2024 Finn Gold Cup: Exciting Sailing Championship in Aarhus

2024 Finn Gold Cup at Sailing Aarhus – Overview

31 August – 7 September 2024

Oskari Muhonen has made history as the first Finnish sailor to win the Finn Gold Cup. He showcased remarkable skills throughout the week in both light and intense wind conditions, establishing himself as the undisputed Finn world champion for 2024.

Hungary’s Doma Nemeth secured second place, managing to beat Muhonen in just one race. However, as the leading U23 sailor, he claimed the Finn Silver Cup—an honor he has won twice, while Muhonen has triumphed three times. The competition for third place saw Italy’s Alessandro Marega clinch victory by a narrow point over France’s Valerian Lebrun.

Unfortunately, no additional races took place due to inconsistent wind conditions. The forecasts had only proven accurate on one day, with the anticipated 8-12 knots of wind vanishing in unexpected heat, making it a notably warm September day in Denmark. Attempts to resume racing were thwarted as winds remained unstable in both speed and direction.

Muhonen expressed his satisfaction, stating, “I am obviously very happy. I had a solid week, racing well in lighter winds at the beginning and continuing strong when it got windier.”

Before the event, he mentioned some uncertainty about his upwind speed due to recent changes in his sailing habits. “I haven’t been hiking much lately, and I’ve been sailing different classes, but I managed to adapt,” he added.

Reflecting on the competition, he remarked, “It’s great to have over 100 boats on the start line. Aarhus is an excellent sailing venue, though the conditions were sometimes unpredictable.”

When asked about defending his title next year, Muhonen replied, “Maybe. We’ll see.”

Marega enthusiastically said, “I am super happy. This week of sailing was beautiful, and I must congratulate my competitors on the podium.”

There has been significant dialogue regarding the future of the Finn class, particularly in encouraging younger sailors. This Finn Silver Cup marks the final event for the U23 category, transitioning to U29 next year to welcome a broader range of participants. This year’s competition featured 20 sailors under 30, signaling an encouraging trend for the class.

Doma Nemeth was the standout winner of the last ever U23 Silver Cup, a title he captures for a second time. Australia’s Jack Eickmeyer claimed second place, supported by a fund set up by the International Finn Association of Australia to assist young sailors. Third place went to Hungary’s Attila Svastits.

Nemeth shared, “I feel really good. The regatta was long, but I managed well. Oskari was tough to catch, and I learned a lot about improving my skills. I have more youth years ahead, so you’ll see me soon.”

After trying his hand at a 49er campaign, Nemeth shifted focus back to Finn sailing, explaining, “I’m not training as much right now, but I’m happy with my progress.”

A heartfelt thanks was given to Sailing Aarhus and the Aarhus International Sailing Center for hosting a superbly organized championship, providing an ideal venue for sailors from around the globe. Next year, the Finn Gold Cup will return to Cascais, Portugal, for the third time.

Overall Results: (top ten, 7 races)

1 FIN 8 Oskari MUHONEN 7pts
2 HUN 80 (U23) Domonkos NÉMETH 15pts
3 ITA 1103 Alessandro MAREGA 23pts
4 FRA 111 Valérian LEBRUN 24pts
5 ITA 40 Marko KOLIC 47pts
6 GBR 5 Cameron TWEEDLE 48pts
7 ESP 161 Miguel FERNÁNDEZ VASCO 51pts
8 NOR 5 Lars Johan BRODTKORB 52pts
9 GER 711 André BUDZIEN 52pts
10 FRA 75 Laurent HAY 59pts