Fifty-five years ago, in 1970, the Finn Gold Cup was held in Cascais, Portugal, setting a record with 160 competitors from 34 nations. Next week, the Finn Gold Cup returns to Cascais for the third time, with nearly 90 entries from 20 nations, promising one of the most competitive events in the class for years. Previous editions were also held in Cascais in 2007 as part of the ISAF World Championships.
Interestingly, there are no past winners entered, ensuring a new name will be added to the prestigious list of champions. Last year’s world champion, Oskari Muhonen from Finland, is not competing. This year also marks the first time the Finn Silver Cup will be contested in the U29 category.
However, the competition remains fierce with four former European Champions participating. France’s Valerian Lebrun, the current European champion, is looking to build on his success from Naples in April. Hungary’s Domonkos Németh, the 2023 European Champion, is keen to reclaim glory after a strong training regimen, and he is also eligible for the Finn Silver Cup. Italy’s Alessandro Marega, the 2024 European Champion, holds the World No. 1 ranking, while Spain’s Miguel Fernandez Vasco, the 2022 European champion, is also entering the fray.
The entry list features notable sailors, including the 2024 World Masters champion Laurent Hay from France, Estonia’s Deniss Karpak, and Italian Arkadii Kistanov, who recently returned to competitive Finn sailing.
Peter Peet from the Netherlands, World No. 3 and the 2023 European Masters Champion, joins a strong contingent that includes World No. 6 David Terol from Spain, World No. 7 Nick Craig from Britain, and World No. 10 Bas de Waal from the Netherlands.
Francisco Brito e Abreu, President of the Clube Naval de Cascais, expressed enthusiasm about hosting the event again, highlighting Cascais’s reputation as a premier sailing destination that combines ideal conditions for competition with a rich sailing culture. He noted the significance of the Finn Gold Cup’s history in their waters.
In preparation for the event, an IFA-organised training camp for U29 sailors is currently underway in Cascais, followed by the Portuguese Nationals and a measurement seminar leading up to the Finn Gold Cup.
Equipment inspection and registration begin on Saturday, 30 August, and the 10-race series will run from Tuesday, 2 September, to Saturday, 6 September. By the end of the week, a new Finn world champion will be crowned.
For further details and updates, visit the Finn Class event page at Finn Class. Follow the event on social media for highlights and updates.
Hashtags: #finnsailing #fgc #finngoldcup #finnclass #finn #sailing #worldsailingofficial @InternationalFinnClass
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