Sixty years of heritage and heroes at the Finn Gold Cup

by Robert Deaves on 5 May 2016

2015 Finn Gold Cup, Takapuna Robert Deaves/Finn Class http://www.finnclass.org

2016 Finn Gold Cup - Sixty years ago the inspiration of two men set in motion the beginnings of a pinnacle sailing event, the enormous challenge of which has transcended generations and remains to this day one of the most coveted trophies to win in the sport of sailing.

The Finn Gold Cup was offered to the Finn class by Frederick G. 'Tiny' Mitchell of the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club in Burnham-on-Crouch in the UK on the suggestion of Vernon Stratton, a later President of the International Finn Association and also winner of the Finn Gold Cup in 1960. Neither man could have envisaged that this diminutive trophy would have such a high stature and still be hotly contested by the world’s best young sailors six decades later.

The first event was in fact sailed at Burnham-on-Crouch and won by André Nelis (BEL), with the great Paul Elvstrøm (DEN) beaten into second.

Over the past sixty years the Finn Gold Cup has been a beacon for supreme accomplishment in the sport of sailing, and one of its incontrovertible assets has been its inclusiveness. It is controlled by a Deed of Gift, which states the objective is to bring the maximum feasible number of young sailors from as many countries as possible for a week of racing.

Each year, young Finn sailors race against old Finn sailors. The highly experienced Finn sailors compete against the novices. It is part of the journey and tradition of the Finn class that Olympic medallists are able to line up alongside starry-eyed youngsters and compete on an even footing.

To compete in a Finn Gold Cup is to compete against some of the best sailors in the world. It is an education and a privilege.

The Cup, which was replaced in 1975 after the original was lost in an air crash in 1973, along with the holder, Jorg Bruder of Brazil, on his way to defend his title in France, has been presented every year except one when it was withdrawn for political reasons.

2016 Finn Gold Cup © Robert Deaves

Over the years the Finn Gold Cup has been held in most corners of the world, helping to develop and encourage local fleets: Rio, Moscow, Bermuda, Tallinn, Toronto, Long Beach, Auckland, Mexico have all witnessed the Finn Gold Cup, taking sailors to places that the normal regatta circuit often doesn't touch.

In 2016 for the 60th Finn Gold Cup the class returns to Italy for the first time in 27 years. Gaeta will be the fourth time the championship has been sailed in Italy after Anzio (1972 and 1984) and Alassio (1989). It might also be interesting to learn that Italy has only ever medalled twice in the Finn Gold Cup. Adelchi Pelaschier won bronze in 1958 and Luca Devoti won silver in 1997.

No conversation about the Finn Gold Cup would be complete without mentioning some of the many legends that have looked the ultimate challenge square in the eye, and taken their place in sailing heritage.

The most successful sailor in the Finn Gold Cup was Ben Ainslie (GBR), who won the Cup six times between 2002 and 2012, including an unbeaten four-year run. Fredrik Lööf (SWE) won three times and also picked up three silver and bronze. His medal tally is only matched by Nelis who won twice, has three silver and two bronze medals.

Jorg Bruder (BRA) picked up six medals, and his three consecutive wins remained unbeaten until Ainslie won his fourth title in Moscow in 2005. Giles Scott (GBR) also has three wins as well as a bronze to his name and is the only three-time winner still sailing. Lasse Hjortnæs (DEN) won three times and was twice runner up, while Willi Kuhweide (GER) also won three titles.

Of the other current sailors Ed Wright (GBR) has picked up five medals, including a title win in 2010, while Jonas Høgh-Christensen (DEN) has four medals including two titles.

By the end of next week there will be one more hero on the famous Cup.

The 60th Finn Gold Cup begins on Thursday 5 May. Racing begins on Sunday 8 May with a 10 race opening series before the final race and medal race on Friday 13 May.

Finn Gold Cup Results 1956 to present

	Venue	Entries	Nations	Gold	Silver	Bronze
1956	Burnham, UK			Andre Nelis, B	P. Elvstrom, D	B. Roswell, K.
1957	Karlstad, Sweden			J. Vogler DDR	H. Eriksen, N	A. Nelis,B.
1958	Zeebrugge, Belgium			P. Elvstrom, D	A. Nelis, B	A. Pelaschier, I.
1959	Hellerup, Denmark			P. Elvstrom, D	A. Nelis, B	P. Poullain, F.
1960	Torquay, UK			V. Stratton, UK	A. Nelis, B	D. Stratton, UK.
1961	Travemunde, Germany			A. Nelis, B	H. Fogh, D	F. Miller, US.
1962	Tonsberg, Norway			A. Akerson, S	B. Jacobsson, S	A. Nelis, B.
1963	Medemblik, Holland			W. Kuhweide, G	B. Jacobsson, S	H. Willems, H.
1964	Torquay, UK			H. Raudaschl, OE	H. Kellner, S	R. Creagh-Osborne, K.
1965	Gdynia, Poland			J. Mier, DDR	B. Dehmel, DDR	R. Hart, UK.
1966	La Baule, France			W. Kuhweide, G	J. Bruder, BL	B. Straubinger, G.
1967	Hanko, Finland			W. Kuhweide, G	V. Mankin, SR	U. Mares, G.
1968	Whitstable, UK			H. Wind, D	U. Mares, G	J. Bruder, BL.
1969	Hamilton, Bermuda			T. Lundquist, S	J. Bruder, BL	P. Barrett, USA.
1970	Cascais, Portugal			J. Bruder, BL	H. Sprague, USA	B. Andre, USA.
1971	Toronto, Canada			J. Bruder, BL	C. van Duyne, USA	S. Maury, F.
1972	Anzio, Italy			J. Bruder, BL	J. Bertrand, AUS	L. Gustafsson, S.
1973	Brest, France			S. Maury, F	M. Olin, S	G. Liljegren, S.
1974	Long Beach, USA			H. Sprague, USA	G. Liljegren, S	K. Carlsson, S.
1975	Malmo, Sweden			M. Olin, S	B. Binkhorst, H	J. Farmer, KZ.
1976	Brisbane, Australia			C. Law, UK	J. Farmer, KZ	J. Bertrand, AUS.
1977	Palamos, Spain (World Week)			J. Blanco, E	J. Doreste, E	C. Biekarck, BL.
1978	Manzanillo, Mexico			J. Bertrand, USA	J. Blanco, E	C. Buchan, USA.
1979	Weymouth, UK			C. Lewis, USA	J. Bertrand, USA	M. Neeleman, H.
1980	Auckland, New Zealand			C. Lewis, USA	J. Bertrand, USA	L. Lemieux, CAN.
1981	Gromitz, Germany			W. Gerz, G	L. Hjortnaes, D	M. Rychcik, PZ.
1982	Medemblik, Holland			L. Hjortnaes, D	H. Blaszka, PZ	B. Reynolds, USA.
1983	Milwaukee, USA			P. van Cleve, USA	W. Gerz, G	M. Neeleman, H.
1984	Anzio, Italy			L. Hjortnaes, D	T. Neilson, KC	J. Lindhardtsen, D.
1985	Marstrand, Sweden			L. Hjortnaes, D	O. Khoperski, SR	I. Bengtsson, S.
1986	El Arenal, Spain			S. Westergaard, D	B. Ledbetter, USA	J. Doreste, E.
1987	Kiel, Germany			J. Doreste, E	L. Hjortnaes, D	B. Ledbetter, USA.
1988	Ilha Bela, Brazil			T. Schmid, G	R. Heiner, H	G. Anderson, CAN.
1989	Alassio, Italy			Stig. Westergaard, D	Eric Mergenthaler, MX	Oleg Khoperski, SR.
1990	Porto Carras, Greece			H. Lammens, CAN	L. Lemieux CAN	E. Mergenthaler, MX.
1991	Kingston, Canada			H. Lammens, CAN	B. Ledbetter, USA	O. Khoperski, SR.
1992	Cadiz, Spain			E. Mergenthaler, MX	G. Bourke, AUS	H. Spitzauer, OE.
1993	Bangor, N. Ireland			Philippe Presti, F	Fredrik Loof, S	Richard Clarke, CAN.
1994	Parnu, Estonia			Fredrik Loof, S	Hank Lammens, CAN	JoseMaria. van d.der Ploeg, E.
1995	Melbourne, Australia			Hans Spitzauer, AUT	Fredrik Loof, SWE	Philippe Presti, FRA
1996	La Rochelle, France			Philippe Presti, FRA	Hans Spitzauer, AUT	Fredrik Loof, SWE
1997	Gdansk, Poland			Fredrik Loof, SWE	Luca Devoti, ITA	Xavier Rohart, FRA
1998	Athens, Greece			Mateusz Kusznierewicz, POL	Fredrik Loof, SWE	Xavier Rohart, FRA
1999	Melbourne, Australia			Fredrik Loof, SWE	Mateusz Kusznierewicz, POL	Richard Clarke, CAN
2000	Weymouth, Great Britain			Mateusz Kusznierewicz, POL	Sebastien Godefroid, BEL	Emilios Papathanasiou, GRE
2001	Marblehead, USA			Sebastien Godefroid, BEL	Mateusz Kusznierewicz, POL	Emilios Papathanasiou, GRE
2002	Athens, Greece			Ben Ainslie, GBR	Mateusz Kusznierewicz, POL	Emilios Papathanasiou, GRE
2003	Cadiz, Spain			Ben Ainslie, GBR	Rafael Trujillo, ESP	Andrew Simpson, GBR
2004	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil			Ben Ainslie, GBR	Richard Clarke, CAN	David Burrows, IRL
2005	Moscow, Russia			Ben Ainslie GBR	Emilios Papathanasiou GRE	Chris Cook CAN
2006	Split, Croatia			Jonas Hoegh-Christensen, DEN	Emilios Papathanasiou, GRE	Edward Wright, GBR
2007	Cascais, Portugal			Rafael Trujillo, ESP	Pieter Jan Postma, NED	Gasper Vincec, SLO
2008	Melbourne, Australia			Ben Ainslie, GBR	Dan Slater, NZL	Jonas-Hoegh-Christensen, DEN
2009	Vallensbaek, Denmark			Jonas Hoegh-Christensen, DEN	Zach Railey, USA	Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic, CRO
2010	San Francisco, USA			Edward Wright, GBR	Rafael Trujillo, ESP	Giles Scott, GBR
2011	Perth, Australia			Giles Scott, GBR	Pieter Jan Postma, NED	Ed Wright, GBR
2012	Falmouth, UK			Ben Ainslie, GBR	Ed Wright, GBR	Jonas Hoegh-Christensen, DEN
2013	Tallinn, Estonia	85	30	Jorge Zarif, BRA	Ed Wright, GBR	Pieter-Jan Postma, NED
2014	Santander, Spain	78	32	Giles Scott, GBR	Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic, CRO	Ed Wright, GBR
2015	Takapuna, New Zealand	75	31	Giles Scott, GBR	Jonathan Lobert, FRA	Vasiliy Zbogar, SLO
2016	Gaeta, Italy