The oldest support of the Olympic Games
The Finn is a very physical single-handed dinghy, and therefore reserved exclusively for men's events. It requires a lot of strength and it is often big men, like rugby players, who are at the helm. It is considered as one of the most difficult boats, but the most rewarding to steer.
The Finn was designed by the Swedish Rickard Sarby in 1949, after the Finnish Yachting Association organized a competition to find a single-handed dinghy for the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. Although it was not initially selected, it participated in the trials as a prototype. It is finally distinguished Olympic support in 1950, before making its first Games in Helsinki, where Sarby himself won the bronze medal. It is, as such, the oldest support of the Olympic Games. Its design has changed very little since its launch, except for the wooden hulls of the 50s and 60s, replaced by fiberglass.
It is a one-design class, where athletes from different countries race on almost all the same boats. The small differences between the boats are included in the class rules, and concern certain equipment that each one chooses to best adapt to his or her sailing style.
Three-time international Olympic medalists
The last five gold medals in Finn have all been won by Great Britain. After Iain Percy's triumph in Sydney in 2000, Sir Ben Ainslie then won three consecutive gold medals in Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and London 2012. The reigning Olympic champion, Giles Scott will aim for a 2nd consecutive medal in Tokyo 2020 after his success in Rio in 2016.
With his silver and gold medals in the Laser class, Ainslie is the most successful Olympic sailor in history. But he is not the first sailor to win three consecutive gold medals in the Finn class, Paul Elvstrøm having accomplished this feat in the early years of the Finn at the Olympics. He won gold in Helsinki 1952, Melbourne 1956 and Rome 1960 and holds the title of the most successful Finn Olympic sailor along with Ainslie.
The Finn class has highlighted many sailors: the Polish Mateusz Kusznierewicz with gold in Atlanta 1996 and bronze in Athens 2004, the Belgian André Nelis who won silver in Helsinki 1952 and bronze in Rome 1960, the Russian Andrei Balashov who won silver in Montreal 1976 and bronze in Moscow 1980. Finally, the world-renowned sailor and five-time America's Cup winner, Sir Russell Coutts, remains the only Kiwi sailor to have won gold in the Finn class at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
