Entry open for 2025 Open Finn European Championship in Naples
by Robert Deaves 5 Dec 2024 22:21 AEDT
5-12 April 2025
2023 Italian Championship in Naples © Lupinacci Photography
Naples has a special place in Finn Class history, so it is with great pleasure that the fleet will return there in 2025 for the Open European Championship, the first major international Finn event in the city for 58 years, and the third time it has hosted the championship.
The Notice of Race has been published and entry has opened for the 2025 Open Finn Europeans, which incorporates the U29 European Championship as well as the Masters Europeans titles. It will be the first time the class has held racing for the new U29 category.
It will be a truly awesome start to what is lining up to be an incredible 2025 season for the class.
Entry is open here
Back in 1960, Naples was the location for Paul Elvstrøm winning his third Olympic Gold Medal in the class. The last time the Finn class had a major championship in Naples was in 1967, when the likes of Willy Kuhweide, Hubert Raudaschl and Valentin Mankin fought it out on Naples Bay, though they were all beaten by the wile of Arnold van Grünewaldt, from Sweden, who led from the second race.
Ten years earlier in 1957, class legend, André Nelis, from Belgium, won the 1957 European Championship in Naples. Back then it was the IYRU European Championship and was only the second European Championship for the Finn. This was a competition between nations with one boat per nation and was limited to 12 entries with supplied boats.
The President of the host club, Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia, Roberto Mottola, offered a warm welcome to the fleet.
"The Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia is very proud to organise the 2025 Finn Europeans in Naples. We are also very happy to be again in Rotonda Diaz, a venue always much appreciated by the teams during the past events, such as the Campionato Italiano Classi Olimpiche on the 2015 and the other regattas for 29er or 420.
"The patronage of the Comune di Napoli gives us the opportunity of being in a beautiful central area of Naples and the collaboration with the Reale Yacht Club Canottieri Savoia, the Club Nautico della Vela and the Tennis Club Napoli will make the 2025 Open European Championship a great event."
Italy's Alessandro Marega is the current holder of the Open European title, for the Rickard Sarby Trophy. The Italian fleet are gearing up for what looks like being a great event to commence the season and looking forward to welcoming sailors from across Europe, and the World, for a week of spectacular racing in Naples.
The 2025 Finn Open Europeans takes place between 5-12 April, with a 10-race series over five days.
The event website is here: 2025finneuropeans.org with more information also on the Finn Class page here.