Finn PCC and North American Masters Championship take San Diego back to back weekends

Finn PCC and North American Masters Championship © San Diego Yacht Club

If you're looking for a fleet with both fierce competition on the water and a whole lot of fun off the water, look no further than San Diego's Finn Fleet. San Diego's Finn Fleet has remained one of the more active fleets in the past year considering they're single-handed, and the fleet's natural camaraderie has kept the racers coming back for more. This September, over 40 Finn sailors return to the San Diego Yacht Club for two exciting events: the Pacific Coast Championship and the North American Masters Championship.

Charlie Buckingham was the winner of the Pacific Coast Championship in 2020, followed by Phil Ramming in second and James Buley in third. Ramming is currently registered to race in the 2021 edition this September and has sailed this race over a dozen times.

"PCC's are typically on everyone's schedule and we get a big, competitive group out. This is a great event to see how your game matches up with the fleet after a summer of sailing," expressed Ramming.

Finn PCC and North American Masters Championship - photo © San Diego Yacht Club

First up, on September 4-5, 2021, is the Finn Pacific Coast Championship. Twenty boats are expected out in the Pacific Ocean southeast of the Zuniga Jetty for a maximum of seven races. The regatta begins on Saturday with an 1130 warning signal, continues on Sunday at the same time, and concludes with an informal Awards presentation in the parking lot after racing. Sailors will be vying for the Perpetual PCC Trophy.

The following weekend, September 9-12, 2021, features the Finn North American Masters Championship open to Finn sailors 40+ years of age. The course matches the PCC course off the Zuniga Jetty, and 30 boats are expected to race in a maximum of 10 races. The Finn North American Masters Championship will begin with a welcome social on Thursday, September 9 followed by a 1200 warning signal on Friday, and an 1130 warning signal on Saturday and Sunday. Each evening, sailors can enjoy post-race socials and if their lucky, a visit from the fleet's famous Finn Band.

The North American Masters Championship was last held at SDYC in 2018. The event was won overall by Eric Anderson (under 40) with the Masters Championship going to Darrell Peck (over 40).

The Finn Fleet is known for their welcoming attitudes, encouragement, and mentorship. Which is why it's no surprise that the fleet just keeps on growing. A good part of that growth can be credited to SDYC S/C Michael Dorgan.

"Finn Fleet growth is not limited to the SDYC Finn Fleet, but also to the Long Beach and Newport fleets, and provides more opportunities for more sailors to sail at a championship level," started Dorgan.

Dorgan continued, "As the Chair of the event, I look forward to getting as many sailors as possible sailing their boats! As we get older (and a little lazier) we might not sail as much, so having a championship level regatta in your backyard at your host club is something special. I'm hoping for a huge turnout, reaching our maximum size of 40 Finns."

Southern California the most active Finn sailing area in the United States. Many veteran Finn sailors will be in attendance from as far away as the Gulf Coast and Pacific North West, fighting for the championships and having two high-caliber Finn regattas back-to-back.

Visit www.sdyc.org/finn-pcc and www.sdyc.org/finn-na to register or view the NORs for these two events.