Finn Inland Championships 2011

by Roadford Lake Sailing Club on 20 Apr 2011 UK Finn Inland Championships 2011 were hosted by Roadford Lake Sailing Club on the Devon/Cornwall border.

The JM Finn Gold Cup Qualifier series got off to a fantastic start with over 30 boats competing for the Inland Championships. The weekend started with a frustrating wait for the wind to fill in, which gave plenty of time for last minute tweaking and a chance to enjoy the pasties provided for the event by the Proper Cornish Pasty Company.

The wind eventually picked up enough to justify launching and the fleet made its way out onto the Lake for the first of four back to back races. Race Officer Chris Arscott had threatened to use the black flag if the fleet misbehaved at the start and so it was that the first race suffered what was to be the only general recall of the event.

The fleet had a short wait on the Sunday morning for the wind, but it came and with it the sunshine to provide a perfect day for squeezing in five back to back races. The increased wind meant that the crowded start line and buoy roundings became increasingly 'competitive' but largely good-natured.

At the front of the fleet, consistency was key with the top boats looking to discard any non top 10 results. At the other end of the fleet six classic Finns competed, although several decided to sail with modern rigs to see how they compared to the 'modern' boats. Eventual Classic Boat winner John Barnes (sailing with an aluminium mast and Dacron sail) showed what was possible, regularly finishing in the mid teens.

John Greenwood eventually emerged from a close battle with Harry Briddon and Alan Burrell to be crowned Inland Champion, with Andi Wyer the best placed RLSC boat.

The UK Finn Association presented Graham Brookes (on behalf of RLSC) with a commemorative half model of a Finn in recognition of the effort he and his team put in to run another highly successful championship. Roadford Lake Sailing Club British Finn Association website