Development | |
---|---|
Designer | Rickard Sarby |
Year | 1949 |
Boat | |
Crew | 1 |
Draft | 0.17 m (6.7 in) |
Hull | |
Hull weight | 107 kg (236 lb) |
LOA | 4.5 m (14 ft 9 in) |
LWL | 4.34 m (14 ft 3 in) |
Beam | 1.47 m (4 ft 10 in) |
Rig | |
Mast length | 6.66 m (21 ft 10 in) |
Sails | |
Mainsail area | 10.6 m2 (114 sq ft) |
Racing | |
D-PN | 90.1 [1] |
RYA PN | 1060 [2] |
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,. [3] 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. [4] The event did not feature on the Olympic programme from 2024. [5]
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. [6]
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.
The following league combined table of medalist is below
Ranking | Sailor | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | No. Entries |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Michal Maier (CZE) | 6 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 37 |
2 | Ben Ainslie (GBR) | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 |
3 | Lawrence Lemieux (CAN) | 5 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 24 |
4 | Giles Scott (GBR) | 5 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 10 |
5 | Fredrik Lööf (SWE) | 3 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 11 |
5 | Jörg Bruder (BRA) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 8 |
5 | Lasse Hjortnäs (DEN) | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 13 |
7 | Georg Oser (SUI) | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 12 |
8 | Vladimir Krutskikh (RUS) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 9 |
9 | Andre Mevel (FRA) | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 6 |
10 | Roland Balthasar (GER) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14 |
10 | Wilhelm Kuhweide (EUA) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 |
11 | André Nelis (BEL) | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 8 |
12 | Mateusz Kusznierewicz (POL) | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 10 |
13 | Pieter-Jan Postma (NED) | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 15 |
13 | Edward Wright (GBR) | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 16 |
15 | Wolfgang Gerz (FRG) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 13 |
16 | Jonas Høgh-Christensen (DEN) | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 14 |
17 | José Luis Doreste (ESP) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
18 | Paul Elvström (DEN) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
18 | Hank Lammens (CAN) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 |
19 | Philippe Presti (FRA) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
20 | Cam Lewis (USA) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
20 | Stig Westergaard (DEN) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 |
The Albacore is a 4.57 m (15 ft) two-person planing dinghy with fractional sloop rig, for competitive racing and lake and near-inshore day sailing. Hulls are made of either wood or fiberglass. The basic shape was developed in 1954 from an Uffa Fox design, the Swordfish. Recent boats retain the same classic dimensions, and use modern materials and modern control systems.
The Topper is an 11 foot 43 kg (95 lb) sailing dinghy designed by Ian Proctor. The Topper was a one-design boat until 2023 when a new version was produced, and is sailed mostly around the British Isles. It was recognised as a World Sailing Class. The boat previously constructed from polypropylene, and now roto moulded, is popular as a racing boat or for sail training. The class association (ITCA) organise racing events, which range from small travellers to major championships. The RYA run squads alongside the events; in these squads young sailors who are given specialist race coaching. It is sailed widely among junior sailors in the UK and Ireland and there is a growing fleet in China.
The Laser is a class of single-handed, one-design sailing dinghies using a common hull design with three interchangeable rigs of different sail areas, appropriate to a given combination of wind strength and crew weight. Ian Bruce and Bruce Kirby designed the Laser in 1970 with an emphasis on simplicity and performance.
The Optimist is a small, single-handed sailing dinghy intended for use by young people up to the age of 15.
The Europe is a one-person dinghy designed in Belgium in 1960 by Alois Roland as a class legal Moth dinghy. The design later changed into its own one-design class.
The 49er and 49er FX is a two-handed skiff-type high-performance sailing dinghy. The two crew work on different roles with the helm making many tactical decisions, as well as steering, and the crew doing most of the sail control. Both of the crew are equipped with their own trapeze and sailing is done while cantilevered over the water to the fullest extent to balance against the sails.
The Laser 4.7 or ILCA 4 is a one-design dinghy class in the Laser series and is a one-design class of sailboat. All Lasers are built to the same specifications. The Laser is 4.06 m long, with a waterline length of 3.81 m. The hull weight is 59 kg (130 lb). The boat is manufactured by ILCA and World Sailing approved builders.
The International 420 Dinghy is a sailing dinghy popular for racing and teaching. The hull is fiberglass with internal buoyancy tanks. The 420 has a bermuda rig, spinnaker and trapeze. It has a large sail-area-to-weight ratio, and is designed to plane easily. The 420 is an International class recognised by World Sailing. The name refers to the boat's length of 420 centimetres.
The Sunfish is a personal-size, beach-launched sailing dinghy. It features a very flat, boardlike hull carrying an Oceanic lateen sail mounted to an un-stayed mast.
The International 505 is a One-Design high-performance two-person monohull planing sailing dinghy, with spinnaker, utilising a trapeze for the crew.
The OK Dinghy is an international class sailing dinghy, designed by Knud Olsen in 1956.
The Byte is a small one-design sailing dinghy sailed by one person. It was designed by Canadian Ian Bruce, who also commissioned and marketed the Laser.
The Firefly is a British sailboat that was designed by Uffa Fox as a one design racer and first built in 1946. The boat was originally named the Sea Swallow. It was an Olympic class and raced at the 1948 Olympics.
The Fireball is a British sailing dinghy that was designed by Peter Milne as a one-design racer and first built in 1962.
The Moth is a small development class of sailing dinghy. Originally a small, fast home-built sailing boat designed to plane, since 2000 it has become an expensive and largely commercially produced boat designed to hydroplane on foils though many are still built at home, typically at much lower cost.
The RS Tera is a one-man monohull dinghy in the RS Sailing range of sailing boats. It is recognised by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) as an international class, and is a popular boat for beginners and for children to race.
RS Sailing is an international designer, builder and supplier of sailboats and dinghies and associated goods and services supported by a worldwide dealer network and class associations.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to sailing:
The Topper Topaz is a British single-handed or two-handed sailing dinghy that was designed as a beginner and intermediate racer.
The Waszp is an Australian, single-handed, hydrofoiling sailboat that was designed by Andrew McDougall as a one-design racer for youth and adults, and first built in 2016.