2015 Finn National Championship arrives in San Diego
by SDYC on 18 Sep 2015
2015 Finn National Championship SDYC
This weekend will bring cooler temperatures, sunny skies and 33 of the best Finn Class sailors in the nation. The 2015 Finn National Championship, hosted by the San Diego Yacht Club, will take place from Friday, Sept. 18 to Sunday, Sept. 20.
'We're no stranger to hosting championships and are very excited to have the Finns sailing out of San Diego again,' said Mike Dorgan, chairman of the regatta.
Though the Finn class has only been around for about three years in San Diego, it was first designed in 1949 and has since become the longest-running dinghy to compete at the Olympic level. This single-handed sailboat design is raced all around the world, and this year's national championship will bring in competitors from all over the United States and Canada.
The 33 participating skippers will race over three days on San Diego's infamous ocean venue: Coronado Roads. The Finn is considered by many to be the pinnacle of single-handed dinghy racing. Unlike many other classes, the Finn class has a unique rule that lowers the free pumping wind limit to 10kts, meaning that anytime wind speeds are higher than 10 kts, competitors have free reign to pump, rock and ouch the boat as much as they can to propel the boat downwind. This rule puts a significant emphasis on athleticism and makes the Finn class one of the most competitive in the sport.
Keep any eye out for Swedish sailor Bjorn Allansson, the ISAF World Ranked number one Finn sailor and a strong favorite to place at the Finn National Championship. Recently, Allansson won the PCCs, finishing first in all races. Another fleet favorite is long-time Finn sailor Henry Sprague, a previous Gold Cup winner.
Allansson, Sprauge and the rest of the 2015 National Championship fleet will begin racing at noon on Friday, September 18th.
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