Please select your home edition
Edition
Sydney Boat Show 2025 - Apply to Exhibit

10 days to go to the 2019 Finn Gold Cup

by Cora Zillich 5 Dec 2019 18:36 AEDT December 2019 - March 2020
Jake Lilley & Oliver Tweddell - 2019 Finn Gold Cup - World Championships © Jesus Renedo / Sailing Energy

The pressure will be on when the world's best Olympic Finn sailors start racing at the 2019 Finn Gold Cup - the World Championships of the Olympic Finn Class - in Melbourne in just over one week's time.

Seven months out from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, a battle of Olympic dimension is set to unfold on Melbourne's Port Phillip with Olympians, Olympic and World Champions and those who want to make their Olympic dreams a reality racing for world championship glory as well as Olympic selection out of Royal Brighton Yacht Club from Monday, 16 December 2020.

The Olympic Games is the ultimate goal in Olympic sailing and with only 19 countries to be represented at Tokyo 2020 in the Finn Class and only four country spots left, the battle will be tight.

The 2019 Finn Gold Cup will be the Oceania qualification event with Australia yet to secure their Olympic quota spot. However, with New Zealand already having qualified at last year's world championships this will be more of a formality.

But so much more will be at stake at the Finn Gold Cup with athlete selection far from decided yet in Australia as well as in many other of the 20 countries participating.

Australian Sailing Squad's Rio Olympian Jake Lilley (QLD) as well as Melbourne local Oliver Tweddell (VIC) are the current top ranked Australian sailors, who will face a tough challenge on home waters in order to convince selectors.

"Australian Sailing has very high standards to send sailors to the Olympic Games and we look at sailor performance at events like the Finn Gold Cup to see if they meet the standards to be part of the Olympic team," Australian Sailing Finn coach Rafael Trujillo explained.

"We want to see our sailors be amongst the top sailors at the events. The Finn Gold Cup is their opportunity to stake a claim for a place on our Olympic team. We are here to perform and to fight to have Australia at the Olympic Games," the four-time Olympian and Olympic silver medallist added about the task ahead.

"It will be a long race but Melbourne is a great opportunity and it's really exciting to be competing on our home waters. It's the best preparation possible for a world championship and our athletes will have more experience on the water here than anyone else. We have been working really well in training, now it's time to transfer that into racing and I hope this marks the point where we manage to do that."

Only Great Britain, the Netherlands and Sweden have already selected their Tokyo 2020 Finn sailors with 2016 Olympic champion and four-time world champion Giles Scott (GBR), World #2 and recent World Cup 1 winner in Japan Nicholas Heiner (NED) as well as former world champion, dual Olympian and 2012 Olympic champion Max Salminen (SWE) already having secured their ticket.

All three of them will also be competing in Melbourne highlighting the calibre of the field as well as the attractiveness of Melbourne as a sailing destination in preparation for the Olympic Games.

"The top level of the Finn class is here and given the level of the class, the biggest hurdle is to actually make it to the Olympic Games. Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Russia, Croatia, France, Finland and Czech Republic are all countries that will be racing here without having secured their Olympic spot yet. Most of them can make the top ten and they are here in Australia to prepare in the best way to qualify for their spots at (Sailing World Cup) Genoa."

With world championship glory, Olympic quota spots, team trials as well as Olympic preparation at stake, sailors are expected to race their hearts out when the world championship starts at Royal Brighton Yacht Club on Monday, 16 December 2019.

"Racing in the Finn is so high level with so many good sailors in one fleet and 70 minutes of pain each day with two races over six days. The Finn class represents all the values of the Olympic spirit, with our sailors representing some of the fittest athletes in the sport of sailing and it will be a top challenge to race in this bay. We hardly have a top limit of wind speed and Melbourne in summer is normally quite windy in the afternoon which will make for a great spectacle to watch," Trujillo said.

"You will see the best of our sport in the best sailing conditions. The 20 best countries are here and all the top sailors. The sea breeze here in Melbourne with its big wave is similar to what we are expecting in the wind range at the Tokyo 2020 Games and should we also get some hot weather this will be a good test base for everyone who is preparing for Japan. That's why everyone is here, even all the countries that have not yet secured an Olympic spot."

The 2019 Finn Gold Cup kicks off a series of Olympic class world championships on Port Phillip over the Melbourne Summer of Sailing 2020 with Royal Brighton Yacht Club also hosting the 2020 Sail Melbourne International Regatta.

"Royal Brighton Club treats us so well that the Finn sailors have a really high-quality environment for training, including the gym and the amazing restaurant. Plus Melbourne also gives the athletes the opportunity to enjoy and have a great time over the long time they are here with a lot of the internationals as well as us training and racing also at Sail Melbourne in January and with some of them staying until the end of February."

The 2019 Finn Gold Cup will start with an Opening Ceremony on Friday 13 December 2019 before racing starts on Monday, 16 December 2019. The final race and medal race is schedule for Saturday, 21 December 2019.

For more information visit 2019.finngoldcup.org and www.summerofsailing.org.au

Related Articles

Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy 2025 Preview
International sailing & ocean conservation unite in Cascais From July 4 to 6, Cascais hosts the biggest sailing regatta of the year with a strong focus on sustainability. The Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy celebrates six years of diversity, competition, and environmental commitment. Posted on 30 Jun
Finn World Masters in Medemblik overall
'Incredible' Finn World Masters closes after epic week Pieter-Jan Postma, from The Netherlands, has won his second Finn World Masters title as the 2025 Finn World Masters drew to a close in Medemblik on Friday, after having won the title on Thursday with a day to spare. Posted on 20 Jun
Finn World Masters in Medemblik day 4
Pieter-Jan Postma wins after bizarre penultimate day The penultimate day of the Finn World Masters in Medemblik threw a curveball at the fleet with very light and tricky winds, some high scores, complex racing, protests and unfinished races. Posted on 20 Jun
Finn World Masters in Medemblik day 3
Pieter-Jan Postma continues to lead after 5 races Pieter-Jan Postma, from The Netherlands, continues to dominate the Finn World Masters in Medemblik, The Netherlands, after a fifth race was sailed on Wednesday in a north-westerly breeze building from 8-12 knots during the afternoon. Posted on 18 Jun
Finn World Masters in Medemblik Day 2
Pieter-Jan Postma leads after the second day of racing in The Netherlands Pieter-Jan Postma, from The Netherlands, is leading the fleet of 307 Finns from 27 countries after everyone sailed two more races at the 2025 Finn World Masters in Medemblik. France's Laurent Hay is second with Germany's Fabian Lemmel in third. Posted on 17 Jun
Finn World Masters in Medemblik Day 1
Eight races over two course areas in four groups with four different winners Racing at the 2025 Finn World Masters began in Medemblik, The Netherlands, on Monday with eight races over two course areas in four groups. Posted on 16 Jun
Finn World Masters opens in Medemblik
A bumper entry of 307 helms in The Netherlands The 2025 Finn World Masters has been opened in Medemblik, The Netherlands, on Sunday evening. It is the third time the Dutch Finn class has endeavoured to run the Finn World Masters, with two previous attempts cancelled by the pandemic. Posted on 15 Jun
Finn Southern Area Championship at Christchurch
With the Oscar flag flying to signify free pumping Christchurch Sailing Club welcomed 19 Finn sailors to the Finn Southern Area Championships held over a very sunny and windy weekend 31 May/1 June 2025. The event was shared with the Hadron H2 Class who also appeared to thoroughly enjoy the event. Posted on 3 Jun
Singlehanded Regatta at Hayling Island
Finns, Europes and Solos don't let the forecast put them off a glorious weekend Day one Charlie Bradshaw held the fleets on shore for an hour on Saturday morning, a fair amount of hope but an early strong easterly can have a detrimental effect on a sea breeze here so there was certainly a little trepidation in the fleet. Posted on 26 May
Enter now for Chichester Harbour Race Week
Last year nearly 600 competitors in 383 boats attended Book your place at the biggest dinghy and keelboat regatta in the UK! With the website open, you can now reserve your place in this year's 'must attend' event. Starting on Monday 11th August, ending on 15th. Posted on 24 May
X-Yachts X4.0RS Sailing 2021 - FOOTERRooster 2025