The 2016 U23 Finn World Championship, for the Jorg Bruder Finn Silver Cup, will be hosted in Aarhus, Denmark, the host city of the 2018 Sailing World Championships. Online entry is now open and the Notice of Race and accommodation details are available on the event website at 2016.finnsilvercup.org.
The 2016 Finn Junior World Championship is being organized by Sailing Aarhus in conjunction with Kaløvig Sailing Club and supported by the City of Aarhus and Sport Event Denmark. Kaløvig Sailing Club is one of the six founding member clubs of Sailing Aarhus, the organizer of the 2018 World Sailing Championships, which is taking place in Aarhus.
Kaløvig Sailing Club is not new to hosting international sailing events. In 2015 the club hosted three major Olympic class events: the Nacra 17 World Championship, the Laser Standard Europeans and the Laser Radial Europeans.
Denmark has not hosted an International Finn Championship since 2009 and this fact underlines that the Class considers Aarhus to be the pivotal choice for development of the Finn Class in Denmark.
World Champion in 2009 and Silver Medalist from London 2012, Jonas Høgh-Christensen helped secure Aarhus as host for the 2018 Worlds and on that occasion he stated: “Sailing is in the Danish DNA and Denmark is one of the major sailing nations in the world. The fact that sailing is the second most successful Olympic discipline in Denmark, says it all. Aarhus Bay is a unique and challenging sailing area and the perfect place for me to refine my skills.”
Kaløvig is also well known for achieving major results at the Olympics and especially one Kaløvig crew, the Danish 49er team of Warrer/Kirketerp, which famously won the spectacular medal race at the 2008 Olympics to secure the Olympic gold medal. Besides a long track record of hosting Olympic class events in Kaløvig, it is the first time that the club is hosting a Finn event.
“The International Finn Association is honoured to be holding its Junior World Championship in Denmark,” says Corinne McKenzie, Finn Class Executive Director. “Finn sailors will have the chance to test first hand the waters for the 2018 World Sailing Championship in Aarhus. The Finn dinghy has a great history in Denmark and has provided many of the class's heroes from Paul Elvstrøm to Jonas Høgh-Christensen, along with Lasse Hjortnæs, Jørgen Lindhardtsen or the Westergaard brothers. The Danish Finn class has developed throughout the years with a growing fleet from all ages. We hope that the Silver Cup will attract more young sailors into the Finn from Denmark but also neighbour countries. It should be a great event.”
“In cooperation with Event Aarhus and Sport Event Denmark we focus on attracting International regattas to Aarhus, and we are incredibly excited to host another Olympic class regatta,” says Thomas Capitani, CEO of Sailing Aarhus. “A Finn event has been at the top of our wish list for a long time.”
The Finn is a true Danish showcase discipline. Denmark has a long victory track record in the class and has won no less than three Olympic gold medals, one Olympic silver medal, nine World championship, five European championships and achieved numerous other top results in the class.
The Finn U23 World Championship is being held at Kaløvig Sailing Center from July 3 – 9 2016.
– Robert Deaves
