European Finn Class Competition Barcelona

BARCELONA, the 1992 Olympic venue will be hosting for the first time in its history a Finn class major event. The competition will take place between March 4 and 12 and there will be over 80 boats from 31 countries, including eight from Spain participating in this important event.

The Barcelona International Sailing Centre, the venue from the regatta and a high performance sailing centre open all year round has taken the unusual step of announcing that from February 26 to 29 it will arrange a four-day training event, open not only to early arrivals but for all sailors who want to experience the excitement of the championship course, even if they are not qualified for the competition itself.

The Finn dinghy is the men’s single-handed, cat-rigged Olympic class for sailing. It was designed by Swedish canoe designer, Rickard Sarby, in 1949 for the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. 

Since the 1952 debut of the boat, the design has been in every summer Olympics, making it the longest serving dinghy race in the Olympic Regatta and  it is argued that the Finn is the most physical single-handed sailboat in the world.

Over the years, Spain has won two Olympic gold medals and one silver in this category and the Spanish competitors in the European championships, sailing in their home waters, will be hopeful of success, not just in the Europeans but more importantly in the forthcoming Rio Olympic Games.