Please select your home edition
Edition
A+T Instruments BFD 2024 Leaderboard

2024 Finn Gold Cup at Sailing Aarhus - Day 3

by Robert Deaves 5 Sep 2024 21:17 PDT 31 August - 7 September 2024

Oskari Muhonen storms into the lead

The Finn Gold Cup is not for the feint hearted. The third day of the 2024 Finn Gold Cup in Aarhus was a hard, long and challenging day for everyone. After three more races, Finland's Oskari Muhonen has an eight-point lead over Italy's Alessandro Marega, with Valérian Lebrun, from France in third.

The first race was won by Spain's Miguel Fernández Vasco, while Muhonen won the next two by huge margins. There are 104 Finns from 20 nations competing in Aarhus for the 2024 Finn Gold Cup.

The wind was forecast to returned to Aarhus on Day 3 after Wednesday was lost with no races sailed. However, despite a forecast of 12-18 knots, it took a while to come. The first race was sailed in a dying breeze and was a tortuous race for some, and then after a long wait, the wind finally arrived for two great races in 10-15 knots.

Race 2 of the championship was started in 7-8 knots but the wind died in the middle of the course though was still there on the corners, but those who banked on the middle or right corner suffered and rounded a long way back.

Race winner Fernández Vasco said, "I started deep midline and kept going left where I saw more pressure. I ducked everyone until I was further left than anyone else and still kept going past the lay line."

He rounded first from Italy's Marko Kolic and Muhonen and extended on the first lap before Muhonen closed the gap on the final downwind and they finished just metres apart.

Fernández Vasco added, "This is my first ever Gold Cup race win after two second places in Miami last year."

After a long wait the second race got under way in a new breeze from the east at 10-15 knots. Portugal's Filipe Silva led at the top, with Muhonen in fourth, but Muhonen was soon in the lead and extended for a huge win from Hungary's Domonkos Nemeth and Marega.

The final race started just after 17.00. This time Muhonen led round and stretched out another huge lead from Marega and Kolic. At the end of the race the wind died again, leaving a long sail back to the harbour, where the championship dinner was awaiting the exhausted sailors. They had been on the water for nine hours.

Marega said,"The wind was really good today and the day has been generally good as well, but we have been sailing for nine hours in the water and we are all very tired. For me it was a really good day, and I think I am sitting in second. Let's see for tomorrow."

The forecast for the final two days is still looking good, but so far the forecasts have not been particularly accurate, but the championship is back on track and heading for a fitting showdown.

Muhonen commented, "The first race was a bit trickier, with lighter winds, but the last ones were really nice with decent winds and free pumping. It was nice to be back pumping. Today was pretty long, but the sailing was really nice. We are going to have pretty similar conditions tomorrow, but the forecast hasn't been that precise these days. We'll see."

On Friday, three more races are scheduled from 11.00. The 2024 Finn Gold Cup concludes on Saturday.

Results after Day 3: (top ten, 4 races)

1 FIN 8 Oskari MUHONEN 7pts
2 ITA 1103 Alessandro MAREGA 15pts
3 FRA 111 Valérian LEBRUN 23pts
4 GBR 5 Cameron TWEEDLE 36pts
5 NOR 5 Lars Johan BRODTKORB 39pts
6 ESP 161 Miguel FERNÁNDEZ VASCO 49pts
7 POR 21 Filipe SILVA 55pts
8 FRA 75 Laurent HAY 63pts
9 NED 148 Peter PEET 64pts
10 HUN 80 (U23) Domonkos NÉMETH 73pts

Related Articles

2025 Finn Gold Cup in Cascais overall
Deniss Karpak becomes the first ever Estonian winner Today in Cascais, Portugal, Deniss Karpak became the first ever Estonian winner of the Finn Gold Cup, after no more races were possible on the final day, Saturday. Posted on 6 Sep
2025 Finn Gold Cup in Cascais day 4
Deniss Karpak extends his lead with one day to go Deniss Karpak has extended his lead to 17 points at the 2025 Finn Gold Cup in Cascais, with a 3, 1. He was only bettered by defending champion Oskari Muhonen, from Finland, now in third, who scored a 1,2. Italy's Arkadii Kistanov is in 2nd after a 2,5. Posted on 5 Sep
2025 Finn Gold Cup in Cascais day 3
Muhonen dominates third day but Karpak leads again Deniss Karpak from Estonia is the back in the lead at the 2025 Finn Gold Cup after three windy races were completed in Cascais, Portugal on Thursday. The race wins went to Oskari Muhonen, from Finland and Karpak. Posted on 4 Sep
2025 Finn Gold Cup in Cascais day 2
Laurent Hay leads Finn Gold Cup after second day of light winds in Cascais Laurent Hay, from France, is the new leader at the 2025 Finn Gold Cup after two more races were completed in Cascais, Portugal, on Wednesday. Posted on 4 Sep
2025 Finn Gold Cup in Cascais day 1
Deniss Karpak wins the only race of the day Two-time Finn class Olympian Deniss Karpak from Estonia is leading the 2025 Finn Gold Cup, after winning the only race on the opening day in Cascais, Portugal. Posted on 3 Sep
2025 Finn Gold Cup in Cascais Practice Race
Epic conditions heralds opening Cascais is turning out to be a Finn sailor's dream. Since the fleet arrived here, they have been treated to exceptional conditions, with solid winds, hot sunshine, warm air and huge waves. There is an air of epicness on the way in Cascais. Posted on 2 Sep
Finn Northern Championship at West Riding Preview
The Finn Top Dogs return to the club on 13th & 14th September The Finn Top Dogs Return! Hosted by Guy Cokill the Championship Open 2025 returns to the club on Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th September '25. Posted on 31 Aug
Legendary stories from the Finn Gold Cup
It has been 18 years since the event was last held in Cascais, Portugal It has been 18 years since the Finn Gold Cup was last held in Cascais, Portugal. In 2007, Spain's Rafa Trujillo clinched his only Finn Gold Cup win after a thrilling medal race off the beach following an epic week of racing. Posted on 30 Aug
Finn Gold Cup makes welcome returns to Cascais
Almost 90 entries from 20 nations are set for the event Fifty-five years ago, in 1970, the Finn Gold Cup was held in Cascais, Portugal. It remains to this day the largest ever Finn Gold Cup with 160 competitors from 34 nations. Posted on 26 Aug
Sailing's Lost Olympic Dream
Honouring the 1980 Yachting Team In an era where politics overshadowed sport, the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow became a defining moment of sacrifice for many Australian athletes, including the 12 sailors who were selected to represent their country but never got the chance to compete. Posted on 30 Jul
PredictWind - Wave Routing 728x90 BOTTOMSea Sure 2025Vaikobi Custom Teamwear