2019 Finn Gold Cup: Coming to Royal Brighton Yacht Club
by Mark Turnbull 5 Oct 2018 19:58 PDT
13-21 December 2019
Finn class - 2009 Sail Melbourne regatta ISAF Sailing World Cup © Jeff Crow / Sport the Library
Royal Brighton Yacht Club (RBYC), one of the premier yacht clubs on Victoria's Port Phillip Bay, will host the 2019 Finn Gold Cup from 13th to 21st December 2019.
RBYC working with Sail Melbourne and the Australian Finn Class Association with funding support from Visit Victoria and the Victorian State Government, has been able to secure this major sailing event for the State.
The Finn Class and the Finn Gold Cup is one of the most prestigious regattas on the world circuit being the World Championship for the Men's Heavyweight Olympic Dinghy. This will be only the sixth time it has been contested in Australia. Over its 63-year history many of sailing's greatest athletes have inscribed their names onto the Finn Gold Cup including; Paul Elvstrom (2), Wilhelm Kuhweide (3), Jorg Bruder (3), Ben Ainslie (6), Giles Scott (4). Closer to home RBYC's own honorary life member John Bertrand came 3rd in 1976 and the current Australian Sailing Team Finn coach Rafael Trujillo won in 2007, coming second in 2003 and 2010.
"Royal Brighton Yacht Club welcomes Finn sailors from around the world for the 2019 Finn Gold Cup. A club that vigorously promotes racing, our volunteers and facilities will come together to deliver this final Olympic Class World Championship before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to a world-class standard the whole of Victoria can be proud of." – Event Chair, Steve Ingram.
"From Geelong and the Bellarine, to Sandringham, Brighton and McCrae, the 2020 Summer of Sailing will bring thousands of sailing fans to Victoria, keeping our bars and restaurants full, boosting our visitor economy and creating jobs. The 2020 Summer of Sailing is yet another reason why Victoria continues to be recognised as the sports capital of Australia, introducing the bays and coastlines of our great state to the world." - Minister for Tourism and Major Events, John Eren.
RBYC has a great history hosting major sailing championship from the 1956 Olympic Games, numerous World Championships and is currently the host club for the annual Sail Melbourne International coming up this December. Having secured the 2019 Finn Gold Cup for Victoria, RBYC now looks forward to hosting some of the world's best sailors starting this summer and then over the summer of 2019 / 2020.
The 2019 Finn Gold Cup is a key regatta in the '2020 Sail Melbourne Summer of Sailing' and one of the crucial selection events leading into the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
More details and promotion for the 2019 Finn Gold Cup will follow shortly, says the club looking forward to delivering one of the iconic sailing events at one of greatest yacht clubs.