History

FINN CLASS HISTORY

JANUARY 1949 The Finnish Yachting Association organizes a design competition for the single-handed dinghy to be used in the Olympic Games at Helsinki in 1952.

Rickard SARBY does not only produce the full-size drawings of what will become the FINN, but also builds the first prototype.

MAY 1949 First FINN is launched.
JUNE 1949 Result of the design competition: the FINN is not selected. Examples of the best designs are built.
SEPTEMBER 1949 Trial races are held in FINLAND in light winds. The FINN is also invited. The FINN and Pricken are the fastest.
OCTOBER 1949 Further trials are announced for MAY 1950. The FINN becomes popular in Sweden; twenty-five boats are built. The two-wave emblem is chosen and the leech of the sail is shortened by 150 mm to lift the boom.
MAY 1950 New trials in heavy weather; the FINN wins five races and finishes second in the sixth.
1952 Helsinki, Finland: the FINN Class is first used in the Olympic Games.
1956 The FINN GOLD CUP is presented to the Class by the late F. G. MITCHELL esq., of England. The INTERNATIONAL FINN ASSOCIATION is founded.
1959 Synthetic cloth is authorized for making sails.
1961 The USA magazine "FINN FARE" develops into the official organ of the IFA. Reinforced polyester is authorized for building hulls.
1964 The FINN Class develops a precise method of controlling hulls worldwide.
1969 Aluminum alloy and reinforced polyester are authorized for building spars.
1973 The FINN Class adopts the Lamboley pendulum test to control the distribution of weightt of hulls.
1974 Building materials for hulls are set free. The double bottom is accepted. A minimum weight is fixed for booms and rudders.
1984 Any flexible material is authorized for making sails. A standard jig for the definition of station points is required for world and continental championships. The first FINN clinic is held for sailors from developing nations, as part of a long-term development programme of the class.
1986 Publication of FINNLOG. This book contains both the history of the Class and many technical articles written by the experts.
1993 Carbon fibre is authorized for buildmg spars.
1994 The mast weight is reduced to 8 kg.
1995 The first wing mast appeared and was used to win the FINN GOLD CUP in Mwelbourne, Australia
1996 The hull weight was reduced by 5kg to 120kg
1998 The 100th edition of FINNFARE was published
1998 Reinforced plastic sails came into widespread use.
1999 Publication of FINNatics - The History and Techniques of Finn Sailing, to celebrate 50 years of the Finn.
2000 For the first time ever, competitors at the Olympics are allowed to bring their own FINNS
2002 IFA becomes incorporated
2005 Complete rewrite and standardisation of the class rules.
© 2024, International Finn Association, Inc