Vasilij Zbogar (SLO) features on the front cover of the April edition of FINNFARE, on his way to wining the first ever ISAF Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi in November 2014. Having skipped the Princesa Sofia Trophy in Palma he will make a return in Hyeres as one of the favourites after an intensive period of training in Valencia at the Dinghy Academy.

Vasilij Zbogar (SLO) features on the front cover of the April edition of FINNFARE, on his way to winning the first ever ISAF Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi in November 2014. Having skipped the Princesa Sofia Trophy in Palma he will make a return in Hyeres as one of the favourites after an intensive period of training in Valencia at the Dinghy Academy.

There is a particular focus on Valencia in this issue, as the Silver Cup (Junior World Championship) is being sailed there this June, and with the number of Finn sailors using the Dinghy Academy as a base continuing to rise, there are plans for a coached regattas and a Rule 42 clinic immediately prior to the Silver Cup, to give the young sailors some valuable experience.

As part of the Finn class development programme, up to four sailors are part-funded each year to train at the Dinghy Academy. Head Coach Luca Devoti said, “Sailors who come here just get better day by day. The tough training and competition makes them grow at all levels from masters to top champions. The camaraderie between the sailors and the fact that we share all the information makes us grow day by day.”

“Since we started we have had more than 50 sailors coming here over the first three years of life. All kinds of sailors learn, they learn from the champions here and they share their passion. For this, Valencia is magic...I hope the Dinghy Academy will become the reference for dinghy sailing in a modern doping free, friendly and competent environment.”

One individual who has seen more than his fair share of Finn races recently is race officer Peter Reggio, who has become a regular face at the class’s major events. This issue includes an interview with ‘Luigi’ as he reveals why he loves coming back to the Finn class again after again.

He says, “The Finn sailors are a ‘Class’ not just a bunch of individuals. There’s an atmosphere of mutual respect among the sailors that is very refreshing. I’ve been asked this type of thing before and my best example is that in the Finns, a new guy is welcomed with open arms. He’s helped in the boat park by veterans before and after sailing. There doesn’t seem to be any secrets among the sailors. This open ‘passing of the torch’ kind of atmosphere is what keeps the class moving forward. To me, that is the essence of the Finn class and I really love that part of it. It’s cool to see.”

“People often ask what events are most memorable for me. Without a doubt, the coolest event that I’ve done in over 10 or 15 years, was the 2012 Finn Gold Cup in Falmouth UK – especially, the next to last day. Forget America’s Cups. Forget Olympics. Forget a lot of the other stuff that I’ve done over the years (most of it really fun too). To me, Falmouth was epic. There were 95 Finns on the line, a few days with pretty big breeze and waves. Bring it on. I loved it!”

Former Finn sailor Ross Hamilton (IRL) is now a performance consultant and shares his thoughts on effecting training and the importance of proper recovery. He writes, “The key component of this process is the recovery phase. It is during this phase where we improve. If we were to continue to apply stress, all we achieve is a prolonged depression of homeostasis…Realistically we should really only concern ourselves with progress. Time on the water and hours in the boat are pointless without progress. When we train we aim to promote a beneficial adaptation. This adaptation can be related to either skill or physical improvement. If we overdo either we will stall progress. When we train in a fatigued state our body automatically initiates safety mechanisms to prevent damage. It manifests this physically in the form of a reduced work rate and power output; we also feel pain. Mentally we lose motivation and in most cases have a distinct urge to go home and rest. A lot of us ignore these signs and battle through the session.”

Read more on these stories and much more in the latest issue of FINNFARE.

Also in this issue:

• ISAF Sailing World Cup updates from Abu Dhabi, Melbourne and Miami
• Deniss Karpak win in Cannes. Report and photos by François Richard
• A profile of Finn hull and mast builder Christof Wilke
• A detailed analysis of four of the new Finn hulls being produced this year
• A study by WB-Sails on the aerodynamics of the mast/sail combination
• Reports from Australia, Brazil, Great Britain, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and USA

You can read it online here, or download it here.