Finn Class: To infinity and beyond

by Robert Deaves, Finn Class Secretary
The Finn has been the dinghy of choice for generations of sailors seeking to challenge themselves to the limits of their sailing skills and their physical endurance. It has a culture that embraces sailors of all ages and a camaraderie that lasts a lifetime.

It is a class that is proud of its incredible history and legacy as well as its amazing sailors. And it is looking forward to a promising future, wherever that future may lie.

The Finn Class refuses to be discouraged by the results of last month’s World Sailing Conference in Bermuda, and is anticipating some great events and great competition over the coming year. While the International Finn Association (IFA) continues to do its best to keep the class Olympic beyond Tokyo 2020, until the Paris 2024 events are approved by the IOC next year, the Finn is Olympic.

However, we also have to look to and plan for the future of the class. While the decision to drop the Finn from the Olympics is hard and, perhaps, life changing for a few hundred young athletes, the Finn class remains strong with worldwide fleets and dedicated sailors, as well as, of course, being a fantastic boat to sail.

There is no doubt that the Finn will have a bright and happy future, even while it undergoes some restructuring. It will be a future in which thousands of sailors worldwide continue to regard the Finn as the ultimate singlehanded dinghy, the toughest test of a true sailor and still one of the best platforms that any young sailor can utilize to advance their sailing career to wherever that may lead.

The technical, strategic and tactical knowledge within the class are beyond measure. Nothing has or will change that and this knowledge base will continue to be expanded as the sailors continue to find better and faster ways to sail the boat. The class will continue to expand the science of sailing as it has done for the past seven decades.

The IFA executive is putting together a strategy to take the class forward. It is looking at introducing new admin processes, as well as new event structures and circuits, to make sure that Finn sailing and Finn events remain as attractive and as relevant as they have been for seventy years.

There will necessarily be some rationalization in the annual calendar to continue to ensure Finn sailing remains affordable and attractive to as many sailors as possible. There is a lot of work to do and the class will seek to engage with Finn sailors in many countries to make sure everything is on the right track.

We will need help to put all this together and plan a future for the class that is sustainable and offers the potential for growth. We plan to take the Class in new directions and provide new opportunities. We plan to ensure that not only can the class survive outside the Olympics but that it continues to thrive.