I hope, that the history of creation by a Swede, Rihard Sarbju, of the «Finn» Class centerboarder-single, and the history of its selection among other projects for introduction in the program of 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki (instead of the «Olympic» class centerboarder-single) is known to any self-respecting «Finnist».

The first centerboarders of the «Finn» Class have appeared in Moscow in the summer of 1955. To feel a sailing life of those years, I shall recall the then Moscow yachts-clubs. The Naval Forces yachts-club (later the Navy CSC) "Dynamo", DOSAAF, "Labor Reserves" based on the Khimkinskoe water-basin. The Klyazmenskoe water-basin was a base for “Vodnik” (Water-Transport Worker), “Spartak”, “Nauka” (Science) (subsequently "Burevestnik” (Petrel)), "Energy" (later "Trud (Labor)") and after some years, "Aurora". After opening in 1955 of the Pirogovskoe water-basin, "Chaika” (Seagull) and "Vympel” (Burgee) were established. The then fleet consisted of the «Olympic» class centerboarder-singles, youth centerboarders of two-oars class “Ersh” (Ruff), triple centerboarders of "M" and “R-2” classes, and as to fours centerboarders of «R-3» class for the whole of Moscow there was only one racing pitching yacht of “L-3” class. Skill of the Moscow helmsmen varied greatly. But even the most skilful of them would be quoted is low-level by todays’ standards.

How did the first "Finns" constructed at Tallinn and Lazarevsky shipyards look? (Later the "Finns" began to be built also at the Leningrad shipyard). I can say with confidence, that the vessel was made as though to torture the yachtsman, who dare sat in it and sale out from a pier.

First "Finn"

 

The affinity of the wooden "oak" mast to a bow very often led to that "Finn" overturned near the pier at an attempt of the helmsman to walk on a deck to the cockpit.

The hull had no capacities for providing buoyancy and did not sink at tumbling only because it was wooden. The mast was fixed in stationary bindings on a deck and in a mast bed, and did not allow tilt adjustment. The sail was lifted by the steel halyard passing inside the mast by a small winch that could be stopped in any intermediate position. It was done so as to have a possibility to lift a sail not to the upper mark, and to “take in a reef” owing to that. Yes! Yes! Then, on "Finns" in a brisk wind even on water it was possible to “take in” and "let out" a reef, reeling a sail on a boom that was freely inserted in a rectangular cut in the mast. For this purpose, the boom was equipped with a “gunter iron” (who knows today, what is this?) to which the main sheet block and the guy line end were fastened. In the middle of the beam (!!!)was a guy ring (then, nobody knew about a pursuit and the carriage) to which the other main sheet block was fastened. The third guy ring was (same as today) on a pitching board. Now it is easy to imagine how the sail looked in tacking, and how it worked in a brisk wind, moreover as the tack and clew of a sail were dead-fastened to the boom. Except for a halyard and main sheet, the only other tacking were the centerboard trim lines fastened in slot-hole stoppers on a beam, that dragged almost a sixteen-kgs steel central plate. There were no other efficient tools. The armed "Finn" weighed about 150 kgs.

Now the most important. There were no hiking belts, and the helmsman, having overhung at a side for sitting out, clung under a beam by the instep of a near leg and hung so at windwards. It was impossible to sit out at downwinds. But that is not all yet. On the cockpit edge, there passed the coaming edge raised by 10 mm above the deck that adjoined to the deck under the right angle, it caused an intolerable pain to leg muscles during sitting out. But that also is not all yet. There were no selfbailers. To pump out the water, there was a dipper with over a meter-long handle. Imagine the helmsman hanging in a brisk wind over a side, holding a guy line in his teeth and ladling out water from a leeward with this dipper. Now struggle with a wind and contenders! The last thing to complete the picture. As was said above, the boom was inserted in rectangular cut of the mast and could be transferred in vertical position to the angle of 10°. Of course, there was no vang. Therefore, at downwind the boom “looked up the sky”, the windage centre at downwind transferred forward and without the sit-outs it was very difficult to keep the "Finn" from tumbling over a bow at a flaw from behind.

As the mast was wooden, the tumbled wooden hull floated on one side, slightly raised above water. It was impossible to put a tumbled "Finn" back on water. And the club boats, for hours after the termination of a race collected the boats beaten to shores, the stiffened racers, and calculated the losses.

A couple of words about sails. The first sails were sewn of cotton cloth (a type of a fabric of the then tourist jackets) and had no window. It was terrible to look at the lifted new sails, in particular when they became wet. New sails should be “nursed". In an average wind (without rain) they set the sail and sailed only to a wind abeam for not less than 20 hours. After that, having slightly wetted a sail, they sailed to a wind abeam for another 10 hours. Only after such procedure it was possible to go racing and expect a good result. In the beginning, nobody in Moscow knew how to alter sails. As a maximum, to correct wrinkles or repair a sail, it was “turned”: they unpicked a leechrope on a front and bottom leech, and with a sailing needle and “leather palm” sewed a leechrope anew. Do not forget - it was necessary to paint wooden hulls every spring (sometimes also during the season). Clearly, it was necessary to know compatibility of prime coats, crack fillers and paints.

And the last thing. How the Moscow yachtsman were dressed at that time. At the best, in tourist jackets that naturally soaked through. There was nothing else.

For this reason, many “Finnists” suffered from radiculitis, arthritis and other similar illnesses, and ahead of time left for greater yachts or quit sailing altogether. The life jackets though capable held you on water, were heavy and inconvenient.

Victor Potapov

 

Who were those daredevils and romantics, that risked to master a new exotic (compared to “Olimpic”) “Finn” Class.

At that time I was a twenty-year student who received my first "Finn" in 1956, till now have kept in memory the faces and names of the first Moscow “Finnists”, differing in sports qualification, age and status. Let those of them whom I may casually miss to mention below forgive me.

Here is the list of first Moscow yachtsmen who sat down in their first poor "Finns" and left the pier in the race on harbour area of the Moscow channel. I would separately mention Yury Shavrin, Alexander Chumakov and Eugeniy .Gorshkov, who did not participate in Moscow competitions.

The Navy CSC: V. Roslov, Yu. Guljaev, V. Danilov.

“Vodnik”: Alexander Tilinin, Yuriy Volohov, V. Schubertov, Yu. Zubkov, V.Tatarnikov, A.Vjaltsev.

“Burevestnik”: V.Kozlov, Yu.Golubkov, V.Yelizarov, Yu.El, B.Maslov, G.Arbuzov.

“Spartak”: Yu.Zhidkovsky, V.Dikovsky, V.Mazilkin, V.Davydov, G.Aldoshin.

“Trud”: G.Kasterin, V.Istomin, O.Borisov.

“DOSAAF”: V.Borisenko, M.Minz.

All of them were from 20 years and older, students and factory workers. Many with higher education, and therefore thoughtful and creatively concerned in mastering a new yacht rating. V.Roslov (The Navy CSC) became the first champion of Moscow in 1956.

Victor Kozlov

 

In 1957, the poor factory "Finn" described above has quickly gained new qualities. Certainly also because there were contacts with the Baltic “Finnists”. I put the work with a mast in the first place. They started to chip the mast for an optimum deflection back and sideways under the weight of the racer, and providing of dynamic work. There was a horse with the carriage, hiking belts, self-made selfbailers, a duralumin centerboard. For some more years there still would be no boom vang, but there was a wedge transferred along a boom inserted from below in a backlash between the mast and the boom for the same purpose. There were raking patches on the coaming for relief of leg muscles during hiking. From the first wave of Moscow “Finnists”, quickly left for other yacht ratings those who were older, who were no so healthy, and those who could not adapt in new demanding weight standards of a class.

In the end of 50-ies the juniors, who switched from the “Ersh” (Ruff) class, returned from the army, or moved to Moscow from other cities, began to master "Finn" in Moscow.

Thus, the first to come who later become remarkable racers were V.Kozlov, V.Potapov, O.Shilov, E.Istomin, as well as V.Zaroslov, N.Korjachkin, A.Balakirev, G.Grishin, V.Dyomin, I.Rej, V.Nazarov. There were first Moscow masters of sports in the «Finn» Class. In the 60ies, the first sails of synthetic fabrics appeared in Moscow, though there were only 10 to 12 for the whole of Moscow. Then, they had conclusive advantage to sails from cotton cloth. Owners of cotton sails proudly spoke after a race: “I came 1 (or 2) from the "cloths" ones”. Next, there appeared a lot of firm sails of dacron: “North”,"Musto","Marinex","Grunewald",”Elvstrem”. Since 1973 the wooden masts in Moscow have been displaced by duralumin ones by "Needlespar".

Then came F.Vybornov, V.Pribylov, J.Mostovoj, J.Degtyaryov, S.Zabotin, A.Kasatov, M.Sergeyev, S.Vanin, M.Apuhtin, M.Petriga, A.Kalabanov, J.Polovinkin, A.Yeliseyev, brothers M. Fomin and A.Fomin, M.Kravtsov, F.Denikaev, etc.

 

Also we should mention that for more than 50-year history of the «Finn» Class in Moscow, two waves of “Finnists” - fathers and children - took starts under the sails. They are V.Istomin and E.Istomin. V.Kozlov and A.Kozlov, Yu.Mostovoj and D.Mostovoj, A.Tilinin and D.Tilinin, I.Rej and S.Rej, P.Miller and A.Kuznetsov, M.Minz and A.Banko, A.Gromov and V.Gromov, I.Gusev and D.Gusev.

 

Anyway, coming back to the history, in that time, there was a short period when in the Moscow competitions in the «Finn» Class participated some women. The worthy competition to leading helmsmen was rendered by R.Noskova. Still it is necessary to note S.Makarova and E.Marokina. The others only foiled on the start and on the distance. There was also a loss. In June, 1968 in Tallin, a Moscow “Finnist” and a good swimmer, V.Dyomin, after one of storm races of the Baltic regatta has tumbled and, having sailed from "Finn" for the rudder blade which has come off cantilevers, could not catch-up the departing "Finn" and has frozen in water (at water temperature of +8°С).

Grown in Moscow and up to the level of a combined team the “Finnists” seldom appeared at the races in Moscow. Those were V.Potapov, O.Shilov, M.Fomin, V.Kozlov and A.Balashov who moved to Moscow in 1972.

Start of "Finns" in the 80-ies

 

72 "Finns" started in the May Regatta of 1965. This record will never be beaten.

Quite long time the post of trainer of both the “Navy CSC” and the USSR National Team in the «Finn» Class was held by O.Shilov. Having left “Vodnik” in 1974, and becoming the naval officer, he began regular selection work on perspective racers in all the USSR, and also, I would say, a scientific work on optimization of firm sails and masts for providing the highest velocities of "Finns" of leading racers.

Andrey Balashov

 

It immediately began to give good results at the international competitions. Victories and prize-winning places of A.Balashov, A.Mudrichenko, O.Hopersky, A.Sukhorukov, V.Nikandrov, and others were the result of O. Shilov’s work. In those years, O. Shilov invited the “Finnists” – members of the national team - to take part in Moscow championships, that was very useful for the Moscow “Finnists”.

 

Mikhail Apukhtin

 

But there was also other important result of his work for Muscovites. The equipment served to members of a national team settled in the Navy CSC and in Moscow. The racers of the Navy CSC have always been provided with excellent (for amateurs) equipment. Until recently, under the Navy CSC’s flag, successfully participated in races the “Lanaver” (A.Balashov) built in 1975, and “Mader” (A.Suharukov) built in 1972. For this reason the racers of the Navy CSC Alexey Borovjak', Viktor Maximov, Valentin Danilov, the former pupils of the Navy CSC Yuriy .Avdeyev, Sergey Rej, as well as former pupils of "Vodnik", brothers Vasiliy Kravchenko and Alexander Kravchenko, and the racer of "Trud" Eugeniy  Kuhtenkov have not allowed the “Finn” Class “to die” in Moscow in the difficult years when there were only 5 to 7 "Finns" to start in the Moscow competitions. The great help to the Moscow “Finnists” in the last years was rendered by the present chief trainer of the Russia national sailing team, Oleg Hopersky.

The World Championship 2005 in Moscow

 

The situation has drastically changed to better after the Moscow World Championship of 2005. In 2006, the Moscow Finn Association (the President is Vasiliy Kravchenko) was established. Thanks to Moscow Sailing School, the "Finns" from those bought for the world championship, were allocated to Association Members – the masters of sports and candidates to the master of sports. From the beginning of 2006, 15 to 19 "Finns" of association members began to partake in the Moscow competitions. During 2006, the National Championship of Russia in the «Finn» Class and a number of other important competitions including International Moscow Sailing Regatta have been conducted in Moscow with up to 40 participants. (For comparison: 3 "Finns" participated in the Championship of Russia in Sochi in 2004!!!). It has allowed experts to reveal and take a note of many presented young racers whose perfecting of skills in the nearest years will undoubtedly bring long-awaited victories in the «Finn» Class on the international scene. Strong activity of Moscow Finn Association, promotion of Finn class and its history through web-site (www.moscow-finnclass.ru), regular competitions (up to 15 regattas through 5 months) drew much attention of veterans and juniors to Finn class. Seminars and clinics from top helmsmen are conducted regularly by MFA. We grow several our own juniors.  Finn class has revamped in Moscow!

The Moscow Association develops the “Finn” Class in Moscow

 

The season of 2007 is remarkable for Finn class in Moscow: at least two big international regattas (International Moscow Sailing regatta and Junior World Cup) will be held here. This year we also celebrate 70-th anniversary of sailing sport in Moscow. This fact drew some sponsors for regattas. So the season of 2007 has to be interesting!

 

In conclusion of my far incomplete notes on the history of the «Finn» Class in Moscow I wish to proclaim:

Let eternally the GREAT "FINN" CLASS prosper and develop in Moscow, in Russia and in the World!

 

 

Valentin Danilov

 

About Valentin Danilov:

Valentin Danilov was born in 1936. Sailing from 1952. In 1956 he came into Finn class. Since then all years he competes in Finn class every year without skipping any season. Winner and medalist of many Moscow regattas.