The Finndinghy 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.
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