Light plastic yacht “Finn. Finn class International yacht classes

Here, WhatThey say « Finnists»:

Jonas Hoch Christensen (Denmark), World Champion2006, 2009:“I love Finn, she is the most fun, challenging and challenging boat for athletic sailors looking for competition and a serious challenge.”

Giorgio Poggi (Italy)GiorgioPoggi (ITA), participant of the 2008 Olympics:“Finn is a class where a yachtsman must be able to do everything.”

Zach Riley (USA), 2008 Olympic silver medalist: "The Finn is my only opportunity to realize my Olympic dreams, given my height and weight. The boat is technically and physically demanding and is a pure test of an athlete's ability to respond to changing conditions under intense physical stress."

Rob McMillan (Australia):“There is no other boat like it. Being able to use the pump brought a new level of athleticism and it works uniquely for Finn.”

Daniel Birgmark (Sweden) , 4th at the 2008 Olympics: “Racing on the Olympic Finn looks the most attractive today due to the fact that it requires athletes to have both athletic ability and tactical and strategic skill in sailing. This is wonderful sports equipment for those who weigh more than 85 kg.”

Tomas Vika (Czech Republic), junior: If your height is more than 180 cm and you want to develop your physical condition, then you will always exceed the weight of 85 kg. And that explains why Finn will stay in Olympic program in future.

Caleb Pine (USA), junior : "The Finn is the best class of yacht I've ever sailed. And it's the first class where I feel a huge sense of camaraderie. During my first international regatta, I got to know all the best Finns in the world personally because they are open, friendly and supportive of newcomers. I think this is a consequence of the main feature of the class - individuals should unite to train together, this allows for the building of friendships, in the interests of everyone, making everyone better."

Tapio Nikko (Finland), participant of the 2008 Olympics: "The Finn has been well developed over many years. Today we are in a situation where everything necessary (hull, mast, boom, rudder, centerboard) is manufactured to a very high quality and lasts for many years. Moreover, in a competitive market the price for all this is fair and there is the possibility of secondary sale. This is a very important factor for the implementation of the project of participation in the Olympic regatta for a small country with a small budget. The trends in the class are now such that they make it possible to maintain Finn as a class in which you can be among the world's top racers without having any. something like a super budget."

Ed Wright (Great Britain), World Champion 2010:"Well, for starters, it's just easy on the eye. And the cost is low. By the way, I'm still using my very first mast, and I'm the fastest on it even after 5 years... You can get small advantages everywhere, it's important to do it skillfully, with respect and diligence for the boat, maintaining a constantly high speed. The people in the class are wonderful people and wonderful athletes. Also, there is so much history of the class and sails in general, do not forget how many sailing legends came from the Finn class."

Gus Miller (USA), legend sailing : “This is a very powerful and demanding boat and you need to take a lot of initiative and behave the way you want to be treated. Everyone understands that the main challenge is in themselves, and not in other guys. And in understanding one old thought: “I love my opponent because he makes me better.” The guys who sail on Finn get enormous respect from all sides, because the difficulty of steering this yacht is unusually great. And if someone managed to cope with it, then the rest are happy for him, because he was able to do it!”

Single dinghy "Finn" designed in 1950 by Swedish amateur designer Richard Sarby and since 1952 replaced the outdated Olympic at Olympic regattas. In 1984 olympic medals were played in this class for the tenth time.

Basic data of the Finn dinghy
Maximum length, m	4,50
Length according to vertical line, m	4,05
Maximum width, m	1,51
Side height, m	0,45
Hull/centerboard draft, m	0,15/0,84
Weight, kg	145
Sail area, m²	10

Until 1962, Finns' hulls were constructed of wood with lath or shell veneer sheathing. After the International Sailing Union allowed the construction of plastic “Finns”, several companies immediately began manufacturing them. In the USSR, plastic “Finns” were manufactured by the Tallinn Experimental Shipyard for Sports Shipbuilding.

In particular, boats of this class for all participants in the 1980 Olympics were built in Tallinn.

The Finn is a pure racing boat, very sensitive to tuning, mast flexibility, sail cut, rider weight and position in the cockpit depending on course relative to the wind and its strength. The rounded contours of the hull with a fairly flat and wide bottom at the stern help plan the boat in a fresh wind.

Plastic “Finns” have a “double-breasted” hull design - with side air compartments that ensure unsinkability and ease of return to a position on an even keel in the event of a capsize. While moving, water that gets into the boat is removed using scuppers mounted in the bottom and working on the principle of an ejector - due to the vacuum that occurs behind the stern end of the device when it is lowered.

The mast is made of aluminum alloys or wood and is selected for flexibility depending on the weight of the helmsman. The vessel is equipped with devices for adjusting the position of the mast in the step, guys for adjusting the tension of the luff of the sail, etc.

Birth of an Olympic legend

Until 1948, Finn's predecessor as a single Olympic yacht was Olympic, which was a rather heavy vessel. Therefore, it was decided to create a more convenient replacement for it. Among the provided developments of an alternative to the Olympic, the project of Richard Sarby, an amateur designer who developed a canoe from. It was his “Feint”, later renamed “Finn”, that became the new version of the Olympic-class single yacht, which debuted at the 1952 Olympics.

Unlike the Olympic, the new yacht was lighter and had a significantly simplified design. The mast of yachts of this class was installed directly into the hull like a stick. Subsequently, the famous yachtsman Paul Elvström came up with a flexible design for such a mast, which made it possible to adjust the control of the sail even in strong winds. This was a real breakthrough, and it is thanks to this technology that modern Finn class boats can be adjusted to any wind force in the range from 2 to 50 knots.

Design Features

Finn class yachts are a strict monotype with characteristic rounded hull lines and an almost flat bottom. The standard length of this racing boat is 4.5 m with a beam of 1.5 m and a total sail area of 10.5 sq.m. At the same time, yachtsmen have many opportunities to achieve best results due to independent choice of sail shape, mast flexibility and adjustment of the yacht to different weather conditions.

If the original hull of the Finn has changed little over the half-century of its existence, the materials used have evolved significantly. The first step towards innovative solutions in the design of Finns was taken in 1961, when changes to the rules appeared, allowing a free choice of materials for construction.

In 1962, fiberglass replaced the wood used to create the hull. Subsequently, innovations in the Finns affected the mast and sails. Modern ones of this class are typically equipped with carbon fiber masts and Kevlar (originally cotton) sails. Half a century of technical improvements have not been in vain: racing yachts of this class have excellent tactical capabilities for single yachtsmen and have not yet left the water arena of the Olympic Games.

Among the Olympic-class yachts, Finn is considered one of the most budget-friendly, especially considering the nuance that the purchased yacht is capable of remaining competitive during two Olympics. The most famous ones involved in the development of yachts of this Olympic class are located in Great Britain, Hungary, South Africa, and Finn associations exist in 50 countries of the world.

A yacht for real “Olympians”

A boat of this class can be adjusted to almost any weather conditions, and even with a yachtsman weighing 60 kg, it is easy to cope with bad weather. But still, in order to learn how to perfectly control the Finn, you need to feel all the peculiarities of this yacht’s behavior on the water. Therefore, it is no coincidence that yachtsmen who sail on yachts of this class are considered one of the most powerful masters.

According to Italian yachtsman Giorgio Poggi, Finn is a yacht whose helmsman must be able to do everything. Participation in competitions on yachts of this class requires serious demands on the physical training of yachtsmen. A Finnist helmsman must be a resilient, strong and flexible athlete, fluent in the art of sailing.

Many are developing training programs with an emphasis on Finn class yachts, which provides the opportunity to go through a stepwise path from Optimist to boats of this Olympic class. Moreover, this is the class of “Olympic” racing yachts where beginners meet true sailing veterans, because the age of the yachtsmen sailing on these boats ranges from 17 to 60 years. In addition, Finn dinghies are ideal for tall, heavyweight athletes.

Among connoisseurs of Finn-class yachts there are most famous yachtsmen on the planet. Among the star names of the Finnists are Ben Ainslie, Paul Elvström, Valentin Mankin, Willy Kuvaide - and this list can be continued with many more sailing legends. So, Paul Elvström three of his olympic gold Of the four, he won at the Olympics on a Finn class yacht. In addition, many technical innovations in yachting came from this class. Both the flexible mast and the tilting technique originated with the Finns.

Yachts of this class had a significant influence on the development of sailing and became a real Olympic legend. Over the years of Finn's existence, attempts have been made repeatedly to replace it with a more modern model. But yachts of this class still do not give up their leadership positions, because those who are used to training and going to victories under the sail of this boat confidently defend its advantages, not allowing the “Finns” to be ousted from the arena of modern sailing.

03/09 2011

Finn - olympic class racing yachts, a single dinghy, designed in 1950 by Swedish amateur designer Richard Sarby and since 1952 replaced the outdated Olympic at Olympic regattas.

Until 1962, Finns' hulls were constructed of wood with lath or veneer shell construction. After the International Sailing Union allowed the construction of plastic “Finns”, several companies immediately began manufacturing them. In the USSR, plastic “Finns” were manufactured by the Tallinn Experimental Shipyard for Sports Shipbuilding. In particular, boats of this class for all participants in the 1980 Olympics were built in Tallinn.

The Finn Olympic class of racing yachts is unique not only for its technical capabilities, but also for more than half a century of history. Having successfully completed 13 re-qualifications for the Olympic Games, and having survived many technical changes and adjustments, she continues to be one of the most attractive for single-handed sailing enthusiasts. Being quite difficult to manage, “Finn” is for many synonymous with overcoming difficulties and the ability to achieve what you want.

On May 15, 1950, the yacht of the Swedish designer Richard Sarby was selected by the Finnish Sailing Association to participate in the 1952 Olympic Games. From this moment the history of the legendary Finn class began. After a successful debut in Helsinki, he was re-selected for the next Olympics. In 1956, the World Championship among these yachts was held, and at the same time the International Finn Class Association (IFA) was created.

Today, the Finn class bears little resemblance to what it was at the time of Sarby, who created its prototype. To manufacture the modern version of the yachts, completely different materials are used, although the boats have almost no external changes. But it would have been difficult to imagine half a century ago a hull made of advanced fiberglass, a carbon mast and Kevlar sails, instead of the wood and cotton used then. The wooden masts were replaced by aluminum ones in 1969, but are now considered obsolete.

Since Finn remained a monotype class, the dimensions of the hull, sails and spar must strictly comply with accepted construction rules. The yacht has only one sail, mounted on the mast itself. It can be rigid - in the form of a wing.

The Finn is very sensitive to the tuning and flexibility of the mast, the cut of the sail, and the weight of the rider himself. Given a certain wind direction and strength, an inexperienced helmsman may have difficulty steering the Finn, which makes sailing this yacht a challenging but fun experience.

The Finn class is currently one of the most common in the world. Many yachtsmen prefer it because of the excellent opportunity to test their strength and feel the true spirit of Olympic competition.

Finn's crew consists of one person.

The maximum length of the boat is 4.50 m.

Length according to the vertical line - 4.05 m.

The greatest width is 1.51 m.

Sail area - 12 sq.m.

Side height - 0.45 m.

Hull/centerboard draft - 0.15/0.84 m.

The minimum weight of the hull with centerboard and rudder is 105 kg.

You have probably heard more than once about the intention of one or another yachtsman to buy a Finn class yacht. However, do you know anything about such sailboats? If not, then we just need to conduct a yacht educational program.

Imagine that in front of you is a single sports dinghy with only one mast and one sail (Cat rig). Introduced? So, you have an idea about the yacht, now let’s say a few words about the history of the class.

Three years before the summer olympic games In Helsinki 1952, the so-called “Finn” class appeared, specially designed for competitions among single-handed yachtsmen. Almost seven decades later, “Finn” is still present in the prestigious Olympic program, having survived 16 selections for the main competition of the four years and remaining the only heavyweight discipline for male conquerors of the water element.

The uniqueness of this class lies in its extra-technical capabilities, which from time to time undergo revolutionary changes, in long history full of ups and downs, and damn dozen re-qualifications for the Olympics. And even after more than half a century, “Finn” continues to attract single yachtsmen who are ready for any difficulties under sail, and the complexity of sailing a vessel of this class each time requires the manifestation of superhuman strength and a gigantic will to win.

An athlete competing on Finn is a person with super-class physical training, armed with unique knowledge and possessing high level mobility, easily navigating a huge number of various settings options. That is why “Finn” is rightfully considered a real school for honing the skills of a helmsman. Anyone who hasn’t tried his hand at “Finn” is still far from becoming an ace in ship control.

This class is hypersensitive to such characteristics as mast flexibility and tuning, and sail cut. The weight of the yachtsman, as well as the speed of his reaction, are also important. Strong winds can easily unsettle an inexperienced rider. The more exciting it is to control the yacht and the sweeter the victory.

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Do you want to feel like an Olympian, test your nerves and muscles, and test your leadership skills? Then you should try your hand at the most common sailboat on the planet, which is known in the world of sailing as the Finn yacht, which the specialists of ScanMarine TM (Cofrance SARL) will help you buy.