During the opening ceremony of the Porsche Centre Brisbane 2026 Finn World Masters, Tim Tavinor became the second inductee into the Finn Class Hall of Fame inside of week. Rafa Trujillo joined the Finn Class Hall of Fame last week at the closing ceremony for the Finn Gold Cup.
There are few people who have had such a huge impact on the Finn class as Tim Tavinor. In the early 1990s, alongside Luca Devoti, he helped create Victor Boats and the Devoti hull that transformed Finn sailing worldwide. It is no idle statement that without this development the class is unlikely to have thrived in the way it has over the past 30 years.
After helping move the boatbuilding operation, by then called Devoti Sailing, to Eastern Europe, in 2005 he moved away from Finn building and bought Petticrows boatyard in Burnham-on-Crouch, where he carried on the company’s tradition of building world beating Dragons.
In 2014 he returned to Finn production, with the release of the Petticrows Finn, which was later sold to DC Composites in The Netherlands to produce the world beating TT2 Finn. In 2022 Tim then became chair of the Technical Committee of the International Finn Association.
Tim was also a formidable opponent on the race course, and campaigned Finns through the 1980s and 1990s, and narrow missed Olympic selection.
Rob McMillan introduced the award. “When he was dabbling with the Finn you were never quite sure what he was up to. There’s be a pile of masts around him, in pieces, with sleeves cut, and he would always be trying to find an extra performance from the equipment.
“By the early 1990s he had struck up a friendship with Luca Devoti and they set out to unravel by the Vanguard Finns were so amazing. In a shed on Burnham-on-Crouch, and came up with the idea of Victor Boats, launching the first boat in 1992 which in the hands of Philippe Presti won the 1993 Finn Gold Cup. From there it has been the story of Victor Boats, Devoti Sailing and Devoti boats that has shaped this class.
“It was a partnership of magic. Luca brought the magic and passion, Tim brought the engineering and consistency and quality, that have made the boat the benchmark in Finn sailing.”
“So, it is my great honour to induct Tim Tavinor into the Finn Class Hall of Fame.”
It would be remiss to not include Luca Devoti in the same story, so even if he was not present in Brisbane, he will join Tim Tavinor in the Hall of Fame at a later date. Their story is inseparable in the development of the Finn, as Luca continues to play a vital role in the life of the class.
Luca, of course, won the silver medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games as well winning as the 1997 European Championship. He also placed 16th in the Finn at the 1996 Olympics He took two further European silver medals in 1994 and 2002, and Finn Gold Cup silver in 1997.
Their collective impact on Finn sailing worldwide is immeasurable and this overwhelming acknowledgment from the class is long overdue.
Photo gallery: https://www.flickr.com/photos/finnclassphotos/albums/72177720332140866/
Legends
The Finn Class Hall of Fame is an acknowledgement of many of the legends of the class, from Paul Elvstrøm, Jørg Bruder, Hubert Raudaschl and Willy Kuhweide through to John Bertrand, Lasse Hjortnaes and Jose Doreste to Ben Ainslie, Mateusz Kusznierewicz and Fredrik Lööf. They are all absolute icons of the class and all being inducted into this exalted list is the highest honour the class can bestow, both for exceptional skill on the water, or have been instrumental in the amazing legacy and success of the Finn Class.
The last inductions were made in 2015, so on the occasion of the 70th Finn Gold Cup, the International Finn Association is reinvigorating this fantastic celebration of class heroes and legends. Stay tuned for more…
They are all listed here: https://finnclass.org/the-finn/hall-of-fame
