Ben again?

Robert Deaves previews next week's Finn Gold Cup in Moscow

Moscow may not seem an obvious choice for an Olympic class’s World Championship, but by the end of September, Moscow Sailing School will have hosted two of them back to back. The 49ers have just completed their Worlds on Klyazminskoe Lake, and then next week, from 9-18 September the school will host the 2005 Finn Gold Cup on the larger Lake Pestovskoe. These are the first Olympic class world championships ever to be held in Russia.

This will also be only the fourth time ever that the Finn Gold Cup has taken place in an eastern European country. After the spectacular venues of the past few years - Rio de Janeiro in 2004, Cadiz in 2003 and Athens in 2002 - Moscow will certainly be different, if undeniably just as interesting.

Early on in the process, the organisers openly stated that this event was part of its strategy to influence the IOC’s decision on the venue for the 2012 Olympics. However this didn’t quite work out as planned. Initially the regatta was planned for June, but earlier this year it became clear that to stage it so close to the selection date for the 2012 Olympics would contravene IOC rules. So the regatta had to be pushed back to September.

As well as hosting the Finn and 49er Worlds, the Olympic bid included the construction of up to 11 clubs around the lakes to be used at the Olympics, and then later as sailing schools to promote sailing in Russia. All the equipment purchased for the two championships was supposed to be distributed among these clubs. So, obviously money was not a problem.

Some sailors remain sceptical about the wisdom of organising the Finn Gold Cup on a lake in Moscow, but what has become clear over the past two years is the never ending effort of the local organisers to make things work. They have repeatedly “confirmed the willingness of Moscow to fulfil all the necessary requirements needed for the successful holding of the Championship.” Both the Moscow Sailing School and City of Moscow have appeared very motivated and enthusiastic about organising this event.

Logistics

The sheer logistics involved of organising two consecutive World Championships on a lake in Russia is awesome in itself. While the 49er sailors shipped their own boats direct from their Europeans in Copenhagen, the organisers are supplying all the equipment for the Finn Gold Cup. In fact Devoti Sailing’s factory in Poland completed the order for 100 identical Finns for the sailors to use back in June. Sailors were offered a choice of rig, but were also able to bring their own rig to the regatta. Many took this option with two containers having left the Finn Europeans in Kalmar, Sweden in August for Moscow, before being shipped back to Lake Garda in Italy for the first big regatta after the Gold Cup.

Accommodation is being arranged on a 350 bed, 135m long cruise ship, the Felix Dzerzhinski, which has been chartered for both regattas and moored alongside Moscow Sailing School. Meanwhile the boat park is at Mikhavelo Village, some 10 km by water from the school.

The entry is limited to 100 boats, which was viewed as the maximum that the organisers could manage on the water. These were all filled very quickly, with a waiting list of at least 30 more to fill any empty slots. No doubt the event has proved popular because of the ease of taking part. The generous package of provided equipment and arranged accommodation has proved a powerful incentive to sailors worldwide, of course added to the mystique of travelling to Moscow and experiencing Russia’s culture first hand.

The sailing

Pestovskoe Lake - which is about 30km north of the centre of Moscow - is about double the size of Klyazminskoe Lake, where the 49ers held their championship. It is about 1.5 km wide and 6 km long with its main axis aligned northwest to southeast. At its deepest point there is about 8m of water. It is surrounded by flat marshland and bush, with no cliffs or mountains. So in theory there should be no tricky winds or currents and generally flat water. The extra space should also eliminate some of the problems the race committee of the 49ers had in running out of water to set the course if the wind is from an unfavourable direction.

The winds are expected to be light to moderate, so this should allow the lighter end of the Finn fleet to shine, and there may be a few surprises in store for the established heavier helms.

Due to the size of the lake, for the first time ever in the history of the Finn Gold Cup, the fleet will be split into two flights on two separate courses. Four days of qualifying races (2, 1, 2, 1) will be followed by a gold/silver split for the final two days (2, 1).

Contenders

Ben Ainslie has been the current Finn World Champion since his victory in Rio last February, and has now held the title in total for three consecutive years, only the second sailor in the 49 year history of the event to do so. After wins in Athens, Cádiz and Rio, he is coming to Moscow to try and claim the title for a record breaking fourth time. In fact he has won all major titles except one (the 2004 Europeans) since entering the class in 2002, and he now stands as the second most successful Finn sailor of all time, just slightly behind the 2004 Bronze medalist Mateusz Kusznierewicz (POL). Taking time out from the match racing circuit to keep in touch with the Finn class, Ainslie - after completing his current America’s Cup responsibilities in 2007 - is still set on qualifying for and winning Gold in Beijing.

Commenting on the prospect of racing a world championship on a lake in Moscow Ainslie said: “I think the conditions will be really tough. It's not ideal that we are having our World Championships on a lake which can't hold a course for more than 50 boats, but that's how it's going to be so you just get on with it. After the St Moritz match race I did some days at Rutland with some of the other British Finn guys. Sailing on the lake should help us to get used to the predicted conditions in Moscow.”

Ainslie is somewhat bemused at his success this year, with virtually no time in the boat. Winning the Europeans he says was “a bit of a shock. I guess it's like riding a bike but I did have and still have concerns about sailing fitness; however that probably won't be such an issue in Moscow. I hope to be in the frame. Things have gone well this season but winning big championships is all about performing when it matters.”

And who does he think will be his main competition? “Rafa [Trujillo], Emilios [Papathansiou], Bart [Simpson], Marin [Misura]. Dan Slater sailed very well at the Europeans. Anyone who is good on lakes!”



Dan Slater (NZL) is a newcomer to the Finn class. After a period sailing Lasers, he switched to the 49er in 1997 and finished 8th in Sydney. He started sailing the Finn earlier this year and his results so far have been very impressive, culminating with a second at the Europeans.

“It was a flattering result to how I felt I sailed and my speed," says Slater. "However, the reality is that we (the whole fleet) have some work ahead of us if we are to ever beat Ben. Ben and I are great friends and I have the utmost respect for him. However, back in the days when we did youth Laser and open Laser regattas we swapped regatta wins and had a great rivalry as good mates. Once you are out on the water you’re only as good as your last race so Ben is no different to Rafa, Gasper or anyone else. We are all equal at the start. Ben has done the time in the class and it’s like riding a bike once you have done it so much. It just comes back to you after a break. I’m sure if Sebbe or Mateusz came back they would go just fine as well.”

Speaking about the Gold Cup he continued: “In Moscow, it will be interesting and very close racing and I would imagine that it might be a high scoring regatta. For me it’s all still new. Any racing is good racing and I can learn from it. However, I don’t think the deciding factors will be any different to any other regatta: speed, clear air and being able to position yourself within the fleet.”



Andrew Simpson (GBR) - 6th in Rio and 3rd in Cadiz - is also back in a Finn for Moscow. After playing second fiddle to both Iain Percy in 2000 and Ben Ainslie in 2004, he is one of many Finn sailors on board Luca Devoti’s Italian America’s Cup challenger,+39 sailing in this Gold Cup. A close friend of Ainslie as well as sometime training partner Bart had this to say: “Moscow should be fun as I have not raced for 18 months! It should be shifty, fun and different, but I’m not sure it is the best venue ever.

"Having provided boats is great, and most people are taking their own masts so that works quite well as most boats are the same anyway. My mast is new and unused so I will be using standard kit. which is untested. I am expecting a drifter really, with not much wind and pretty up and down wind. I think the starts and a bit of luck should help, but no doubt the usual guys will prosper. Moscow should favour the guys who have trained and are light. Ben is the favourite by a country mile, but I have not seen all the good new guys yet and I guess anyone who has been doing well this year will have a chance in this venue! However, when racing Ben I am only conscious of the fact that Ben is quicker than me and has trained. I’m not bothered about what he has achieved as I know he is beatable as I can beat him in many races, but he is more steady and makes less mistakes overall.”

Many sailors from last year’s Olympic regatta are missing with Kusznierewicz now sailing the Star and 1996 Silver medalist Sebastien Godefroid (BEL) the Tornado. Also missing are Guillaume Florent (the Frenchman who famously protested Ainslie in the second race in Athens) and Dean Barker (NZL), now back in the AC boats.

However, the depth at this year’s Gold Cup is as strong as ever. With the largest entry for 15 years and with the most countries represented (33) at a Gold Cup since 1970, it should prove to be one of the most open for a long time.

Clearly, Ben’s main competition at the moment are 2004 Silver Medalist Rafael Trujillo (ESP) and 2001 European Champion Emilios Papathansiou (GRE), who have both put in some good results so far this year. World ranked Number 1, Jonas Högh-Christensen (DEN) is also gradually becoming more and more consistent.

“I think that sailing with provided equipment is a very good idea, if the quality of the equipment is up to standard," said Högh-Christensen. "The only potential problem area is if they sell them all after the event rather than use them to develop Finn sailing in Russia - which we hope they will - as it might damage the used boat market elsewhere.

“Of course the conditions will play a big role in the regatta. Russian roulette springs to mind. It will favour the light and bright sailor (Ben comes to mind). I expect it to be light, shifty and very tricky! Patience will be a blessing, so will a cool head. I also hope the gear will not mean anything, which would be good for the class.

“With everything considered, I think Ben is the safest bet for a winner, but some of the guys new in from the Laser or other classes will have a good chance, because of their light weight, racing format and eager for a good result at their first Finn Gold Cup. Bigger guys like myself and Rafa will probably look good in the vodka bar instead.”

He continued: “Sailing against Ben is like biking against Lance, playing basket against Jordan, driving against Schumacher or playing golf against Tiger. More and more when you look good in a race you start looking around to see if Ben is close to you, and if he is not, get ready to get a big shift not going your way. Ben is already a legend in sailing and he will probably be the biggest ever. But legends do get beaten. I think Ben looks unbeatable because he has the highest ground level in the world. The rest of us just have to turn it up a level or two to beat him. If we didn't think that he could be beaten we should start doing something else.”

Seasoned campaigner Arif Gurdenli (TUR) commented: “I also think it’s a good idea to race with the provided equipment. It makes life so much easier for the fleet that you do not need to carry any equipment with you. I had always envied the sailors of various classes where they were flying just with their luggage to take part in a major regatta. The two fleet format has its pros and cons but since the conditions are the same for everyone it doesn’t matter. Besides, having starts with 100 boats has always been a hard issue for both the sailors and the race committee. Waiting at the start line after so many general recalls is always boring and frustrating.”

Several sailors have made great improvements over the past year. Marin Misura (CRO) placed fourth at the recent Europeans after a string of top five positions over the past year. Gasper Vincec (SLO) has also shown promise this season, culminating in a third at the Europeans after finishing a lowly 20th in Athens last year.

Vincec said: “It’s a lake and will be tricky conditions, not easy for sailing. I think it’s a great idea to have supplied equipment that we can rent there, because in the Finn this doesn’t make too big a difference. For those that wanted to, a container was shipped from Sweden with their gear. I have no problems with the format. It’s the same for everyone and other Olympic classes do the same, so it’s okay with me.”

“The conditions could be anything but I think we will get wind more and less around 5 knots, so light wind conditions and very shifty. I think those with a good head will do best. Any of the top five in the rankings could win it. Undoubtedly, Ben is the one to beat but it’s not impossible to do it. When you are sailing in a fleet with Ben he is just a number.”

Over the past year there has also been a considerable influx of Laser sailors into the Finn Class. After failing to quality for Athens in the Laser, Daniel Birgmark (SWE) switched to the Finn for a late charge on the Olympics and following a 14th in Athens has been steadily making progress. A 5th at Palma earlier this year was followed by an 8th at the Holland Regatta and a 9th at the Europeans.

Other sailors competing in their first Finn Gold Cup are the 1996 Laser Bronze Medalist Peer Moberg (NOR), Ed Wright (GBR) - 14th at the Europeans, Olexiy Borysov (UKR) - 8th at the Europeans and Tim Goodbody (IRL).

Running within the Finn Gold Cup is the Junior Finn Gold Cup which this year has 13 sailors competing for the title. Based on his performance at the Europeans, the young Croatian, Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic, will be the man to watch, after his victory over Zach Riley (USA).

The sailors will start arriving at the Moscow Sailing School from 8 September with the first race scheduled for Monday 12 September. Racing will continue until Sunday 18 September with one lay-day scheduled before departure on the 19th.

Entry list:

	Helm	Sail no
1	Ezekiel Schargorodsky
2	Joshua Beaver	AUS
3	John Shallvey
4	Anthony Nossiter	AUS 221
5	Ricky Ironmonger	AUS
6	Florian Raudaschl	AUT
7	Mumyga Alexander
8	Karatkevich Ivan
9	Nikolay Vasilev Vasilev	BUL 5
10	Costas Georgiev Stergidor	BUL 20
11	Nikolay Emilov Rusev	BUL 4
12	Jorge Zarif
13	Joao Signorini
14	Evan King	CAN 111
15	Chris Cook	Can 41
16	Derek Mess	CAN 115
17	Marin Misura	CRO25
18	Emil Tomašević	CRO16
19	Ivan Klakovic Gaspic	CRO 524
20	Michael Maier
21	Michal Hruby
22	Rudolf Lidarik
23	Soren Holm	DEN 7
24	Thomas Laursen	DEN 9
25	Kenneth Bøggild	DEN 231
26	Jonas Hogh-Christensen	DEN 200
27	Bjorn Westergaard	DEN
28	Harles Liiv	EST
29	Aare Taveter	EST 8
30	Mihkel Kosk	EST
31	Janno Hool	EST 15
32	Tapio Nirrkko	FIN 216
33	Pierre Alexis Ponsot	FRA 73
34	Michael Eller	GER 266
35	Eiermann Jürgen	GER 8
36	Sebastian Munck	GER 10
37	David Guminski
38	Andreas Bollongino	GER 19
39	Sebastian Petrov	GER 127
40	Harmut Duisberg	GER 203
41	Robert Deaves
42	Ben Ainslie	GBR3
43	Howard Matt
44	Andrew Simpson	GBR 6
45	Mark Andrews	GBR 88
46	Ed Wright	GBR111
47	Chris Brittle	GBR541
48	Emilios Papatanasiou	GRE
	Papastefanou
49	Dragoutsis	GRE
50	Wietze Zetzema
51	Stefan de Vries	NED 6
52	van hellemond karel	NED 41
53	Sander E. Willem	NED 80
54	Bas de Waal	NED 729
55	Peter Jan Postma	NED 780
56	Cees Scheurwater	NED
57	Balaz Hazdu
58	Marton Beliczay	Hun 8
59	Tibor Pallay
60	David Burrows	IRL 8
61	Tim Goodbody	IRL ?
62	Aaron O'Grady	Irl 10
63	Paolo Cisbani	ITA 13
64	Michele Marchesini	ITA 15
65	Riccardo Cordovani	ITA 101
66	Walter Riosa	ITA 723
67	Giedrius Guzys	MON 234
68	Dan Slater
69	Peer Moberg
70	Piotr Mazur	POL 8
71	Rafal Szukiel	POL 7
72	Waclav Szukiel	POL 12
73	Norbert Wilard	POL 71
78	Gasper Vincec	SLO 5
79	Krutskih Vladimir
80	Vladislav Kapitonov	RUS 7
81	Evgeny Chernov	RUS 8
82	Maxim Semerkhanov	RUS 10
83	Yury Bozhedomov	RUS 11
84	Rafael Trujillo Vilar	ESP100
85	Diego Fructuoso
86	Albert Vadell	ESP
87	Kristian Aderman	SWE
88	Johan Tillander	SWE
89	Daniel Birgmark	SWE 11
90	Thomas Gautschi	SUI 496
91	Nick Benz	SUI 8
92	Arif Gurdenli	TUR 3
93	Akif Muslubas	TUR 7
94	Valeriy Zelenskiy	UKR 2
95	Eugen yaroshenko	UKR
96	Olexiy Borysov	UKR
97	Kevin Hall
98	August Miller	USA 975
99	Bryan Boyd	USA 1140
100	Darrell Peck	USA 4
101	Casey Andrew
102	Bradley Nieuwstad (J)	USA 1067
103	David McGregor