Finn World Masters kicks off in Barbados

Each year the Masters, the Grand Masters, the Grand Grand Masters and the Legends of the Finn class sail a World Championship called the Finn World Masters. The 2017 Finn World Masters Championship is being held June 2-9, 2017 in Barbados.

Entries are accepted in the following categories – World Master (the overall winner), Master (winner 40-49 years old), Grand Master (winner 50-59), Grand Grand Master (winner 60-69), Legend (winner 70+), Ladies, and Classic Boat (Built prior to 1985).

The Finn itself is a 4.5 meter singlehanded dinghy with a single mast, and it has been used in the Olympic Games since 1952. Many of the sailors now competing in the Masters have done Olympic campaigns in the past but have stayed sailing the boat because of the first class competition it offers.

The Finn is widely regarded as the toughest challenge in the world of dinghy sailing because to win at Olympics the sailors need to be a perfect athlete, extremely fit and strong to cope with the demand of sailing the boat, tactically astute on the water, and with an excellent technical knowledge of their equipment.

The Finn’s legacy is creating top caliber sailors that have the skills and knowledge to be successful in other areas of the sport, for example, some of the best America’s Cup helmsmen gained their skills in the Finn class.

The Finn is sailed in around 50 countries worldwide and the Masters attracts sailors from around 35 of them. The event regularly attracts more than 200 sailors each year and in 2016, for the first time, 355 sailors travelled to Lake Garda for the biggest Finn event of all time. In 2017, the Masters will be sailed in Barbados and this is the first time it will be sailed in the Caribbean and only the second time outside Europe.

Eight races are scheduled comprising a fleet series and a medal race or final race. 138 sailors from 21 countries are entered. Practice racing is on June 4 with the competition scheduled for June 5 to 9.

Event details – Entry list

Source: Finn class