The 2024 Finn Gold Cup opens in Aarhus, Denmark, this week with an impressive line-up of new and old talent. It follows six years on from the last time the Finn world championship was held in Aarhus, then as part of the 2018 Sailing World Championships.
The event, hosted by Sailing Aarhus at the Aarhus International Sailing Center, also incorporates the Finn Silver Cup, for U23 sailors. At the moment there are 112 boats entered, including seven U23, from 21 nations. Racing begins on Tuesday 3 September with a series of 10 races over five days.
The event also underlines the growth in Finn sailing in the Nordic countries, with 32 entries from the region. The largest national entry is from Germany, with 34 entries. The Finn Gold Cup follows directly from the German IDM this week in Hamburg.
On paper the favourite would have to be Hungary’s Doma Nemeth, the current Senior and Junior European champion, and Finn Gold Cup runner up last year in Miami, who is back for his first event for more than a year since the 2023 Europeans after time out to campaign a 49er. Last year’s champion in Miami, Ed Wright is unable to defend his title, as he is taking part in the 5.5 Metre World Championship during the same week.
2023 Finn Gold Cup, Coconut Grove SC, Miami, USA, 24-31 January. Credit Robert Deaves.
Also on the entry list, but not yet confirmed is Finland’s Oskari Muhonen, who finished runner up at the 2022 Gold Cup, where he narrowly lost to Pieter-Jan Postma. Nemeth was third that year. The 2022 European champion from Spain, Miguel Fernandez Vasco, is also making a return to international competition, after taking a year out since the 2023 Finn Gold Cup in Miami, where he finished third.
And then there is the French pair of Valérian Lebrun and Laurent Hay. Hay is the World number 1 and the current World Masters Champion, and Lebrun was the 2021 Masters champion and runner up this year. Both are fast and sailing very well and will certainly challenge the younger sailors.
Another returning Finn sailor to major competition is Britain’s Cameron Tweedle, who just retained his British title and has been doing a lot of sailing in various classes. And then there is former Danish Olympian in the Laser, Jens Eckardt, sailing his first major Finn regatta after a number of years in OK Dinghies. He just won the Danish Finn title last weekend, taking one race off Nemeth, who won the open event with straight firsts.
The entry list is packed with other talent and also includes the 2023 World Masters champion, Filipe Silva, the 2023 European Masters champion, Peter Peet, and Britain’s multiple world champion in many other classes, Nick Craig. The only former Finn Gold Cup winner taking part is Germany’s Thomas Schmid.
2023 Finn Gold Cup, Coconut Grove SC, Miami, USA, 24-31 January. Credit Robert Deaves.
The event is set to be a great festival of Finn sailing, in the classes 75th year and held alongside the Aarhus Festival.
Jon Koch Hansen, CEO of Aarhus International Sailing Center, said, “We are proud and delighted to host the 2024 Finn Gold Cup. Just a month ago, we held the World Championship for the 29er class, and having two such significant events in one season is a key element of Aarhus International Sailing Center’s event strategy. The fact that this event coincides with the Finn class’s 75th anniversary and takes place during the Aarhus Festival only adds to our excitement. We look forward to some thrilling days ahead with yet another fantastic event.”
Registration and equipment inspection runs from Saturday 31 August to Monday 2 September, with racing concluded and a new world champion decided by Saturday 7 September.