Birth of the Finn class.
In 1948, the Finnish Sailing Association (FYA) was faced with the task of choosing the type of yacht to compete for victory in Olympic Games 1952 in Helsinki. A competition was announced for the best option single boats, not only suitable for Scandinavian competitions, but also with an eye on the Olympics. Swedish canoe designer Richard Sarby proposed a design that was initially rejected, but since a prototype had already been built by then, the boat was allowed to take part in test races. On May 15, 1950, the FYA selected this particular yacht as an Olympic dinghy - this is how the future Finn class was born.
Fans appreciated the simplicity of the design and its sporting qualities: in the same 1950, 25 boats appeared under the combined name Fint.
Boat builders decided to choose a pattern on the sail, indicating belonging to the class. Two blue waves were adopted as a symbol, and still distinguish Finn-class boats. On May 15, 1950, the FYA approved "Fint" as an Olympic class, changing its name to "Finn", and adopted blue waves as the sailing badge. On October 11, 1953, the Scandinavian Yachting Association (ScYA) chose Finn as the Scandinavian class and established the Scandinavian Championship. The rights to the Finn design were transferred to ScYA.
The Olympic debut of the Finn class took place in Helsinki in 1952, and over the following years, Paul Elvström, Willy Kuwaide, John Bertrand and Johann Schumann entered their names in the record books of the new class. Elvström won three of his four Olympic gold medals in the Finn (another was won in the Firefly), proving the class's total dominance in 1952 (Helsinki), 1956 (Melbourne) and 1960 (Naples). The first silver medal went to Charles Curry from Great Britain, and the first bronze went to Richard Sarby, the author of the design.
Golden cup class "Finn".
In 1953 Finn was re-selected for the sailing program of the Melbourne Olympics 1956. the world's first Golden Cup class "Finn", which has become for the "Finnists" their own World Championship. A year later there was International association class "Finn" (IFA).
Improving Finn.
Having exhausted the means of controlling the distribution of the boat's weight with the help of measurements, the Frenchman Gilbert Lamboli invented the pendulum test: a yacht in suspension was subjected to a series of oscillations. For the first time, this method gave precise control over the distribution of weight within the hull, removing the restrictions on the use of a double plastic boat hull. Since 1972, the Finn class was one of the first to use the pendulum test, which eventually became the standard for testing many other sailing classes.
In the 1950s Elvström designed a flexible rig with a solid sail, a combination of mast and Elvström's sails that was used for a decade. However, by 1968 Jörg Bruder and Hubert Rodashi had rebuilt the masts and made the sails flatter. The top of the mast remained flexible. This combination dominated the class until Jack Knights introduced a metal mast at the Bermuda Gold Cup.
These days, aluminum masts are considered obsolete and have been replaced, especially in high-end races, by carbon-fiber structures to make the most of the full spar dimensions. Such masts have streamlined parts, which, according to many yachtsmen, are qualitatively superior to the round section.
In the 1970s the tone in the class is set by American hulls from Vanguard. Their predominance continued until 1980, however, and now Europeans still sail on American Vanguard hulls, which, together with Needlespar masts and North sails, have become the mandatory standard for sportsmen's equipment.
Today's "Finn" is very different from what it was in Sarbi's time. The design has remained almost the same, but the materials and manufacturing techniques have changed: the hull is made of advanced fiberglass and is armed with a carbon fiber mast and Kevlar sails.
Shverbot "Finn" in the USSR.
The first dinghies of the "Finn" class appeared in Moscow in the summer of 1955 and, according to the athletes, had many shortcomings. Nevertheless, this class brought good luck to Soviet yachtsmen:
at the XVII Olympic Games in 1960 in Rome, Alexander Chuchelov took 2nd place out of 35;
Valentin Mankin XIX Olympic 1968 Games in Mexico City - 1st place out of 36;
Viktor Potapov at the XX Olympic Games 1972 in Munich - 3rd place out of 35;
This year, for the fourth time, Finns will enter the distance of the next Olympic Games as single sailing dinghies. In 1952, the Finn, designed by the Swedish amateur designer Richard Sarby, replaced the former monotypes, the obsolete Olympic and the English two-seater Firefly dinghy, on which (in the single version) the prizes of the XIV Olympics were played.
The light "Finn" with its flexible spars and peculiar hull contours was the embodiment of the idea of a seaworthy and maneuverable single dinghy, which could even plan in a strong enough wind. The appearance of "Finn" was one of the first steps towards a kind of "athleticization" sailing, i.e., the creation of such conditions under which the success of the racer would directly depend not only on experience, but also on physical training. "Finn" is a purely racing dinghy that requires the helmsman to spend in a fresh wind! great physical effort. This athletic rigor of his, combined with Olympic status and determined the contingent of helmsmen "Finnists" - for the most part they are perfectly physically prepared athletes, enthusiasts who are passionate about sailing.
Richard Sarby himself, having brought Finn into a large international orbit, did not remain among the best riders for long. His work was continued and developed by such yachtsmen as Paul Elvstrom (Denmark) and Andre Nelli (Belgium). In their search, they went much further than the author of the Finn. The fact that the modern Finn is more perfect than its prototype - the Fint dinghy, which won the regatta for single ships in 1950, arranged with the aim of choosing an Olympic monotype, is evidenced by at least the fact that the Fint did not even have a shoulder strap for the lower block of the boom-sheet and the boom-sheet were fastened in the diametrical plane - on the rear edge of the centerboard well. It is interesting that the main difference between the "Fint" and other chasing dinghies - a flexible mast - was noticed then by very few.
The Finns gained the greatest popularity in the USSR (where more than a thousand of them were built and where they are, in fact, the only single sailing dinghies), as well as in the GDR, the FRG and Holland. In most countries of Western Europe and America, where there are many classes of smaller and cheaper singles, interest in Finn racing awakens only during periods of preparation for the next Olympics.
Until 1962, the "Finns" were built of wood with sheathing or smooth slats or veneer shell construction. After the construction of plastic "Finns" was allowed by the International Sailing Racing Union, several companies were engaged in their manufacture at once. Perhaps the most noteworthy is the experience of creating two plastic "Finns" - the Elvström and the so-called "HVM-Finn" (Fig. 1).
Paul Elvström, having bought a company that produced plastic dinghies in 1962, began by recruiting experienced and loving yachtsmen as workers, rightly believing that only with such a team could one really work on improving racing ships. Even in the company's sailing workshop seamstress yachtsmen work. For some time new orders were not accepted. This time was used for the construction and testing of the experimental "Finns" and for the establishment of mass production.
The rules for the construction of the Finn, drawn up with the wooden structure of the ships in mind, allow for quite significant deviations in the shape of the hull. Otherwise, it is impossible: the wooden hull can be deformed during operation, and it would be unfair to deprive the right to participate in the race of a vessel that was built correctly, but changed its shape from time to time. Cases made of reinforced plastic - fiberglass - as practice shows, are almost not deformed. This made it possible to change the theoretical drawing of the hull within the limits of construction tolerances without fear of violating the rules of construction. This is how Elvstrom's super-"Finns" were created, which were then put into mass production.
Experiments were carried out not only on the hull. It is known that the weight of the helmsman plays a very important role on the Finn. A heavier helmsman in a strong wind can carry the sail on a stiffer spar, i.e. more efficiently use the force of the wind. As a result of the experiments, a relationship was found between the weight of the helmsman and the most advantageous rigidity of the spars. A typical Elv-Stremov mast deflection curve is shown in fig. 2.
At the end of the experiments, a large series of ships was immediately laid down. Now 30 Finns can be built at the shipyard at the same time, and there is no usual division into “serial” ships and “extra”: all ships are exactly the same and differ only in color.
Such things as the steering gear, the epaulette of the boom-sheet, the heeling loops, the ejectors are made simply and elegantly. Four ejectors. Two of them are located in the usual places - at the rear edge of the centerboard well, the other two - further aft and closer to the sides.
The inclination of the mast is determined by an adjustable spur (Fig. 3).
To the slider of the boom-sheet on the chase, two thin cables are drawn from the sides, by choosing or easing which, you can install the slider at various distances from the center plane (Fig. 4). These cables are laid on eccentric stoppers.
Elvstrom sails are especially good, which are available in three types - for strong, medium and light winds. A sail for strong winds looks flat if it is set according to the marks, but it is worth letting the halyard and the mainsheet 1-1.5 cm, as the sail acquires a significant belly and becomes suitable for light winds. A sail for a light wind is sewn to the largest possible area. Approximately 10 cm above the tack angle, a second krengel is made, pulling it up to the boom, you can make the sail flatter. Each finished sail is checked on the shore on a special mast (Fig. 5).
The steering device has a lifting tiller and a device for holding the rudder in place when the dinghy capsizes in the form of a strip of spring steel attached to the transom (Fig. 6). The tilting loops are adjustable in both length and position (fig. 7; see also fig. 4).
The reserve of buoyancy is provided by a special "double-breasted" hull design (Fig. 8). Four foam cylinders are fixed in the double-board space. Noteworthy is the absence of "windows" in the transom. Obviously, with such a reserve of buoyancy, the vessel, even completely flooded with water, floats high enough so that water quickly pours out of the cockpit through open ejectors.
If the Elvstrom Finn is a purely plastic ship (Fig. 9) with all its elegance and completeness, then the HVM-Finn, developed by Nel and Maars in collaboration with the plastic shipbuilding specialist Flieger, looks more like an attempt to repeat the wooden construction. Of the advantages of plastic over wood, perhaps only its great water resistance is fully used.
The reserve of buoyancy is provided by the arrangement of air boxes under the side deck and the sealing of the bow compartment. The operating conveniences for the helmsman are almost the same as on the Elvstrem Finn, except that the guy for fixing the position of the boom-sheet slider on the chase is laid on a stopper located in the middle of the transverse beam, which makes it impossible for the helmsman to control it on the tack when tilting, although the slider itself is made on rollers, as if specifically to facilitate such work. The ends of the shoulder strap, which is a stainless steel pipe, are fixed on special side brackets, although it was enough to lengthen the shoulder strap by only a few centimeters to fix it to the wall of the air box.
Loops for tilting are located in the same way as Elvstrom, but there is no possibility of adjustment. The mast with the selected boom-sheet bends almost along the arc of a circle. The sail is equipped with a zipper to tuck the belly in strong winds.
Both Elvstrem and HVM-Finns won big international competitions so it's hard to prioritize driving performance one type or another. However, Elvstrom's "Finn" received wider recognition. Vessels of this type were built in Japan for participants in the Tokyo Olympics.
Dinghy FINN- the Olympic class of racing yachts, designed in 1949 by the Swedish amateur designer Richard Sarbi and since 1952 replaced the obsolete Olympic dinghy monotype at the Olympic regattas. In 1956 the class becomes international. Crew - 1 person. Armament - cat. Dinghy Finn is one of the few survivors in the world of sailing. It survived 13 re-selections as an Olympic class and 50 years of technical adjustments, starting in the 1950s. from a wooden hull and cotton sails to a fiberglass hull, coal mast and Kevlar sails.
A FINN class yacht is a racing boat very sensitive to tuning, mast flex, sail cut, rider weight and position in the cockpit depending on the course relative to the wind and its strength. The rounded contours of the hull with a fairly flat and wide bottom in the stern contribute to the planing of the boat in a fresh wind. Yacht Finn belongs to the class of yachts for the heaviest yachtsmen. "Finnist" must have the qualities of a helmsman and clew.
Finn's plastic yachts have a "double-breasted" hull design - with tanks that ensure the unsinkability of the dinghy and the ease of returning it to a position on an even keel in case of capsizing. Finn's dinghies are now fitted with carbon masts, which have permeated almost every level of the Finn class yacht, and aluminum masts are regarded as obsolete, especially by high-end yachtsmen. They are still used at lower ranks due to their low cost and durability.
For half a century, the yacht has had a huge impact on the sailing world, becoming a popular type of club yacht, Olympic legend and mentor to many first-class athletes. The Finn class today is very different from what it was at the time of Sarby, who created it in 1949. The corps is almost exactly the same. But it's made from advanced fiberglass with a carbon mast and Kevlar sails. In 1949, this could not have been imagined.
Yacht Finn is an incredibly powerful and athletic yacht with a lot of character. To learn to cope with it, you need to subtly feel the features of its behavior. Without any doubt, we can say that the Finn yacht is the most respected class, and the Finns are the most powerful yachtsmen on the planet. Dinghy Finn is a unique yacht that can be configured for almost any conditions and even with a weight of 60 kg to cope with bad weather.
During the existence of the yacht Finn in the Olympic program, there have been several attempts to replace it with a newer and more modern yacht. Back in 1967, there were rumors that the Finn was outdated and needed to be replaced. They even held qualifying races. Now, too, there are a number of contenders who seek to take the place of a well-deserved yacht. But every time Finn comes out victorious.
Crew: 1 person
Boat hull weight: 107 kg
Case material: wood or fiberglass reinforced polyester
Body length: 4.5 m
Case Width: 1.5 m
Grotto area: 10.2 m2
Here, whatthey say « Finnists»:
Jonas Hoch Christensen (Denmark), World Champion2006, 2009:“I love Finn, this is the most fun, challenging and constantly challenging boat for athletic boaters who are up for competition and a serious challenge.”
Giorgio Poggi (Italy)GeorgePoggie (I.T.A.), 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: "Finn is my only opportunity to realize Olympic dreams given my height and weight. The boat requires serious technical and physical effort, it is a pure test of the athlete's ability to respond to changing conditions under intense physical stress."
Rob McMillan (Australia):“There is no other such boat at all. The ability to pump has brought a new level of athleticism and it works uniquely on Finn.”
Daniel Birgmark (Sweden) , 4th at the 2008 Olympics: “Racing the Olympic Finn looks to be the most attractive to date, in view of the fact that it requires from athletes both athletic ability and tactical and strategic skill in sailing. It's lovely 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 : Finn is best class yacht that I have ever sailed. And this is the first class where I have a tremendous 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 ready to support beginners. I think that this is a consequence of the main feature of the class - singles must unite in order to train together. This allows you to build 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 needed (hull, mast, boom, rudder blade, centerboard) is made to a very high quality and serve for many years. In addition, in a competitive market, the price for all this is fair and there is the possibility of a 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 right now are such that they keep Finn as a class where you can be in the world's top riders without having some kind of super-budget."
Ed Wright (Great Britain), World Champion 2010:"Well, for starters, it's just pleasing to the eye. And the cost is low. I'm still using my very first mast, by the way, and I'm the fastest on it even after 5 years... You can get small benefits 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 great athletes. Also, there is so much history of the class and the sail in general, you should not forget how many sailing legends came from the Finn class."
Gus Miller (USA), sailing legend: “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 the understanding of one old thought: "I love my opponent because he makes me better." The guys who go on the Finn get tremendous 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!
03/09 2011Finn is an Olympic class of racing yachts, a single dinghy, designed in 1950 by the Swedish amateur designer Richard Sarbi and since 1952 has replaced the obsolete Olympic at the Olympic regattas.
Until 1962, the Finns' hulls were built of wood with batten sheathing or veneer shell construction. After the construction of plastic Finns was allowed by the International Sailing Union, several companies immediately took up their manufacture. In the USSR, plastic Finns were manufactured by the Tallinn Experimental Shipyard of Sports Shipbuilding. In particular, boats of this class for all participants in the 1980 Olympics were built in Tallinn.
The Olympic class of racing yachts "Finn" is unique not only for its technical capabilities, but also for more than half a century of history. Having successfully passed 13 re-qualifications for the Olympic Games, having gone through many technical changes and adjustments, it continues to be one of the most attractive for lovers of single sailing boats. Being quite difficult to manage, "Finn" is for many a synonym for overcoming difficulties and the ability to achieve what you want.
On May 15, 1950, the yacht of the Swedish designer Richard Sarbi was selected by the Finnish Sailing Association to participate in the 1952 Olympic Games. From that moment on, the story 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 itself in the time of Sarbi, who created its prototype. For the manufacture of the modern version of the yachts, completely different materials are used, although the boats have almost no external changes. But half a century ago, it was difficult to imagine a hull made of advanced fiberglass, a carbon mast and Kevlar sails, instead of the wood and cotton used then. In 1969, wooden masts were replaced with aluminum ones, but these are now considered obsolete.
Since the Finn remained a monotype class, the dimensions of the hull, sails and spars must strictly comply with the accepted building 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 mast setting and mast flex, sail coverage, and rider weight. With a certain direction and strength of the wind, an inexperienced helmsman may find it difficult to control the Finn, which makes driving this yacht a challenging but exciting experience.
The Finn class is currently one of the most common in the world. Many yachtsmen prefer it because of the great opportunity to test their strength and feel the true spirit of the Olympic competition.
The Finn's crew consists of one person.
The maximum length of the boat is 4.50 m.
Length according to design waterline - 4.05 m.
The greatest width is 1.51 m.
Sail area - 12 sq.m.
Board height - 0.45 m.
Draft hull / centerboard - 0.15 / 0.84 m.
The minimum weight of the hull with centerboard and rudder is 105 kg.