Open Russian National FINN Championship 2009

Open Russian National Championship: 60-th anniversary of the Finn class attracted 60 participants.

The 2009 Russian Open Finn championship took place in Moscow at the end of September. It was dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the Finn class. The promotion efforts taken by the Russian Finn Association and the Moscow Finn Association during 2009 led to the unprecedented number of participants: it has reached 60, matching the anniversary years. The hospitality of the Moscow Sailing School, and its generous offer to charter its modern Finn boats made it possible to bring many famous Finnesters back to the class : Andrey Balashov (Silver at 1976 and Bronze at the 1980 Olympic Games), Henry Sprague, USA (Gold in 1974 Gold Cup), Nickolay Koryachkin, Estonia (1977 USSR Champion), Valeriy Zakovorotny (3-time Bronze at USSR championships), Victor Kozlov (2-times USSR Champion) and many others. The strong Masters fleet was supported by talented young sportsmen – Eduard Skornyakov (2007 European Champion), Egor Larionov (Silver in 2009 Silver Cup), and by newcomers who have just upgraded from the Laser class. The youngest participant was 14 year old Denis Kotlyarov, while Victor Kozlov celebrated his 75-th birthday right after the regatta. This mixture of ages, experiences, and skills, together with volatile lake conditions resulted in a very interesting and close racing.

 As the regatta was moved to the end of September, the autumn wind provided for thrilling races, while famous Moscow shifts offered an excellent field for tactical games. Eduard Skornyakov demonstrated his very good shape, immediately taking leadership by winning all 3 races during the first day. Dmitry Petrov, Dmitry Tereshkin, Igor Khoroshilov, and Egor Larionov engaged into the struggle for the Silver and Bronze neck-and neck .

 The second day brought stronger wind, up to 15 knots. The USA veteran Henry Sprague was the hero of the day, giving his younger competitors an impressive Master-class. He started perfectly in the first two races, leading the fleet from the first mark on. While he allowed two younger guys to pass him by the end of the first race, he was not so generous in the second race, wining it by good margin! As a result, the leaders started to watch him very closely from the start of the third race, resulting in Henry capsizing right before the signal. Only this misadventure stopped him from showing an excellent result in all three races of that day.

 The third day saw the wind relaxing and almost sleeping – it was shifty, light and unpredictable, with spots and holes. The cost of some wrong tacks climbed to 20 positions. Even the top sailors got caught: in the first race of the day, Henry Sprague was in the tailing pack at the first upwind mark when he learnt about his BFD. In the second race of the day, Eduard Skornyakov failed to find his luck, and decided to retire. But then it was a perfect day for Andrey Balashov: he started well in both races and stayed with the leading pack. Unfortunately, he was OSC’ed in first race of the day, but in the second race he managed to finish 3-rd.

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 The wind returned on Day Four, allowing for two interesting races. Not very light, but still quite shifty, the wind demanded for great tactical skills. The competition was close, and all boats moved up and down with each lap. Eduard Skornyakov finished first in both races. Andrey Balashov and Henry Sprague demonstrated their evergreen spirit and skills again, finishing among the top ten.

 The last day of the regatta started with the last “regular” race, followed by the Medal race for the top ten boats. The Medal race took place right in front of the Moscow Sailing School, to the amusement of numerous regatta guests. Igor Khoroshilov was lucky to catch a good shift and some breeze to win the Medal race. Eduard Skornyakov struggled in mid-fleet, but came up to finish second, followed by Dmitry Petrov, who took the overall Silver.

The closing ceremony turned into the Finn Anniversary festival, organized by the Moscow Finn Association. This lively 4-hour event was packed with entertainment, live music, and lots of food and drinks. The Association gave many awards – to Masters, Grand-Masters, Grand-Grand Masters, and Juniors, as well as to the “best gentleman” sailor, and others. The Junior Gold prize was a new Finn sail. Everybody was happy to see the IFA president Balasz Hajdu who came to this Festival, and welcomed his speech, translated perfectly by his wife Erika. With participants from USA, Lithuania, and Estonia, the Russia Open became a truly international event, giving a very powerful incentive for further development of the Finn class – both in Russia and in other countries of the region. Everybody is welcome to take part in the 2010 Russian Open!