1977 Finn Gold Cup Regatta ends in Palamos with everyone a winner

by Robert Deaves on 25 Jun 2017 The Trofeo 40 Aniversario de la Palamós Finn Gold Cup 1977 drew to a close on Sunday with no more racing possible with persistent cloud, light rain and an almost non-existent wind. So the results stand from Saturday with Miguel Fernandez-Vasco winning from Alejandro Muscat and Paul Mckenzie.

The event was held to commemorate the 1977 Finn Gold Cup which was plagued by political problems and caused the Finn Gold Cup to be withdrawn from the competition, and the event being renamed the Finn World Week. Last night at a vineyard inland, the Finn Gold Cup was finally handed over to the winner of the 1977 Finn World Week, Joaquín Blanco and he became an official Finn World Champion for the first time, with his name finally engraved on the Cup.

Many sailors old and new came to Palamos this weekend to sail a great boat and renew old friendships. Despite going afloat for a few hours and the best efforts of the race team, the fleet came ashore with no more races sailed.

Blanco almost didn’t come, but was glad he did. “It’s been the first time I have sailed with the new boats and it is really quite different. I think it’s more difficult but a lot more fun. Last time I sailed Finns was in 1995.”

“This weekend has been pretty good because we find here all the people who sailed the Finn from a long time ago, and it was all perfectly organised. Today we had no wind, but it was enough yesterday for me.”

Jose Luis Doreste, another former Finn Gold Cup winner said, “It’s been fantastic. We had a very nice wind on Friday for training and yesterday we had three very nice races. Today not so much but it is my first time sailing the Finn since many years ago and I enjoyed it very much.”

He laid down the gauntlet for next year when the Finn World Masters is being held at El Balis, near Barcelona. Asked if he would sail, he joked, “We have to. It’s at home, so we are obliged. I don’t know if we want to or not but we have to.” Referring to Blanco, “I hope we will both do it. In Barcelona we have a nice a group so perhaps we can do something together.”

Was he surprised with his success this weekend? “Yes, very much. It’s a completely different boat to the boat I was sailing many years ago. But I felt very good, fast, not so hard, easier downwind and I enjoyed it very much.”

The event was also proof of the ever-growing Spanish fleet. Overall winner, Fernandez-Vasco said, “I am happy because this is a regatta for the Spanish circuit, and with 32 boats it is the result of good work by the National Secretary before me, Victor Serrano, who was working so hard to build the fleet to more than 40 boats. In particular, the Masters fleet is so important to build the youth and the senior fleets.”

On winning the weekend, “I am so happy because I am sentimental and yesterday with Joaquín’s recognition for his Gold Cup win, 40 years ago, it was such a happy moment for us and to win this regatta 40 years later with Josele Doreste and Alex Muscat, one of the best sailors in Spain, is so nice for me, especially ahead the Spanish Championship in two months.”

“I want to thank the International Finn Association for coming here and supporting this event, and showing that this regatta was important.”

At the prizegiving everyone received a prize, from first to last, proving once again that if you sail a Finn, everyone is a winner.

Final results
1 ESP 161 Miguel Fernandez Vasco 5
2 ESP 7 Alejandro Muscat 5
3 AUS 22 Paul Mckenzie 10
4 ESP 111 Jose Luis Doreste Blanco 14
5 FRA 49 Dorian Gachon 18
6 ESP 117 Carlos Ordóñez Sánchez 18
7 ESP 1 Joaquin Blanco 19
8 ESP 86 Francisco Castañer 27
9 ESP 337 Miguel Ángel Cabrerizo Morales 29
10 ESP 11 Miquel Alvarez Valls 36