Finn Gold Cup 2007

Finn Gold Cup 2007

Cascais Portugal

Event website: www.cascaisworlds2007.pt

Preview

The 2007 Finn World Championship starts on Thursday 5^th July as part of the ISAF Worlds, currently under way in Cascais, Portugal. Moderate to strong winds and clear blue skies have so far indicated a challenging week of superb sailing conditions ahead.

Ten races are scheduled between this Thursday and next Tuesday, with two races each day and a rest day on Sunday. The opening three days will be a qualifying series with Monday and Tuesday of next week being sailed in Gold and Silver fleets before the medal race for the top ten and the final series races for the rest of the fleet on Wednesday.

Competition within the Finn class class is often regarded as one of the toughest of Olympic sailing disciplines, combining physical prowess with technical knowledge and tactical expertise. The 77 Finn sailors here in Cascais are competing for the Finn Gold Cup, the classes world championship trophy, and one of the oldest and elitist dinghy trophies sailed for on the international stage.

The Finn is also the oldest Olympic dinghy, having been used at every Games since 1952, when it was selected following a design competition for a single-handed dinghy. Designed by Rickard Sarby from Sweden in 1949, the Finn may be 58 years old, but it is arguably one of the most modern looking hiking dinghies around with epoxy moulded hulls, carbon wing masts and hi-tech sails.

The 35 nations represented here in Cascais include many sailors from established nations as well as a number of new and emerging nations trying to qualify for one of the 19 Olympic places at the 2008 Games. At the recent European Championships – albeit held in light winds on Lake Balaton on Central Europe – the top 19 nations finished in the top 26 places. This is going to make gaining one of this initial batch of Olympic spots very hard indeed.

The Basics

Event: Heavyweight dinghy

Equipment: Finn

Fleet size: 77

Nations: 35

Olympic qualification places: 19

Reigning World Champion: Jonas Hoegh-Christensen (DEN)

Reigning Olympic Champion: Ben Ainslie (GBR)

Leading Challengers

Jonas Hoegh-Christensen (DEN)

Current world ranking: 1

Best results: World Champion 2006, 9^th in 2004 Olympics

Form: Should adapt well to the conditions off Cascais. Likes steady, breezy conditions and has a powerful downwind technique when the wind exceeds 12 knots and unlimited pumping is permitted. He has held the ISAF World ranking top spot since June 2006 and has to be one of the firm favourites for this event. Results so far this year include fifth at the Europeans, a sixth at the Breitling Regatta and second places at Hyeres and Princess Sofia.

Ed Wright (GBR)

Current world ranking: 5

Best results: European Champion 2006, 3^rd Finn Gold Cup 2006

Form: In the absence of his main competition for the 2008 GBR Olympic spot – Ben Ainslie (GBR) who has been involved in the Emirates Team New Zealand America's Cup campaign – Wright will be looking for a solid performance to bolster his chances of going to the pre-Olympics this August as well as giving the selectors a definite indication that Ainslie is not a dead cert for Beijing. Finished third at the Breitling Regatta and fourth in Hyeres.

Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic (CRO)

Current world ranking: 3

Best results: European Championship 2006, 2^nd.

Form: After entering the class in 2005, Kljakovic Gaspic immediately began to make his mark winning the Junior World Championship in his first year and following that up with an 8^th in the Finn Gold Cup in 2006. This year he has clearly improved further with podium places at four major regattas and a very close second place at the Europeans.

Dan Slater (NZL)

Current world ranking: 2

Best results: 2ns European Championship 2005

Form: A win at the Breitling Regatta in May confirmed Slater as one of the top favourites for 2007. He has finished in the top ten at every ranking regatta except two since he entered the class from the 49er (a class in which he finished 8^th in the 2000 Olympics) in 2005, and has steadily moved up to rankings to his current second place. Very determined and committed, Slater is definitely one to watch.

Chris Cook (CAN)

Current world ranking: 9

Best results: 3^rd Finn Gold Cup 2005, 6^th Finn Gold Cup 2001,

Form: When on form, Cook can produce great performances, but sometimes struggles with consistency. Cook has been the top ranked North American Finn sailor since he entered the class in 2001 and has a very physical style around the boat.

Pieter-Jan Postma (NED)

Current world ranking:

Best results: 2^nd Breiltling Regatta 2007

Form: Jumped into the Finn from the Laser in 2005 and has steadily improved since then. Sometimes inconsistent he has recorded a string of individual race wins this year in windy conditions and could prove hard to beat if he doesn't make too many mistakes. Finished a disappointing 15^th at the Europeans after a third at Princess Sofia, seventh in Hyeres and second in Holland. Likes the breeze so could do well here.

Emilios Papathansaiou (GRE)

Current world ranking: 4

Best results: European Champion 2001, runner-up Finn Gold Cup 2005, 2006, third in Finn Gold Cup 2000, 2001, 20002, 5^th in 2004 Olympics

Form: Probably the most experienced Finn sailor in the fleet, Papathanasiou has had excellent speed all year, winning Hyeres on the medal race and was the only sailor at this year's Europeans to win more than one race. Sometimes a risk taker, and with a liking for flamboyant end of line starts the Greek sailor is still looking for his first World Championship win, after finishing on the podium five times in the past seven years.

Anthony Nossiter (AUS)

Current world ranking: 13

Best results: 2000 Olympics 6^th

Form: Another member of the +39 America's Cup team here in Cascais, Nossiter has proven very capable of winning races, and is a powerful, strong sailor who likes the breeze. Trying to qualify for his third Olympics ahead of fellow Australian Brendan Casey.

Daniel Birgmark (SWE)

Current world ranking: 6

Best results: 4th 2006 Finn Gold Cup, 14^th 2004 Olympics

Form: Although he hasn't repeated some of his success in the Laser class, Birgmark has always been there or thereabouts and is consistent throughout the wind range. Quite capable of winning races and putting together a good series. Main competition for Olympic berth is Johan Tillander, who is 10^th on the ISAF rankings, having placed 7^th at last year's Europeans and Gold Cup.

Rafael Trujillo Villar (ESP)

Current world ranking: 11

Best results: Silver Medalist 2004 Olympics, 2^nd Finn Gold Cup 2003

Form: Although Trujillo has taken time out of his Finn sailing to compete on board the +39 America's Cup boat, he has still maintained his high ranking position since winning the silver medal at the 2004 Olympics. With a definite liking for windy conditions, Trujillo should perform well here is there is a solid wind every day.

Guillaume Florent (FRA)

Current world ranking: 48

Best results: 2^nd 2006 Europeans, 8^th 2004 Olympics, 6^th 2006 Finn Gold Cup

Form: Not sailed much since the 2004 Olympics where he famously protested Ben Ainslie out of the second race, but is good in a breeze and capable of posting a good series here.

Ones to watch...

Eduard Skornyakov (RUS)

Current world ranking: 66

Best results: 2007 European Champion

Form: Recently shocked the established sailors by claiming the 2007 European title on Lake Balaton in Hungary, without winning a single race and after only nine months in the Finn. His home club is Moscow Sailing School, so it will be interesting how how adapts to the open sea conditions of Cascais.

Gasper Vincec (SLO)

Current world ranking:

Best results: Europeans 2005, 3rd

Form: Just won Kiel Week following a fourth at the Europeans, so perhaps peaking at thwe right time. Although Vincec has regularly been in the medal races this year, he seems to struggle in the high pressure regattas, while winning low pressure ones. Often cited as good in light airs and small fleets, Vincec finished a lowly 20^th in the 2004 Olympics

Waclaw Szukiel (POL)

Current world ranking: 12

Best results: 4^th Finn Gold Cup 2005

Form: Entered the class in 1997 and has put in some race winning performances, but the 4^th in Moscow in 2005 marks the best he has sailed at a major event.

Rafal Szukiel (POL)

Current world ranking: 17

Best results: 8^th Europeans 2007

Form: Taller than his brother and having sailed in his shadow for a number of years, Rafal has produced better form on average in the past year and could easily produce a top ten and race winning performance this week.

Zach Railey (USA)

Current world ranking: 15

Best results: 6^th Europeans 2007

Form: Admits to still being on a steep learning curve, Railey entered the class in 2005 and will be one of the youngest sailors here. Outside chance of winning individual races.

Peer Moberg (NOR)

Current world ranking: 16

Best results: Rolex Miami OCR 2007 1st

Form: Moberg moved into the Finn in 2005 after three successful Olympics in the Laser, including a bronze medal in 1996. Apart from the occasional regatta he has failed to break into the top ten

Joao Signorini (BRA)

Current world ranking:

Best results: 2004 Olympics 10th

Form: Only got back into the Finn for the first time since the Athens Olympics in September 2006 after competing on Brasil 1 in the VOLVO OR. So far this year he has made it to two medal races including a 10^th at the Europeans.

Day one - The waiting is over...

The 2007 Finn World Championships – and the first opportunity to qualify for the 2008 Olympic regatta – started in near perfect conditions in Cascais, Portugal with race wins for Emilios Papathanasiou (GRE), Chris Cook (CAN) and Ed Wright (GBR)

Racing today was scheduled to start on course three at 13.00, however the earlier promising wind had dropped to almost nothing by the start time. Racing finally got underway at 14.00 as the offshore breeze gradually built to reach 25 knots by the times the Finns headed for home some four hours later. The racing was sailed in two fleets, yellow and blue, started 10 minutes apart. The first off, the yellow fleet, sailed an outer trapezoid course, while the blue fleet sailed an inner trapezoid course.

Yellow fleet

The first race for the yellow fleet started in 7-10 knots of wind. Emilios Papathanasiou (GRE) couldn't have hoped for a better start to his 2007 Finn World Championship campaign. In the first race he rounded the first mark in seventh place and gradually worked his way up the fleet to the front and then led round the final offwind legs to the finish. In the second race he led from start to finish, extending his lead to end the day with a perfect score and lead the championship with 2 points.

The early leader in race one, Liiv Harles (EST) was followed by Alexander Mumyga (BUL) and Ricardo Cordovani (ITA). Papathansaiou was in the lead by the second windward mark and never looked threatened, while Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic (CRO) worked up from a poor first beat into second place and Høgh-Christensen recovered well to finish third. Lots of high ranked sailors were struggling mid-fleet.

Michael Hruby (CZE) was close on Papathanasiou's transom in race two but could only watch while the Greek sailor sailed away from the fleet. With Hruby dropping to fourth by the finish, Høgh-Christensen had pulled through to second while Brendan Casey (AUS) sailed well to place third.

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Get to know the sailor: Daniel Birgmark (SWE)

If I were not in Cascais I would be...at home with my family

My top tip for this week is...be careful of the starts, as they will be cracking down on premature starters and using the black flag

My main strength is...probably tactics

My proudest moment is...when I became a father a year ago

My friends would say that I'm....a nice friend I hope, maybe you have to ask them

I am very bad at...many things and keeping time

My philosophy for life is...have fun,

I think the favourites this week are...there are many favourites, that could do well. And now we have the guys from AC racing back here - and more prepared than in Balaton - so they could do well.

The best thing so far about Cascais is...sailing conditions, but many good things here such as a good organising committee, friendly people and great hospitality

If I were in charge of sailing I'd...do what we are now doing now in the Finn class to make the class more media friendly with on board cameras and tracking systems. I also think it's really good that so many Finn sailors are getting involved in making this happen.

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Blue fleet

Second placed overnight, Ed Wright (GBR) described racing in blue fleet. He said, “The first race was very tricky as the wind went back and forth and neither side really paid that much. Half way up the first beat there was a big right hand shift that left a lot of us stranded on the left. I managed to get back to fourth, taking places both downwind and upwind, but doing three laps helped a bit.”

Michael Maier (CZE) - one of the many returning Finn sailors from the +39 America's Cup challenger - was the early leader in race one until he was eventually wound in by Chris Cook (CAN) who went on to win the opening race.

The second race was started in 10-15 knots of breeze and Cook again took the lead. Rafael Trujillo (ESP) – who was third in the first race – took over Cook's lead by the second lap, but then Wright took his turn and led to the finish. Wright continued, “In the second race I got a reasonable start, and had a really nice race. A couple of times the right paid and a couple of times the left paid, but I just tried to stay with everyone else really.” Summing up his day he said, “Overall, I am pretty happy with today as I was really just trying to survive. Course three can be a bit tricky, and I think we actually got some good weather out there today – it can be quite random at times.”

One casualty of the stronger wind was Dan Slater (NZL) who after an average performance in race one, rounded the top mark in fifth, capsized and let the whole fleet sail past him before he got his boat upright again. He later said, “Now I have capsized the Finn twice in my life and both times were at world championships.” Slater has recently been elected to the ISAF Athletes Commission as the Finn representative. He lies in 32^nd place overnight, on equal points with the 2007 European Champion Eduard Skornyakov (RUS).

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Get to know the sailor: Anthony Nossiter (AUS)

If I were not in Cascais I would be...in Australia, surfing, windsurfing, enjoying the good life and taking a break

My top tip for this week is...hike hard

My main strength is...windy weather and power

My proudest moment is...finishing the Volvo Ocean Race

My friends would say that I'm....that I would out bench them

I am very bad at...running

My philosophy for life is...enjoy it

My favourite for this week is...Chris Brittle, he's 120 kg of power.. [got a 9 and 4 today]

The best thing so far about Cascais is... beautiful clean water, friendly people, international culture, it's fantastic. The Cup should have been here!

If I were in charge of sailing I'd...we'd always have triangle courses when it's windy

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Close on points

Looking ahead to the racing, Pieter-Jan Postma (NED), who is lying in 14^th place after a 5 and 13 today said, “The conditions here are just about perfect. It's different if you are on one of the outer courses where there is lots of wind to the inner course which is more shifty and difficult, so its going to be really interesting sailing.”

Behind Papathanasiou, the next three sailors are all on 5 points. The 2006 European Champion Ed Wright (GBR) scored a 4, 1, while the defending World Champion Jonas Høgh-Christensen (DEN) scored a 3, 2 and the 2004 Olympic silver medalist Rafael Trujillo (ESP) scored a 3, 2. Two more races for the Finn class are scheduled for tomorrow, Friday at the slightly later time of 16:20.

Day two - Jonas Høgh-Christensen leads the flying Finns

Day two of the Finn world championship in Cascais brought very tricky wind conditions and a few upsets. Only one race was sailed today with wins going to Daniel Birgmark (SWE) and Pieter-Jan Postma (NED). Defending world champion Jonas Hogh-Christensen placed second in his race to take the lead overnight

The Finns had a late start today in Cascais. They share a course area with the Ynglings and today it was the keelboat's turn to go first. This seemed like good news for the Finns as early in the day the winds were light, and with the first Finn start being scheduled for 16:20, it gave the stronger northerly winds more time to become established. After sailing on the more inshore course area 3 yesterday, today the Finns were out of course area 4, which is more exposed to the prevailing conditions with generally stronger winds and larger waves. However, what looked like promising conditions turned into one very up and down race, that left a few of the front runners picking up high scores.

Yellow fleet

The event leader after day one, Emilios Papathanasiou (GRE) choose the right hand side of the beat and paid dearly, rounding the top mark buried in the 30s. He could only recover to finish 12^th. Meanwhile Daniel Birgmark (SWE) took the left hand side and found better pressure to lead round the top mark while the boats on the right were left floundering in hardly any wind. From there he went on to win the race by a substantial margin.

Birgmark said, “The conditions were really tough, and a bit similar to race one yesterday. I tried to look up the course more and see what was going on. To me there looked like less wind on the right so I went to the left and tacked to the left of the fleet. A couple of boats went further than me, but I just managed to round the top mark first. The reach was good for me as I extended by 100 metres and then gained more downwind. On the third beat I got a bit nervous as rounded the bottom mark in hardly any wind and then saw lots of pressure coming down the course. I tried to stay in the middle top protect my position, and this time the wind came in from where it was at the start.” Birgmark locked into this shift and went on to win the race by around 2 minutes. In fact the variable conditions had split the fleet enormously, with a whole beat between first and last place.

Second place went to Oleksiy Borysov (UKR) with Chris Cook (CAN ) in third. Cook rounded the top mark in sixth and then bizarrely was flagged for pumping while the Oscar flag was still up for free pumping. He said “In a strange way it worked in my favour as I then took some shifts I may otherwise not have taken, and which moved me up to third. The Jury apologised for the misunderstanding later.”

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Get to know the sailor: Waclaw Szukiel (POL)

If I were not in Cascais I would be...at home with my family and new daughter

My top tip for this week is...should take care of wind. I think it will be a really windy regatta, compared to others this year

My main strength is...technique

My proudest moment is...the birth of my daughter, the most beautiful thing in my life

My friends would say that I'm....I'm a little bit crazy maybe, always sailing, sailing, sailing, and when I get some free time I go sailing.

I am very bad at...gymnastics!

My philosophy for life is...always think about the future and go there step by step

My favourites for this week are...Rafa [Trujillo] who should be good here and Rafal [Szukiel] who has been getting better in a breeze recently.

The best thing so far about Cascais is...the really nice town, with nice buildings and nice people, and nice places to visit. The Portuguese are sailors too so it's nice to be here with them.

If I were in charge of sailing I'd...listen to sailors and and find out what they wanted.

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Blue fleet

In contrast, the blue fleet had a much more even race. The wind went through the range, but was slightly steadier in direction than the yellow fleet had experienced. The boats who took the right side of the course emerged first at the top mark with Tapio Nirkko (FIN) leading Chris Brittle (GBR) and Jonas Høgh-Christensen (DEN).

Høgh-Christensen was soon in the lead on the free pumping first leg with Pieter Jan Postma (NED) in hot pursuit. These two battled at the front for most of the race, with Postma moving ahead on the second downwind and leading to the finish. Høgh-Christensen came in a very close second, with Gasper Vincec (SLO) in third. Nirkko finished fourth.

Brittle, who finally finished in ninth place said later, “It was a bit of a head up day. You really needed to look out of the boat and see what was going on.”

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Get to know the sailor: Pieter-Jan Postma (NED)

If I were not in Cascais I would be... probably sailing big boats. I have a lot of plans for future. Sailing is a big passion and I like big boat sailing. I would like to sail Volvo OR next time, maybe TP52.

My top tip for this week is...relax, concentrate when you need to and look at the big picture

My main strength is...being able to analyse the wind. I also like big waves and surfing downwind

My proudest moment is...still to come!

My friends would say that I'm....positive, driven, flexible, searching to get more out of life, friendly, like people, happy

I am very bad at...doing less. I always like to do more

My philosophy for life is...there's only here and now, so first try and the best out of the moment, then get out and make some moments. You don't need to rush about and look ahead. Just live today and enjoy it

My favourites for this week is...Daniel Birgmark, he's likes to peak at the right time

The best thing so far about Cascais is...beautiful place, the people are very friendly and warm

If I were in charge of sailing...it's all about the pleasure of sailing, and making it as clear and easy as possible. Perhaps it's good to focus on a few classes so the level goes really high, then it becomes really good sailing, with more people and then you feel the real passion of sailing.

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Big issues

Although the main issue here for some is qualifying their country for one of the 19 places awarded here for the 2008 Olympic Sailing competition – a further 6 more will be awarded after the Finn Gold Cup in Melbourne in February – many countries here are also using this event as part of their sailor selection process for both the pre-Olympics this August and the Olympics next year.

For some sailors, this is leading to some tense racing as they try to stay consistent in the challenging conditions here in Cascais. At the moment Tim Goodbody (IRL) has up the upper hand over Aaron O'Grady (IRL), while the Croatians Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic (CRO and Marin Misura (CRO) are neck and neck. For the Szukiel brothers from Poland, this event is one of the qualifiers for 2008, although the younger Rafal has already been selected for the pre-Olympics next month.

Two Indians are sailing their first Finn Gold Cup here – Nitin Mongia (IND) and Nachhatar Johal (IND) - and this event will decide who goes to Qingdao next month. For the two French sailors here – Ismael Bruno (FRA) and Jonathan Lobert (FRA) – the news that the top French Finn sailor Guiallame Florent (FRA) (who was the favourite to qualify for Qingdao and finished 8^th in Athens) has dropped out of the class was a surprise and has left them fighting for selection between themselves.

It should be as interesting to watch these battles develop throughout the week as the battle is sure to be for the top ten. However one group of sailors who seem very relaxed are the boys from the +39 America's Cup boat, who returned to the Finn following their exit from the AC after the round robins. The four sailors here are Rafael Trujillo (ESP), Michael Maier (CZE), Anthony Nossiter (AUS) and Chris Brittle (GBR) and all revelled in yesterday's windy conditions to all place in the top ten in both races – quite something in this very competitive fleet. Today Brittle and Nossiter also finished in the top ten. The training they did in Finns in Valencia is clearly paying off now.

One one race

By the time the first race had finished, the wind had increased to 25 knots and the fleets looked set for a fantastic race in the rapidly building sea. The race officer tried to move the course further inshore, but then the wind started to decease and shift so he sent the sailors home.

In the meantime some of the sailors were not happy with the race management and are protesting the race as unfair. Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic (CRO) finished fifth in his race but tended to agree. “Although I placed well, it was not a fair race for some and should have been stopped on the first beat. On one side the sailors had nothing and on the other they had 15 knots. It was not a fair test.”

Day three - Postma dominates big breeze day in the Finns

A double win for Pieter-Jan Postma (NED) in his favourite conditions moves him up to second overall, although Emilios Papathanasiou (GRE) re-takes the lead after placing third and second today.

After complaining about lack of wind yesterday, the Finn sailors got their just rewards with two races on course area 5 in what can only be described as awesome conditions for Finn sailing. With winds up to 37 knots and big seas rolling downwind, most sailors merely tried to survive, but for some, these were exactly the conditions they were waiting for and they loved it. Winner of the second yellow fleet race Rafael Trujillo (ESP) commented, “Finally we have had some proper Finn racing after so much light weather this year.”

Starting on time at 13.00, yellow fleet sailed two laps of an outer trapezoid while blue fleet sailed the inner trapezoid course. While the upwind legs were a physical challenge, the downwind legs provided some of the most exhilarating sailing the fleet has had for years. There were many capsizes including João Signorini (BRA) who went in six times and the overnight leader Jonas Høgh-Christensen (DEN) who capsized in race one while near the front and spent so much time upside down that he ended up in last place. However, world champions are made of sterner stuff and he pulled back through the fleet to finally finish an impressive 10^th.

After the first race Zach Railey (USA) declared, “I could have done with a seatbelt today. It was wild.” Chief measurer Juri Saraskin commented, “The Finn is an animal in these conditions.” It was certainly some show; it was what the Finn was made for.

For the second race, the race officer decided to keep the fleets on the inshore and less exposed course and ran a windward leeward course which allowed the support fleet to respond more quickly to casualties – and there were still plenty of them with upturned hulls littering the course like albino hippos, even though the wind only reached 25 knots.

Blue fleet

The right side of the course paid all day and in the first race Matthias Bohn (GER) got it right to lead round the top mark. Marin Misura (CRO) took the lead offwind and powered away to win the race by a remarkable margin. Even he had trouble though, almost losing it just yards from the finish line when a massive wave knocked him sideways and almost capsized him. Gasper Vincec (SLO) had struggled on the first beat and rounded about 10^th, but displayed excellent speed downwind to pull through to second. Emilios Papathanasiou (GRE) took third place.

For the second race, Trujillo emerged at the top mark in the lead followed by Høgh-Christensen and Vincec. Signorini made up for his disappointing morning by moving ahead on the next lap and finally finished third after Trujillo took the lead at the final windward mark and Papathanasiou passed the Brazilian on the final downwind.

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Get to know the sailor: Joao Signorini (BRA)

If I were not in Cascais I would be...in Rio de Janeiro

My top tip for this week is...have strong legs

My main strength is...downwind with free pumping

My proudest moment is...completing the Volvo Ocean Race in third place.

My friends would say that I'm....a very funny guy

I am very bad at...studying

My philosophy for life is...have fun and be with good friends

I think the favourites this week are...not sure, maybe Emilios

The best thing so far about Cascais is...the sun

If I were in charge of sailing I'd...for sure, I'd never be in charge of sailing!

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Yellow fleet

Yellow fleet today belonged to one man – Pieter Jan Postma (NED) – who excelled in his favourite conditions. However first round the top mark was Ismael Bruno (FRA). Bruno – who actually comes from Martinique – led for the first two laps and finished fourth. He then rounded off a great day with a sixth and now sits in 15^thplace, well inside the qualification zone for Olympic places. Postma finally won the very close race from Ed Wright (GBR) and Dan Slater (NZL).

Postma clearly found race two more to his liking, leading round the first mark by a considerable margin and extending on every leg to take his third consecutive race win of the series. Postma was followed by Chris Brittle (GBR) and Chris Cook (CAN). While Brittle dropped back Cook stayed in second to the finish and now lies fourth overall. Daniel Birgmark (SWE) rounded off a good day with a third to add to a fifth in the morning race.

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Get to know the sailor: Ivan Kljokovic Gaspic (CRO)

If I were not in Cascais I would be...studying for my university economics exams in Croatia

My top tip for this week is...keep your head clear and concentrate.

My main strength is...lots of training this season focussing on sailing and some good steady sailing so far this year.

My proudest moment is...every moment I sail is a nice moment. Some people would say answer good results but I'd say good sailing. Maybe sometimes you don't need to finish first. Sometimes you need to come back from last place to top ten and then you feel really good. And it's the good sailing that keeps you going.

My friends would say that I'm....probably friendly, consistent and determined

I am very bad at...going out and drinking! Last couple of years I have been really focussed on sport, so there has been less time for partying.

My philosophy for life is...make the best of every day

I think the favourites this week are...anyone from top ten could do well this well. We have all done a lot of good training so far this season, so everyone has peaked for here and we are ready for this regatta.

The best thing so far about Cascais is...very nice venue, lots of places to visit, nice bars and restaurants – it's very comfortable. I didn't expect it to be so nice here but you don't feel like you just came for the sailing. It's a really friendly place and makes you feel at home.

If I were in charge of sailing I'd...I'd keep on doing what ISAF is doing by making sailing more popular and interesting to people so we can attract more sponsors and more money and more people to sailing and continue to increase the sport's appeal.

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New nation

The Finn class is delighted to welcome its first ever sailor from Venezuela. Johnny Balbao (VEN) joined the Finn fleet for the first time in Palma this year and is now in Cascais trying to qualify for China and also to prove himself to his national federation.

“This is the second time I have raced the Finn and I'm really enjoying it. It is different to the Laser, a much bigger boat, so for me it's better as I am 100 kg. I was struggling to keep my weight down enough for the Laser.”

His determination to prove himself is very evident. “My plan is to go to China for the Olympics so my goal this week is to qualify Venezuela for one of the places there. However, I have no funding at the moment so I need to prove to my federation that I have what it takes and can make it. I chartered a boat in Palma, but that was not very good, so I made a big sacrifice and bought a new boat for this event so I could compete with everyone else. I didn't really have any other option.”

“I have a lot to learn about the Finn, especially on the downwind sailing which is very different to the Laser. It is much harder. However my biggest problem so far this week has been getting good starts. I am timing it wrong and starting in the back row. Everyone goes forward so quickly and I get left behind. However, I am really enjoying the strong winds and I am learning all the time. Cascais is a very nice place for sailing and the waves are similar to those we have in Venezuela.”

Balbao is currently lying in 46 place overall, after placing 18^th and 19^th in today's races.

Lay day

Series leader Papathanasiou stressed the need to be careful in these conditions. “It was really windy out there today, especially on the outer loop where it was over 35 knots. Sometimes I though I was about to break something because I was going too fast or trying too hard, so I told myself to keep quiet, there's no need to capsize or break my boat because we have many more races to go. The PRO did a great job today and I'm really happy with how today went for me.”

He is leading the series on 7 points with Postma just one point behind. Trujillo is in third place on 10 points. Papathanasiou continued, “With the two fleet system we have here everything is so very close.” In fact there are only 14 points separating the top 10 at this stage. “That should make it really exciting both for us racing and for everyone watching.”

For those interested in such things, there were seven requests for redress for yesterday's race which some sailors thought unfair due to massive wind differential across the course,. However the jury disagreed and denied redress to all requests.

After three tough days, the fleet fleet are grateful that tomorrow is a lay day. Today, Saturday, was the last day of the opening series for the Finn class. With yesterday's abandoned race not being resailed, the five races will decide who goes into the gold and silver fleets for Monday and Tuesday and who can no longer qualify their country for the 2008 Olympics. Currently there are 24 nations in the Gold Fleet and the top 19 of those – the places available here for 2008 – are in the top 24 placings overall. There is still a long way to go, but any of those hoping to qualify their country must realistically try to be in the top 25 at the end of the event.

Feature - World champion in waiting?

For many sailors here,Greek sailor Emilios Papathanasiou is highly tipped to take the title this week. As the most experienced and medalled sailor in the fleet one would already have expected him to have won a world title but it has continued to elude him time after time. However, he is undoubtedly the best sailor in recent years never to have won a world championship. Could this be his year?

He sailed his first Olympics in 1996 in Savannah, USA and did so badly, that he went home and started to train immediately. This was rewarded the following year with a top ten at the Finn Gold Cup in Gdansk and a third place finish at the European Championships in Split. Since then Papathanasiou has been a force to be reckoned with at every major regatta, but an Olympic medal and a world championship title have always evaporated in front of him. His only major success was in becoming the 2001 European Champion.

However, between 2000 and 2002 he took the bronze medal at the Finn Gold Cup three times in a row, behind the likes of Mateusz Kusznierewicz (POL), Sebastien Godefroid (BEL) and Ben Ainslie (GBR). He returned to the podium in 2005 again behind Ainslie, losing the title on the final sailed race. In 2006, he again took the silver medal within a whisker of Jonas Høgh-Christensen (DEN).

Cascais

Papathanasiou started his 2007 attempt here in Cascais on Thursday, with two confident race wins in the tricky conditions. Then, as so many times before it seemed to go wrong on Friday. He said, “I had a bad race on Friday in awful conditions – no wind one side, 15 knots the other, 60 degrees shifts, free pumping, no free pumping. I finished 12^th. But it has happened now so I look forward keep going and try to discard it.” In yesterday's extreme conditions he placed second and third to move back into the lead.

“You need to be careful in those conditions. Sometimes I think I should try to push my boat to the limit. But then you have chance to capsize or damage something and as we are only just starting this world championship, sometimes it pays to be careful.”

On second overall Pieter-Jan Postma (NED), he said, “PJ is sailing very well and is showing good form. He proved he's fast in a breeze. He's very good technically, probably one of the best in the fleet. However the points are close so everyone is still in the game. Anyone in top 10 can easily take the medals and I think this is very good for sport and for those watching . I think this is very nice. I hope and I'm sure that the next four races are very enjoyable and interesting for people to watch.”

Racing

On his preferred conditions, “I prefer to have all types of conditions. Some sailors go really fast in one condition. For me I can survive and get top places in strong winds as well as light winds. This is good and proves why in the last 12 years I have won nine medals in Finn Gold Cup and European Championships. I am very confident in all conditions.”

On the series so far, “The top is all very close. Many sailors are still very much in the game. I think the mental race is more technical than physical though and will depend much on experience. Then the medal race itself is very tough. You need to concentrate a lot. When the medal comes close the legs are heavy and the heart beats faster. Here experience can help more than in some other sports. This can make the difference between winning and losing.”

On the Finn, “The Finn class once again has some really good sailors. This makes the Finn one of the favourite classes in sailing and why since 1952 it has been in the Olympic games, and I'm sure in the future. The Finn embodies the spirit of sailing.”

Priorities

On the pre-Olympics (next month) being so close to the ISAF Sailing World Championships: “For sure it is a breezy venue here, and maybe it will be light winds for Qingdao. Has this regatta wrecked some sailors chances of performing well in Qingdao because they have prepared for a windy regatta here? No I don't think so. If you want to be top sportsman and top sailor you must be good in all conditions. Who knows what will happen? In Qingdao we could easily have some days of strong winds and big waves. In 2006 almost 40 per cent of regatta was like this, so if you are not ready for everything you have no chance of winning a medal.”

On what winning the Finn Gold Cup would mean to him, “This is the world championship, it is the most important regatta of the year. Of course everyone wants to win. But this year is an exception. My first priority here is to quality the country for 2008, because next year the Finn Gold Cup is in January in Melbourne, just seven months away from the games in August. That means it will be hard to prepare my body and my priorities in both January and August. So I want to finish here with a good result, qualify the country, then go to Qingdao for the test event. And then after that I will only focus on preparing for the Olympic games.”

On the Gold fleet racing: “I will keep sailing much the same as I have been. Of course there will be more key sailors on the start line so some parts will be tougher. The key will be to concentrate on the wind, which is off the land, so there are many shifts to look out for. I will keep trying to be consistently in the top four, keep going bit by bit, point by point. Of course sometimes when I see it is possible to push the limit I do so, but under control.”

Racing for the Finn class here in Cascais resumes Monday at 13.00 after a lay day today, Sunday. Papathanasiou currently leads Pieter-Jan Postma by one point with Rafael Trujillo (ESP) another two points back. There are only 14 points separating the top ten, so the initial Gold Fleet races could be a crucial decider in the 2007 Finn Gold Cup.

Day four - Postma dominates big breeze day in the Finns

A double win for Pieter-Jan Postma (NED) in his favourite conditions moves him up to second overall, although Emilios Papathanasiou (GRE) re-takes the lead after placing third and second today.

Blue fleet

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Get to know the sailor: Joao Signorini (BRA)

If I were not in Cascais I would be...in Rio de Janeiro

My top tip for this week is...have strong legs

My main strength is...downwind with free pumping

My proudest moment is...completing the Volvo Ocean Race in third place.

My friends would say that I'm....a very funny guy

I am very bad at...studying

My philosophy for life is...have fun and be with good friends

I think the favourites this week are...not sure, maybe Emilios

The best thing so far about Cascais is...the sun

If I were in charge of sailing I'd...for sure, I'd never be in charge of sailing!

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Yellow fleet

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Get to know the sailor: Ivan Kljokovic Gaspic (CRO)

If I were not in Cascais I would be...studying for my university economics exams in Croatia

My top tip for this week is...keep your head clear and concentrate.

My main strength is...lots of training this season focussing on sailing and some good steady sailing so far this year.

My friends would say that I'm....probably friendly, consistent and determined

I am very bad at...going out and drinking! Last couple of years I have been really focussed on sport, so there has been less time for partying.

My philosophy for life is...make the best of every day

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New nation

Balbao is currently lying in 46 place overall, after placing 18^th and 19^th in today's races.

Lay day

Day five- High winds keep fleets ashore

After last night's very windy conditions, this morning dawned bright and breezy at the ISAF Sailing World Championships. In fact it was very breezy. Over 35 knots was recorded on the more sheltered inshore course area 1 where the Star and Tornado fleets were due to sail their medal races today. On the outside course, and especially on course area 4 where the Finns were due to start their gold and silver fleet racing, it was blowing considerably more. The fleets were kept ashore, despite the predictable displays of bravado from the Finn sailors.

Throughout the day the wind buffeted the marina and swept chairs along the decking like plastic cups. With not even a cloud in the sky, the deafening flapping of the press tent was interspersed with hourly updates on the wind strength and the announcement of the next fleet to have its racing cancelled. By 18.00, the Finn sailors had been kept waiting for seven hours, but the wind on course four was still over 30 knots, so the organisers admitted defeat and the sailors were finally sent home.

What this means for the sailors is that tomorrow there will be two races sailed as per schedule and that the lost races will not be re-sailed. Race director Henry van der Att emphasised at the final press conference tonight that only classes that have sailed less than the minimum required by the sailing instruction will play catch up. The Finns have already sailed five, which was the minimum to constitute an opening series.

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Get to know the sailor: Chris Cook

If I were not in Cascais I would be...in Toronto, hanging out with my girlfriend and probably training.

My top tip for this week is...hopefully you came prepared and fit and ready for this. Breeze on!

My main strength is...probably making comebacks

My proudest moment is...certainly I think coming third in the Gold Cup in Moscow in 2005. That was a big moment for me.

My friends would say that I'm....a little bit crazy maybe

I am very bad at...losing

I think the favourites this week are...well Emilios wants it badly but you have to give keep an eye on Ed Wright.

The best thing so far about Cascais is...definitely the hospitality. When in first came here I didn't think it was going to be all that hospitable, but it turns out they are just a great bunch of people here. I'm really impressed

If I were in charge of sailing I'd...probably not change much right now, I think I would make more events like this one, where everyone's world championships are all together. I like this format and the way they do this.

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Event format

Chris Cook elaborated on the benefits of a combined world championship “Outside of Canada, we don't get to intermix much with other Canadian sailors. I think we have a pretty close team which has got tighter over the past year, but outside of the Canadian team and the Finn class it's pretty hard to keep tabs on everything and that's why I like this format because you get to meet top sailors in other classes.”

“I also like the format we have here this week.” Two daily allocated fleets of about 40 sail a opening series to qualify for a gold and silver fleet for two days before the final medal race. “I've always been a fan of the split fleet format such as we have used in Holland at the now Breitling regatta. It's good for me because it gives me a little bit more room to manoeuvre. I know that some of the Laser sailors coming into the class also like it, as it gives them a advantage over others who are more used to larger fleets. I do think there are a lot of things that should change about the Finn Gold Cup format. For example I think we should get rid of the triangle courses. No one else does that any more, so it's a problem. Perhaps it is time to move on.”

Speaking about the week he said, “So far I have only made two mistakes in the series, and that's stopped me from being in a winning position right now, so that's pretty good. For the rest of the regatta I just want to keep doing what I've been doing so far, and then go into the medal race with a chance to win.” Then he added wryly, “But i guess that's everyone's plan right now with such a tight series. It's a shame we lost today. It's a bit of wasted day. I could have been getting more rest.”

As for the medal race itself, Cook has some serious worries about the way they are conducted. “Well to start with, I've been at the losing end of a bunch of them. However, I do think that the medal race idea is a good one but that the double points is wrong. I don't think they should do that. It's almost like they are looking for an upset, looking to get on video the disappointment of somebody losing unjustly. I don't like that idea. I like the idea of the top ten going into a race at the end, but at the end of the day if someone goes into the medal race with a 10 point lead they really deserve to win the event.”

“It doesn't even matter how long the race turns out to be. You can have a half hour race or an hour race like we did in Holland and it can turn into a crap shoot just the same. You just have to make it a fair race. It seems to me that there is so much pressure to have a medal race that they do it at all costs. Sometimes it seems like if the wind drops to zero knots, it is kept going even though it's no longer a fair race. I think it just favours the media a little too much.”

Final races

Racing continues – weather permitting – tomorrow, Tuesday, at the same time of 13.00 with two races scheduled on course area 5, the outer course that was the scene of Saturday's extreme racing. Some Finn sailors – and certainly the photographers – are hoping for more of the same, but perhaps a bit less wind than today.

Full results can be found on the event website

Day six - Made for TV Finn sailing

After today's up and down racing, the Finn medal race tomorrow is about as close as it's possible to get. The top seven sailors are within just five points of each other and each has a shot at the world title.

You can't make up this stuff. The 2007 Finn World Championship has remained unbelievably tight all the way through and today was no exception. Any sailor looking to build a points margin going into tomorrow's medal race came back today disappointed, with most sailors in the top ten picking up at least one high score.

The overnight leader Emilios Papathanasiou (GRE) got a 4 and 35. Fourth placed overnight Chris Cook (CAN) got a 2 and DNF while fourth overnight Ed Wright (GBR) placed 19 and 4 and seventh placed overnight Gasper Vincec (SLO) placed 1 and 33. This has left the top seven boats within just five points of each other going into tomorrow's medal race and means that there is a fairly good chance that whoever wins the medal race wins the 2007 Finn World Championship.

With the racing today on course area five, the fleet were expecting big winds and big waves again and, although the wind remained shifty and patchy, for the most part the winds were moderate to strong. The race officer set three rounds of windward-leeward course.

Gold fleet

In the first race today – which finally started after a 50 minute postponement to allow the wind to settle down to a solid 20 knots – a large right-hand shift half way up the first beat left Gasper Vincec (SLO) and Rafael Trujillo (ESP) in a great position on the right hand side of the course. Vincec rounded first and went onto win the race by a comfortable margin, with excellent offwind speed. On the second round Chris Cook (CAN) pulled through Trujillo to take second. Other contenders such as Ed Wright (GBR) and Daniel Birgmark (SWE) were buried mid-fleet and could find no way out. Series leader Emilios Papathanasiou (GRE) came home in fourth, and just retained the overall championship lead. However all that was about to change.

The second race looked like it be a repeat of the first, but this time the leaders emerged from the middle of the course with the winner of Saturday's first race, Marin Misura (CRO) taking an early lead round the top mark followed by Jonas Høgh-Christensen (DEN) and Wright. Those who took the previously favoured right hand side were left with a lot of catching up to do. These included Vincec, Papathanasiou and Cook.

The final upwind brought a change though. Høgh-Christensen explained, “At the final leeward gate I went to the right hand one looking downwind and ED and Marin went to the left hand one. Then the wind went left a bit and I picked up a bit on them. Slowly it went further until I was right behind the Croation. Then coming into the top mark, I got a few right shifts right to take the lead and I had a good offwind leg to take the win. The first race was tough though. I ended up 11^th after I was stuck in the middle when the wind went right.”

Vincec's story is quite the reverse. “In the first race, the wind was like Saturday, when the right paid. I was sure it was the right way to go from the start and I was faster than Rafa, so managed to win.” In the second raced of the day he was nearly last. “I was trying everything at the start but it was not happening, I was nearly last but I had Emilios behind me! I needed to get better than 6^th to make a difference”

This means that Papathanasiou now has to count his 12^th from day two and drops to sixth overall. PieterJan Postma (NED) takes the lead on 19 points, with Trujillo and Cook on 20 points, Wright on 21, Cook on 21, Vincec on 22, Papathanasiou on 23 and Høgh-Christensen on 24.

Høgh-Christensen summed up, “Anyone can win the gold. It will make great TV.”

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Get to know the sailor: Michael Maier

If I were not in Cascais I would be...maybe in Valencia sailing maybe I stay in the garden

My goal for this week is...stay in the top 20. I am just sailing just for fun, just for me. I am sending my boat to China as I qualified for pre-Olympics At the Europeans in Hungary. For next year we have yet to decide what we are doing. I still feel fit and able to go, so we have some decisions to make

My main strength is...going sailing. This day off is good for some but I prefer to go sailing, finish and go home.

My proudest moment is...at the 2000 Finn Gold Cup in Weynmouth I finished 5^th,although I won the Masters last year, which Luca pushed me into doing, When I sail with Master boys and see many faces looking at me saying 'what are you doing here.' Maybe I'll leave the masters until I am a bit older.

My friends would say that I'm....some friends tell me I'm completely crazy, some tell me I'm a little bit crazy and some would say “So you're still sailing Finn eh?”

I am very bad at...unjust decisions. The worst moment for me was that in 1992, I was dropped from the team just a few days before we left for Barcelona because they said the team was too big. I stopped all Finn sailing as I was so angry. In 1993 I just sailed the Fin Gold Cup in Ireland. I tried speed board, mistrals and things. But my friends told me to get back in the Finn and this is now my 28^th season. I first won the Czech title in 1980, aged 18. I am very happy with this class. It is good.

My philosophy for life is...I started building car workshop for 15 years and I sold this before Athens because I decided I must make a choice between sailing and work and I think I have made the right decision

I think the favourites this week are...for me, I think Emilios has the best technique in this group. If we have a little bit less than Saturday, his steering is perfect up and down wind. But any in the top 10 could do it. It's not east to say

The best thing so far about Cascais is...I cross the botanical garden before and after sailing and it is my comfort zone. Sometimes I just stop and take it in

If I were in charge of sailing I'd...there is too much pressure sometimes for the Jury. 12 knots on flat water and waves is different. Maybe we move the wind limit for free pumping, say 10 knots. Sometimes you get flagged for absolutely nothing, just by moving or something. sometime the decision is too hard, sometimes they seem to work to different rules.

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Silver Fleet

The silver fleet also sailed two races in these tricky conditions. Going into tomorrow's final race, Sander Willems (NED) leads fellow Dutchman Stefan de Vries (NED) by nine points after placing third and first today. Willems lost the first race in the closing stages after a long battle with Piotr Kula (POL). Although none of those in the silver fleet can qualify their nation for the Olympics there is still the small matter of pride.

Medal race

Those sailors who have reached the medal race have guaranteed their country a place in next year's Olympics. However for some here, a good placing counts for even more. By placing in the top 10, Nossiter has already guaranteed his place in Qingdao next summer. For Trujillo, tomorrow's race determines his national federation athlete grant, and he stands to lose or gain some 38,000 Euros depending on his result. However for him the win is more important than the financial rewards.

The top ten sailors are each from a different nation, so these ten – NED, ESP, SLO, GBR, CAN, GRE, DEN, CRO, SWE AND AUS – have already qualified their country for a place in Qingdao next year. The other nine places are still wide open, with FRA, FIN and NZL leading the race. The final gold fleet race tomorrow, scheduled for 14.40 will decide the remaining nations to qualify at this event.

Tomorrow's medal race at 16.30 will undoubtedly be a show. Currently the wind is kicking through Cascais Bay at well over 30 knots, so the sailors are hoping there is a not a repeat of Monday when the Star and Tornado medal races were abandoned.

For those who like mathematics, there are many options for tomorrow's race. If Postma, Trujillo or Vincec win the race they become world champion, irrespective of what anyone else does. For Wright or Cook to win they need Postma to be at least two places behind him. For Papathanasiou to win, he must put three boats between himself and Postma and two between himself and any of the the top five boats. It is certainly going to be an exciting end to what has been the closest Finn World Championships in recent years.

Final day - Trujillo takes gold in thrilling medal race

In an thrilling and close medal race, Rafael Trujillo (ESP) won the 2007 Finn Gold Cup after some fantastic sailing on the second lap. A third place was enough for Pieter-Jan Postma (NED) to take the silver while Gasper Vincec (SLO) took bronze.

It is highly unlikely in the long history of the Finn Gold Cup that seven sailors have been in with a chance of winning the title going into the final race. This unusual situation unfolded today at the ISAF Sailing World Championships in Cascais, Portugal, which was to prove as exciting for spectators as it was mind-boggling for the commentators trying to work through the various scenarios and keep everyone up-to-date.

The medal race was scheduled to start at 16.30, but before then the final races for the gold and silver fleets were attempted out on course area four. For the remaining sailors left in the gold fleet, there was still the question of nine places at the 2008 Olympics to sort out. In contrast to the past few days, the day started with very light winds, although by the time racing began at just after 16.30, it had built to a solid 15 knots.

Gold and Silver

However the gold and silver fleets were not so lucky. Sailed further offshore, the wind was not quite so helpful as for the medal race. The silver fleet was finally abandoned after two hours of trying, but the gold fleet got their race in. Mathias Bohn (GER) who was lying last in the gold fleet going into this race, banged the left hand corner hard and led round the course to win, followed by Brendan Caset (AUS), Rafal Szukiel (POL), Mark Andrews (GBR) and Zach Railey (USA). This means the other nine nations qualified for Qingdao – in addition to the 10 already qualified from yesterday – are: FIN, FRA, NZL POL, USA, CZE, BRA, IRL and NOR.

Medal race

The medal race was quite a spectacle and took place within sight of the breakwater with TV cameras, a helicopter, live online footage and a large flotilla of support boats and spectators circling the fleet like expectant fathers.

At the start, Emilios Papathanasiou crossed the line next to the committee boat and immediately tacked for the right hand side of the course. This decision cost him any chance of a medal. He was soon followed to the right by Ed Wright (GBR) and Pieter-Jan Postma (NED). Then the wind started to go left and it looked bad for these three. Postma bailed out and took a loss to get across to the left. Papathanasiou and Wright kept going. When Wright finally tacked back, he was well behind the pack. Papathanasiou went event further to the right before tacking.

On the left side of the course Rafael Trujillo (ESP), Anthony Nossiter (AUS) and Gasper Vincec (SLO) were sailing high on a left hand lift and looked to be well ahead. On the right Papathanasiou, Marin Misura (CRO) and Wright were still suffering from the left hand shift.

Then the middle starting looking good as Daniel Birgmark (SWE) emerged in the lead as the two sides came together and those on the left suffered a bit, but not as much as those on the right. Round the first mark it was SWE, AUS, NED, SLO, DEN, ESP, GBR, GRE, CRO and CAN. At this point, Postma held the winning position.

On the first downwind Nossiter, Jonas Høgh-Christensen (DEN) and Trujillo favoured the right side while Vincec and Wright went to the left. Birgmark calmly sailed down the middle and still maintained his lead round the leeward gate, while Vincec had moved up to second. Trujillo was down in sixth. Vincec was now looking at the gold medal if if could hang onto this position.

The second beat changed everything. With regular shifts coming through, it was paying to take every one. Wright, Høgh-Christensen and Misura gambled on the right again – and lost. The other seven boats played the middle left and gradually Trujillo began to make up ground. Half way up the beat Birgmark was still ahead, but then Trujillo broke out to the right and came back on a massive right hander that put him in the lead. Wright and Høgh-Christensen also looked to benefit from this shift, but at just the wrong moment the wind cruelly went left again and the boats coming across from the left easily crossed ahead.

On the middle-left Papathanasiou was trying every trick in the book to make up some distance on the leaders, tacking on every shift coming through. To some extent he succeeded but then – along with Nossiter – ended up too far to the left to capitalise on it when another big shift came in from the right. For a while they looked good coming into the top mark on a large left hand shift which left the boats who had gambled on the extreme right – Postma, Wright and Vincec – looking in trouble. But then the wind went back to the right again.

Trujillo locked into this final shift to lead round the last windward mark with a useful gap on Birgmark and Postma right behind. DEN, SLO, AUS, GBR, GRE, CRO and CAN followed them round.

The final downwind leg offered little chance of comebacks although the sailors were giving it everything. The leaders headed right while Vincec and Wright tried the left. Birgmark was more to the middle but maintained second place down the relatively short leg. Postma was catching both of them and had the leg been a little longer, we could have been writing a different story.

Trujillo crossed the line to the jubilant shouts of his fellow Spanish Finn sailors who had stopped on the way in from their silver fleet race. Postma's third place was enough to take the silver medal while a fifth from Vincec gave him the bronze by just two points. Yesterday, the sailors joked that the final order would probably be the same order as the medal race, and for the top three this proved to be the case.

So, Trujillo becomes only the third Spaniard to win the Finn world championship after Joaquin Blanco in 1977 and Jose Doreste in 1987. Four years ago in Cadiz, he watched victory slip away in the closing stages of the final race as Ben Ainslie (GBR) recovered from 35^th at the first mark to final finish right behind Trujillo to take the title for the second time. Last year he came very close too, but again lost it i the closing stages. For Trujillo – who has kept up his Finn sailing while being a member of the +39 America's Cup team – a win this year is a dream come true.

Trujillo said, “I am really happy. If I lost it today, it would be the third time I would have lost it on the final day. It has been one of my main ambitions to try and win a Gold Cup at least once in my life. On the second upwind I was a bit lucky. I took a left shift in pressure and crossed to right. I was the only one with this pressure. I kept going to the right and crossed my fingers and hoped for a right shift – I was lucky and it went right again. Then on the downwind, after PJ passed me yesterday on the finish, I was pleased to stay ahead today.” Trujillo then paid tribute to the other sailors, “Most of them held positions at some point that would put them on the podium. I also think everyone watching has seen a very exciting week here in Cascais. We need to try to choose venues like this that provide great wind conditions.”

Postma has justified his form so far this season with a silver medal. He won more races than any other sailor here, but a bad choice out of the start left him playing catch up, and perhaps to much to do. His downwind speed here has been devastating and will pose a very real threat to all Finn sailors next year. Postma paid tribute to Trujillo, “ Rafa was the best on the day. I enjoyed this regatta very much, and I'm really, really happy with the silver. On the final downwind I thought that I was going to get him, it was close, close close. Very exciting.”

For Vincec, who is one of the recipients of an Olympic Solidarity Scholarship, the bronze medal here rounds off a superb season in the Finn, with several regatta victories early in the year and a great stepping stone for him towards the Olympics next year. Vincec said, “I thought you had to sail AC before you can take gold in the Finn world championship, so anybody want me? It was perfect this week, very exciting racing, especially the last downwind today. But I am very happy with third.”

Innovation

The Finn class has always prided itself on being at the forefront of innovation and development, even from its earliest days, and that has not changed much to this day. Out on the water today spectators may have noticed a strange looking appendage attached to the rear deck of the Finns in the medal race. Although several classes have been looking at this technology, the Finn is the only class in Cascais to have solved many of the problems.

Gus Miller (USA) explained, “Three of the Finns in today's medal race carried on-board cameras to record the acti1on close up. We have been developing this technology for a while now and hope to be able to present some really interesting footage of the racing. The other seven Finns will be carrying dummies of the same weight and size, so there is no disadvantage to any boat.”

Trial runs with an earlier model were carried out at the Europeans on Lake Balaton. Then after advice from the Jury and measurement officials, the design was modified and the whole assembly now fits inside the extension of the rudder. “This, together with the way the assembly is constructed should limit contact with other boats if they come too close to the rudder, although the Jury has declared that the frames do actually constitute part of the boat.”

Miller stated, “We have a few technical issues to sort out, but this will provide a never seen before view into the cockpit of a Finn during the heat of battle. It should be fascinating.” The frames have actually been built by a US based company that also makes carbon helicopter blades. “They have been designed for strength and to be light. A Nomex base is clamped to the deck with clips round the gunwale and elastic bungee cord into the cockpit. The two supporting arms are constructed using a complex lay up of carbon which is virtually indestructible. The whole camera mount weighs less than 500 grams, so it will have a negligible impact on performance.”

He said, “We originally developed this technology to help with training and clinics. Watching the sailor in action and the way the rig works provides a very useful analytical insight into problems areas. Several of the sailors have already bought frames and cameras to use in their own training programmes.”

A bullet camera is mounted in a protected position on the ends of the arms with a cable connecting it to a waterproof box containing a camcorder located in the cockpit. After the sailors come ashore this material is retrieved and edited ready for broadcast.

Miller added, “They are so light that most of the good guys are quite prepared to sail with them in races anyway.”

In today's racing the cameras were carried by Pieter-Jan Postma (NED) Jonas Høgh-Christensen (DEN) and Emilios Papathanasiou (GRE).

View some clips of today's action here:

http://www.finnclass.org/clips/finn_gold_cup_2007_clips.htm

Full results can be found on the event website