Please select your home edition
Edition
Exposure Marine

2022 Finn Gold Cup at Fraglia Vela Malcesine - Day 3

by Robert Deaves 19 May 2022 12:53 PDT 15-21 May 2022

After three very different races, Finland's Oskari Muhonen has taken the lead at the 2022 Finn Gold Cup at Fraglia Vela Malcesine on Lake Garda, Italy. He won two more races to take a three point lead from Pieter-Jan Postma, from The Netherlands. Austria's Florian Raudaschl won the second race and moves up to third overall. Four races remain.

After losing the first day with no wind, the event is back on schedule. But still the conditions defy the local weather-lore with a long wait for racing to begin on Thursday. In the end the first race was started in 6-7 knots and at the top mark, there were some big holes. Most of the leaders survived, but a few had some deep results.

The second race was sailed in slightly more breeze, though it started to build significantly on the final downwind, setting up a great third race in 12-14 knots.

Otto Strandvig, from Denmark, led at the top in Race 4, but the race was a fight between France's Laurent Hay and Muhonen. Hay led at the downwind and at the second top mark, but Muhonen got past in a last few hundred metres before the final gate to take the race win.

Muhonen then led round the top in Race 5, but Raudaschl had other ideas, finding more pressure on the right, and was in the lead at the gate and led round the remaining marks to take the race win from Postma and Miguel Fernandez Vasco, from Spain.

With the breeze up, there were some new faces at the front but Muhonen used his downwind speed to take the lead by the gate and extend away to win from Domonkos Nemeth, from Hungary, who has a clear lead in the Finn Silver Cup for the U23 World Championship, and Postma.

Raudaschl commented, "I think the racing was great today. The race committee kept us waiting but the l think they knew why they kept us waiting. The day started difficult but I managed to have three races which were OK."

His expectation here, "To be honest nothing. It was just a holiday here for me and of course I went to the gym again, put on some weight, but I see it as a holiday and I really enoy it. It's good fun."

He is always drawn back to the Finn, "I have sailed so many different classes, but I was never really happy and in the Finn it's so hard, and the hiking is so hard but at the end of the day you did something and really worked your way, and that keeps you happy I guess."

Three time Silver Cup winner Muhonen has now won three races this week in all conditions and looks comfortable.

"Today we started off with a weak breeze and it was pretty tricky for the first two races. Then afterwards the breeze built in and the third race was really good. I had a pretty decent day. I won the first one, and then it got tricky on the second. I was fifth and then managed to win the third one as well.

"The week has been pretty good so far. Yesterday was all right, some good points and solid finishes, but still four races to so it's going to be pretty tight with me and PJ, and we'll see how we end up."

Why is he back? "During the winter I started an Olympic campaign in the 49er, but now I am looking for a new crew and I had some free time and I still had my Finn, so I decided to come here. And it's been really fun to be back and racing, and really tight racing, so I am really happy I decided to come here. After this, I will probably sail some Finn back in Finland at least, but we'll see about that."

Racing continues until Saturday with two more races scheduled for Friday.

Results after Day 3: (top ten, 6 races)

1 FIN 8 Oskari Muhonen 12pts
2 NED 842 Pieter-Jan Postma 15pts
3 AUT 3 Raudaschl Florian 25pts
4 HUN 80 Domonkos Németh 31pts
5 ITA 40 Marko Kolic 40pts
6 ITA 1071 Matteo Iovenitti 46pts
7 ESP 161 Miguel Fernandez Vasco 54pts
8 ITA 115 Roberto Strappati 59pts
9 NED 148 Peter Peet 60pts
10 FRA 75 Hay Laurent 62pts

Full results here...

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
Henri-Lloyd Dynamic RangeHyde Sails 2024 - One DesignBarton Marine Pipe Glands