03/25/09

Welcome to GULF COAST FINNS!

Welcome to the official site for the Gulf Coast Finns.  We are a newly formed band of sailors who have discovered the fun, complexity, joy, pain and thrill of sailing a 58 year old single-handed Olympic-Class dinghy.  You say, who wants to sail a 58 year old boat? The answer is lots of folks.  Just on the Gulf Coast alone from Texas to Florida, about 39 Finns have entered the racing scene with another dozen people considering the Finn. When you check the history of this class, you will see many of the top sailors in the world have raced Finns sometime in their careers like Paul Elvstrom, John Bertrand, Peter Gilmour, Russell Coutts, Iain Percy and the list goes on and on.  Many of the Gulf Coast Finn sailors have been on the racing scene for many years in one-design and/or PHRF boats.  Some of the Finn sailors are newcomers to sailboat racing.  Since many of us are on a steep learning curve, the racing has been close for some.  Some of the more advanced local Finn sailors like Lou Nady, John Dane, Marc Eagan, Andy Lovell, Benz Faget, Guy Brierre and Macho Slavich have set the bar high for the others.  With some practice and hard work we will all be nipping at their heels real soon.  One of the great things about this class is everyone's willingness to help each other become faster.  When you look at the successful one-design classes around the country, the top talent can be found helping their competitors; after all, we are all here to sail, have fun, improve and compete.

Recently the fleet has seen an increased interest by other one-design sailors who have joined the Finn class as a platform for conditioning and practice. Racing the Finn in breeze above 12 knots will keep you fit and your reflexes sharp. The boat will prove to be a physical challenge while the very close competition will test you on a mental level by demanding constant decision-making tactically. Whether it is sailing upwind or downwind, the Finn will keep you on your toes. The only time you will have to rest is between races. After a great day of racing, you will see some tired folks but all will have a big smile on their face.

So come and join the fun.  Take a test sail on a Finn.  Discover why these ordinary sailors have become  FINNatics.