Brisk opening to 2025 Open & U23 Finn European Championship in Naples
by Robert Deaves 7 Apr 2025 17:27 BST
5-12 April 2025
Practice Race - 2025 Open & U23 Finn European Championship in Naples © Robert Deaves
The 2025 Open Finn Europeans was officially opened on a brisk Monday morning with a flag raising ceremony overlooking the Gulf of Naples, which was buffeted by very strong winds, but in brilliant sunshine.
As a result, only a handful of brave sailors ventured out for the practice race in the afternoon with the wind still at 20-25 knots. The rest decided to keep their powder dry for the week ahead, most of which looks like being sailed in much lighter winds.
By the end of equipment inspection, 111 boats from 20 nations had been checked and registered ready for racing, with a few more late arrivals still expected. As is traditional in the Finn class, the fleet will start in one group - the class always prefers to race in one large group. The principal race officer in charge of keeping everything in order is once again Stuart Childerley, bringing a high level of expertise and knowledge to the event.
At the competitor's briefing, Class President, Rob McMillan, from Australia, welcomed everyone and expressed the privilege of having Stuart Childerley as race officer this week. Forty years has passed since the two of them started their Finn journeys travelling to many events together. Once a Finn sailor, always a Finn sailor.
The venue here at the Rotonda Diaz is a perfect arena for sailing, located right in the city centre of Naples, flanked by the famous Castel dell'Ova with Vesuvius towering over the city on one side and the island of Capri on the other. The event has attracted the attention of the many hundreds of Napolitans and tourists passing by each day.
Within the hugely competitive fleet, Italy's Federico Colaninno is back for his first major Finn event since the 2023 Finn Gold Cup in Miami.
"Well, it's amazing. I have only done one and half hours of training for this, so I don't feel that ready, so it's just for vacation and fun. But it's amazing to be here in Naples. It's my second town. I am from Gaeta, which is very like Naples, but I grew up here.
"Tomorrow is going to be the first day of racing. It looks quite windy and then for the next days it will drop a bit. But we are very happy and having fun."
On the fleet, "110 boats on the same start line is unbelievable. I have not sailed the Finn since Miami, with not so many boats, but this is great. It's a great class, still growing, so I'm very happy about that."
On the sailing, "Today it's a cold, north wind. Tomorrow, we have the same wind but less intensity, maybe 12 knots, and then dropping over the next days and then maybe some thermical wind for the last days."
Filipe Silva, from Portugal, as usual arrived with the largest trailer of charter boats, but is looking forward to the racing starting.
"It's great to be here. It's my first time in Naples and so far, so good, and it looks really nice."
On the fleet, "It's going to be great. I love sailing in big fleets so we have a promising week ahead of us. I haven't been sailing yet, just working on the boats but that's done, so from tomorrow I will be full on for the racing."
The Finn Europeans consists of 10 races over the next five days. It is one of the toughest fleets in recent years with perhaps 20 boats able to win races and at least 10 capable of taking the title. One thing is for sure, it's going to be a huge battle at the front, as well as the middle and the back. In the Finn no one gives away an inch.
Racing is scheduled to start at 12.00 Tuesday.