent the rest of the time in a barn in Scotland, until it was recently decided it was time to find her a new home.

K17 was one of a batch of 10 Finns that were commissioned by Tiny Mitchell for the 1956 Olympic Trials. The hulls were built by Fairey Marine and decked and finished by Wootens off Maidenhead. In the trials, Chris surprised many well-known dinghy racers by lying in second place after the first day and creditably finishing 5th OA in the event which was won by Richard Creagh-Osborne, but Chris then started sailing a Jollyboat and put Allegretto into storage.

Allegretto is probably unique in not having been modernised or updated since 1952 and so represents a rare insight into the early development of the Finn. She has no kicker and sports a wire halyard winch. The controls are very basic (mainsheet, traveller and centreboard up haul) and so sailing the boat, particularly in stronger winds must have been extremely difficult. British Finn Association Secretary Martin Hughes has brought her down to Warsash and is going to try sailing her pretty much as she is, which will be interesting to see!

Then, having had one long lost Finn turn up, in August a familiar shaped boat appeared on eBay being advertised as a ‘potential fishing dinghy’! A little bit of record checking showed her to be K19, Elfinn , a Fairey Finn that hadn’t been known of since 1970. She is also in remarkable condition, with 2 wooden masts and what looks like the original sail, and again no modernised controls.  She also now has a new owner who is intending to restore her then sail her in original state of tune.

Many Classic Finns race in the Classic and Vintage Racing Dinghy Association (CVRDA) events where they are given a handicap appropriate to their age and condition, so Finns with older rigs which are uncompetitive in modern fleets can race on an even basis. The British Finn Association also make sure older Finns aren’t left out. They run two classes for older Finns; Classic Finns which sail with traditional rigs and Classics with Carbon, which sail with a modern rig on a pre – 1985 boat.  This has been introduced because the older masts, and the Dacron sails to suit them, are becoming scarcer whereas there is a plentiful supply of modern secondhand sails and older carbon masts at reasonable prices.

If you want to know how to rig a Classic with an aluminium or wooden mast, check out the original rigging guide here. Page two of the classic rigging guide can be found  here.

If you have a story of a Classic Finn restoration or want advice on a Classic Finn project, post a message on the Classic Finn section of the Forum, or contact Peter Vinton via the link below.

Download the Finn hull lines plan here , so you can build yourself a scale model Finn, or Contact Peter Vinton if you wish to purchase the full digital files to build a new wooden Finn.

Peter built the above model by enlarging the plans to 375mm long to use them as templates to make the model at 1:12 scale. The hull and tanks are planked in balsa strips.

Peter Vinton – BFA Classic Finn Representative.

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An international Olympic Class dinghy since 1952, this fast singlehander is perfect for the heavier helm. 4.5 metres long with a big rig, this boat favours the strong sailor who can hike out the longest! Finnsters are a friendly bunch and welcome new members to this challenging class. Description by Nick Vosper

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