The May 2025 edition of FINNFARE has been published
by Robert Deaves 17 May 07:12 BST
Finns in Naples © Robert Deaves
In a new look magazine, the focus is on original feature length content, illustrated with the usual extensive photos.
In the opening interview, Alessandro Marega describes his path from sailing an old boat with a wooden mast through to becoming the 2024 European Champion and World No. 1.
He writes, "I love the sensation you have when you go upwind. It is like a dinghy but also an offshore boat. It's difficult to describe but all Finn sailors can understand. You have a small boat with many, many regulations and settings to have your personal best feeling. And maybe one strange thing: I love free pumping on waves, going at best speed with your body and your technique."
Jonathan Lobert won Olympic bronze medal in London 2012 and the Europeans in 2017. He writes about how Finn sailing set him up for life and the many lessons of mental toughness, experience, teamwork and innovation.
"For over a decade, my life revolved around the Finn dinghy, a boat that demanded not only physical strength and technical precision but also an unshakable mental resolve. Competing at the highest levels of this iconic Olympic discipline taught me invaluable lessons about resilience, adaptability, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. However, as my career in the Finn class progressed, I began to see parallels between the challenges of competitive sailing and those faced in other high-pressure environments, such as business and management."
The Finn Sailing Academy in Vilamoura, Portugal, run by Filipe Silva, is proving a popular diversion during the northern European winter, and is spreading its wings wider each year.
He writes, "Perhaps nothing encapsulates the Academy's spirit better than its 2024 Arctic adventure. "Some called us crazy," the Finn Sailing Academy founder laughs, "but we made it happen." In an extraordinary feat of logistical and spiritual adventure, the Academy organised a Finn event in the Arctic Circle, nestled among Norway's majestic Lofoten Islands. Sailors experienced the surreal: 24 hours of daylight, midnight races, and a balmy 20-degree Celsius breeze under a crystalline sky. "It was a lifetime experience. The sailors left changed."
In 2026 the FSA is going further and launching the innovative Continental Cup
"And now comes the next chapter: the Finn Sailing Academy Continental Cup. In 2026, the Academy invites the world to follow the wind across five continents in a global celebration of sailing and shared passion. The motto? "Sail the world, meet yourself."
Taking in events in Australia, Italy, Turkey, Morocco, Brazil and Portugal, each event will feature chartering options, guided training camps, and a full Academy experience including land-side hospitality. "We want sailors to not only race but explore - culture, cuisine, climate, and themselves."
This issue also includes:
- A report from the first U29 training, camp, held on Lake Garda
- Reports from the Europeans in Cannes and Naples
- Latest World Ranking List and World Tour for Finns
- Mikko Brummer discusses the art of sailing in waves.
- Recap of Nicholas Heiner's webinar on Finn sailing
- Josje Hofland talks through some of the changes to the new Racing Rules
- The story of how Denmark's largest Finn fleet came about
Read the May 2025 issue online here
Or download a PDF here