Building of Finn dinghies in 1952.

The Finn dinghy is a single-handed, cat-rigged sailboat, and a former Olympic class for men's sailing. Since its debut at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, the Finn featured in every summer Olympics until 2020, making it the longest serving dinghy in the Olympic Regatta and one of the most prolific Olympic sailboats,. The Finn is a physically demanding boat to race at the highest levels, especially since the class rules now allow unlimited boat rocking and sail pumping when the wind is above 10 knots. The event did not feature on the Olympic programme from 2024.

Design

Finn dinghies
Finn dinghy

The Finn was designed by Swedish canoe designer, Rickard Sarby, in 1949 for the Helsinki Olympics.

in 1952 the hulls were built of timber and the sails were of cotton. Initially there was little understanding of the role of a mast which could bend to reduce power. However over time the Finn sailors learned how to plane timber off the front of their masts for heavy winds and to glue on strips of timber on the front of the masts for lighter winds.

Although the Finn hull has changed little since then, there have been developments to the rig. The original spars were made of wood until the late 1960s and early 1970s, when there was a gradual change to aluminum masts. Aluminum masts are significantly more flexible and allow more control over sail shape, and became commonplace after the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich when they were first supplied to Olympic sailors. More recently, carbon fiber masts have become commonplace in competition Finns.

The sails, too, have evolved and are now commonly made of various laminates such as Technora, polyester, and Kevlar.

The class rules are overseen by the International Finn Association.

Events

Olympic Games

GamesvteGoldSilverBronze
1952 Helsinki details - OpenPaul Elvstrøm DenmarkCharles Currey Great BritainRickard Sarby Sweden
1956 Melbourne details - OpenPaul Elvstrøm DenmarkAndré Nelis BelgiumJohn Marvin United States
1960 Rome details - OpenPaul Elvstrøm DenmarkAleksander Tšutšelov Soviet UnionAndré Nelis Belgium
1964 Tokyo details - OpenWilhelm Kuhweide United Team of GermanyPeter Barrett United StatesHenning Wind Denmark
1968 Mexico City details - OpenValentin Mankin Soviet UnionHubert Raudaschl AustriaFabio Albarelli Italy
1972 Munich details - OpenSerge Maury FranceIlias Hatzipavlis GreeceViktor Potapov Soviet Union
1976 Montreal details - OpenJochen Schümann East GermanyAndrei Balashov Soviet UnionJohn Bertrand Australia
1980 Moscow details - OpenEsko Rechardt FinlandWolfgang Mayrhofer AustriaAndrei Balashov Soviet Union
1984 Los Angeles details - OpenRussell Coutts New ZealandJohn Bertrand United StatesTerry Neilson Canada
1988 Seoul details - MaleJosé Doreste SpainPeter Holmberg Virgin IslandsJohn Cutler New Zealand
1992 Barcelona details - MaleJosé van der Ploeg SpainBrian Ledbetter United StatesCraig Monk New Zealand
1996 Atlanta details - MaleMateusz Kusznierewicz PolandSebastien Godefroid BelgiumRoy Heiner Netherlands
2000 Sydney details - MaleIain Percy Great BritainLuca Devoti ItalyFredrik Lööf Sweden
2004 Athens details - MaleBen Ainslie Great BritainRafael Trujillo SpainMateusz Kusznierewicz Poland
2008 Beijing details - OpenBen Ainslie Great BritainZach Railey United StatesGuillaume Florent France
2012 London details - MaleBen Ainslie Great BritainJonas Høgh-Christensen DenmarkJonathan Lobert France
2016 Rio de Janeiro details - MaleGiles Scott Great BritainVasilij Žbogar SloveniaCaleb Paine United States
2020 Tokyo details - MaleGiles Scott Great BritainZsombor Berecz HungaryJoan Cardona Méndez Spain

World Championships

The following league combined table of medalist is below

RankingSailorGoldSilverBronzeTotalNo. Entries
1Michal Maier (CZE)611837
2Ben Ainslie (GBR)60067
3Lawrence Lemieux (CAN)5321024
4Giles Scott (GBR)501610
5Fredrik Lööf (SWE)331711
5Jörg Bruder (BRA)32168
5Lasse Hjortnäs (DEN)320513
7Georg Oser (SUI)312612
8Vladimir Krutskikh (RUS)31049
9Andre Mevel (FRA)30256
10Roland Balthasar (GER)300314
10Wilhelm Kuhweide (EUA)30037
11André Nelis (BEL)23278
12Mateusz Kusznierewicz (POL)230510
13Pieter-Jan Postma (NED)223715
13Edward Wright (GBR)223716
15Wolfgang Gerz (FRG)222613
16Jonas Høgh-Christensen (DEN)212514
17José Luis Doreste (ESP)21144
18Paul Elvström (DEN)21034
18Hank Lammens (CAN)21037
19Philippe Presti (FRA)20136
20Cam Lewis (USA)20023
20Stig Westergaard (DEN)20027

Continental Championships

External links