APRIL 2004 - Finn
APRIL 2004 - Finn
APRIL 2004 - Finn
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His bronze medal here this week is David’s first <strong>Finn</strong> World<br />
Championship medal. He commented. “This is an amazing place. I’ve<br />
never been anywhere quite like it. After the pre-regatta training several<br />
of us went up to Buzios, north of Rio for a break. It was a stunning<br />
place, 20 knots winds every day and some gorgeous scenery. I have<br />
really enjoyed it here although the racing has been tough.”<br />
Joao Signorini the leading sailor from Brazil concurred, “It has been<br />
a really great event. There has been a very high level of racing with<br />
the leaderboard changing many times during the week. Rio has showed<br />
that it is a place which can be very tricky. You have to stay calm to race<br />
well here and be consistent. Some guys have had results all over the<br />
place, even on the same day. However it has been a hard event with some<br />
great racing. I think the organisers have done a great job in bringing it all<br />
together and I hope that all the sailors have enjoyed their time in Rio.”<br />
Talking about the championship after the race, Ben Ainslie put his<br />
success here down to consistency, and agreed the conditions have<br />
been difficult. He commented, “This gives me a good confidence boost<br />
for Athens, but it is still six months away and there is a lot that can<br />
happen and a lot of hard work to do in that time.” Overcoming<br />
challenging conditions and a very deep field of talent, Ainslie has now<br />
won all five major championships since he entered the class in 2001.<br />
With the Olympic Games in Athens just 6 months away, is there<br />
anyone who can stop this man?<br />
The <strong>Finn</strong> Festival in Rio was over and the Rio Carnival was just<br />
starting. Rio de Janeiro certainly put on a show to be proud of over<br />
the week. The <strong>Finn</strong> Gold Cup was just one of many preparatory events<br />
for the 2007 Pan-American Games.<br />
An enormous number of people contributed to the success of the<br />
event including the ever present Nuno Caminada, Kadu (Richardo<br />
Baggio) – Sailing Manager of the Iate Clube do Rio de Janeiro, Marco<br />
Aurelio sa Ribeiro and the Brazilian <strong>Finn</strong> Association as well as the<br />
hard working PRO, Pedro Paulo Petersen. Marco Aurelio (below)<br />
commented, “I think it has been a very successful event. Although<br />
the conditions were tricky, I think the sailors who did the right thing<br />
on the water were the winners. It was a fair championship and we are<br />
very pleased with the organisation.”<br />
Junior <strong>Finn</strong> Gold Cup<br />
The <strong>Finn</strong> Junior World Championship had a<br />
reduced entry this year, perhaps due to the<br />
costs of travel, but the IFA are delighted that<br />
the Brazilian Olympic Committee has presented<br />
the class with ‘The Jorg Bruder<br />
Silver Cup’, a perpetual trophy<br />
to be presented to the winner<br />
of the junior event, as a<br />
memorial to the late great<br />
<strong>Finn</strong> sailor from Brazil.<br />
The leading junior in Rio was<br />
Tapio Nirkko, who finished in<br />
40th place in this Gold Cup<br />
just four places ahead of Brazil’s Henry Raul<br />
Boening (below). Nirkko did himself a favour<br />
on the last day race with a 5th in the morning,<br />
as he was black-flagged in the second race as<br />
a premature starter, but still maintained a big<br />
enough points difference on the Brazilian to<br />
take the title.<br />
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