|
History of the Finn World Masters
By
Peter Mohilla
The first suggestion for a special Finn Veteran Gold Cup for sailors over
40 years of age was presented by Dr. Fred and Heidi Auer at the 1969 AGM
in
Bermuda.
The Auers - in those days the most active force in the Finn Class - also
organised the first Veteran Gold Cup on the Silvaplana See close to
St. Moritz
in
Switzerland. Even Rickard Sarby sailed in the regatta to
represent Sweden. When the first race was scheduled it was raining and
very cold. So most of the veterans would have preferred not to sail. But
the Dutch Mel Oskamp declared to be eager to sail, and so the race was
started. When the sun came, the wind grew even stronger. It always paid to
sail very close to the shore along the Ho-Tschi-Minh-path. Finally Mel
Oskamp won and therefore had to organise the next event in Holland. From
this time stems the tradition, that the winner has the right to decide the
place of the next Veteran Gold Cup.
1. Veteran Gold Cup 1970
St. Moritz, Silvaplana See, Switzerland,
18
entries from 8 countries
1.
Mel Oskamp H 396 5.6
2.
Othmar Reich Z 183 9.9
3.
Worn Clark SA 393 12.9
4.
Jakob Janich G 945 16.0
5.
Åke Sätre S 272 19.0
6.
Rickard Sarby S 517 20.6
7.
Louis Schiess Z 217 22.0
8.
Marc Lambelet Z 221 25.0
9.
Jacques Gillard B 77 25.6
In
1971, Mel Oskamp invited the veterans to Medemblik. Menoni from
Italy
won and therefore took the Cup to Lake Garda. where Mel Oskamp won it back
in 1972. However, since Mel already knew how much work it was to organise
such a regatta, he declined the honour to do it again and delegated it
back to Switzerland. In 1973, 14 participants met at Lac de Neuchatel. De
Yong from Holland arrived, looked around and declared that on that lake
there would be no wind and left again the same hour, without even having
unpacked his boat. He was right. since only one race was sailed in very
poor wind conditions and the title was not assigned.
2. Veteran Gold Cup 1971
Medemblik, Holland, September 17-19
13
entries from 6 countries
1.
Andreino Menoni L 447 9.0
2.
Othmar Reich Z 183 14.4
3.
Mel Oskamp H 396 20.4
4.
W. Heisch G 1050 54.7
5.
Jacques Gillard B 77 39.4
6.
Martin Quadfass Z 136 60.7
7.
P. Hakker H 63 63.0
3. Veteran Gold Cup 1972
Gargnano, Lago di Garda, Italy, July 29-31
14
entries from 6 countries
1.
Mel Oskamp H 396 5.7
2.
Andreino Menoni I 447 19.0
3.
Beda Zingg Z 271 22.4
4.
Gino Filippini I 417 26.7
5.
Jean Gillard B 77 35.4
6.
Franco Ciresa I 338 37.7
7.
Othmar Reich Z 290 43.0
4. Veteran Gold Cup 1973
Neuchatel, Switzerland
Because of poor weather conditions the title was not assigned.
In
1974 twenty competitors from eight countries met in Port Camargue. Racing
was tough with two heats in Force 4 on the first day. which Vernon
Stratton won both. When the wind got weaker every day. Stratton faded out.
Andre Mevel took over and had difficulties to beat Mel Oskamp.
5. Veteran Gold Cup 1974
Port
Camargue,
France,
June 19-23
20
entries from 8 countries
1. Andre Mevel F 12.0
2.
Mel Oskamp H 35.7
3.
Vernon Stratton K 48.0
4.
P. Goujon F 53.7
5.
Catalano I 61.7
6.
R. Gorchon F 68.4
7.
J. Goujon F 73.7
8.
Lebois F 77.7
9.
Reich Z 81.4
10. Lombard SA 85.7
Mevel kept the Cup in Port Camargue for 1975. Regular winds from force 1-3
ensured perfect racing with Philippe Soria as the chairman of the race
committee. Andre Mevel, in those days the French Finn Secretary, was able
to beat Othmar Reich from
Switzerland in a 7 boat fleet.
6. Veteran Gold Cup 1975
Port
Camargue,
France,
June 24-28
7
entries from 4 countries
1.
Andre Mevel F 629 17.7
2. Othmar Reich Z 290 19.4
3.
Erich Kaspareth I 368 24.4
4.
Louis Schiess Z 217 33.7
Andre Mevel won again in 1976 with Laszlo Zsindely runner-up and Othmar
Reich third, who had been participating since the first event in 1970.
7. Veteran Gold Cup 1976
Port
Camargue,
France,
June 13-19
1. Andre Mevel F
2. Laszlo Zsindely Z
3. Othmar Reich Z
The 1977 event had very good participation with 27 skippers from 7
countries. The newcomer Georg Oser, who had learned the basics of sailing
just a few years before managed to beat them all, starting a sparkling
career in the Veteran Gold Cup regattas. After the race, Georg declined
the privilege to organise the next event on the spot and asked the Centre
de Yachting Mediterranean, personified in Robert Laban, to organise it
again in 1978.
8. Veteran Gold Cup 1977
Port Camargue, France, June 11-17
28
entries from 7 countries
1.
Georg Oser Z 1 38.0
2.
Heinz Reiter G 1594 39.7
3.
Andre Mevel F 629 40.0
4.
Laszlo Zsindely Z 347 41.7
5.
B. L. Morley KZ 12 42.0
6.
H. Sellschopp G 523 47.4
7.
P. Lebois F 713 60.7
8.
Mel Oskamp H 1 63.7
9.
E. Kaspareth I 368 66.0
10. C. Sturm Z 352 66.7
11. H.Wildhagen G 1518 72.7
12. Louis Schiess Z 217 78.0
13. J.P. Auzas F 647 81.0
14. Othmar Reich Z 290 86.7
15. Gilbert Lamboley F 588 90.0
By
this time the Germans had taken over the majority of participants and so
it was only a question of statistics when one of them would win the Cup.
In 1978 Heinz Reiter won the Veteran Gold Cup by never winning a race but
scoring 3/5/2/2/4 and discarding a 12th.
9. Veteran Gold Cup 1978
Port Camargue, France, June 11-17
37
entries from 8 countries
1.
Heinz Reiter G 1594 29.7
2.
P. Lebois F 713 31.7
3.
Georg Oser Z 1 39.4
4.
Laszlo Zsindely Z 347 52.7
5.
Karel Hruby CZ 26 61.7
6. Othmar Reich Z 364 64.0
7.
Andre Mevel F 629 69.4
8.
Hans Chiochetti I 506 72.0
9.
Erich Kaspareth I 627 79.0
10. G. Schilling G 1310 82.0
11. Hand Dieter Faass G 1298 83.0
12. Gilbert Lamboley F 588 84.0
13. Mel Oskamp H 544 84.4
14. J.P. Auzas F 647 84.7
15. Sturm Z 352 86.0
When he offered to organise the Veterans for 1979. a committee was formed
to override his ambitions and to retain the event in sunny Port Camargue
in the experienced hands of Philippe Soria and Robert Laban. When Karel
Hruby was the winner in 1979 he turned out to be more stubborn than Reiter
the previous year and nobody could convince him not to take the
organisation along.
10. Veteran Gold Cup
1979
Port. Camargue, France, June 4-9
29
entries from 7 countries
1.
Karel Hruby CZ 26 9.0
2.
C. Sturm Z 352 28.0
3.
Andre Mevel F 629 38.1
4.
Othmar Reich Z 364 41.0
5. Georg Oser Z 2 44.7
6.
J. Termoz F 736 45.5
7.
Eric Larsson S 596 50.0
8.
Hand Dieter Faass G 1298 50.0
9.
J. Ask S 419 60.0
10. J. Martin F 717 63.7
11. Hanno Wildhagen G 1518 65.7
12. Roland Wenz G 1696 67.0
13. Orounet Lagrange F 682 68.7
So
in 1980 the veterans had to go to Czechoslovakia to Lake Lipno. 30
skippers from 7 countries made the trip. The organisation was of highest
standard. Seven races were sailed. Whenever the defending champion Karel
Hruby was in front. the wind died. When Georg Oser was lucky the races
were counted. So, finally Oser won his second title far ahead of defender
and runner-up Karel Hruby.
11. Veteran Gold Cup
1980
Lake Lipno, CSSR, June 21-27
30
entries from 7 countries
1.
Georg Oser Z 17.0
2.
Karel Hruby CZ 31.7
3.
Jiri Maier CZ 49.0
4.
Dr. Egbert Vincke G 53.7
5.
Walter Schuster OE 55.4
6.
Václav Hudec CZ 66.1
7.
Othmar Reich Z 74.7
8.
Milo Splitek CZ 74.7
9.
Werner Oberheidt G 81.7
10. Klaus Schulze G 91.7
11. Erich Kaspareth I 102.0
12. Helmut Junker G 102.0
13. Miroslav Vejvoda CZ 103.7
14. Antonin Vachek CZ 106.0
15. Elmer Rist G 109.0
According to his habit Oser again delegated the organisation to southern
France. Good-natured Robert Laban took the full load once again. 38
skippers from 10 nations came after the sun and some exciting sailing. Gy
Wossala had superior speed in good winds and won four races, then finished
second behind Georg Oser and did not sail in the final heavy wind race.
12. Veteran Gold Cup
1981
Port Camargue, France, June 7-13
38
entries from 10 countries
1.
Gy Wossala M 3.0
2. Georg Oser Z 21.7
3. Frank Roth Z 31.4
4. O. Burger Z 42.4
5.
Peter Bohland G 52.4
6.
Erich Kaspareth I 62.0
7. Jiri Maier CZ 63.7
8. Bernd HaIler G 67.0
9.
Peter Kron G 72.0
10. Karel Hruby CZ 77.7
11. Eric Larsson S 78.7
12. P. Gellert G 82.0
13. C. Sturm Z 93.0
14. Othmar Reich Z 96.0
15. J. Martin F 97.0
16. Werner Orth G 111.0
17. Peter Mohilla OE 111.7
18. Hans Dieter Faass G 112.0
19. Roland Wenz G 113.0
20. E. Holub CZ 119.0
Gy
Wossala was not able or willing to stage the next Championship in his home
waters Lake Balaton and therefore delegated it to Austria. Nice gentle
winds for the skippers and sun for the ladies were the predominant
features of the 1982 Veteran Gold Cup. Ivan Hoffmann was leading most of
the time up until the last beat of the last race, and everybody was
thinking of sailing in the CSSR again. However smart Georg Oser won that
last race and the title for the third time to ring up Robert Laban for
help once more.
13. Veteran Gold Cup
1982
Lake Neusiedl, Austria, May 31-June 4
51
entries from 7 countries
1. Georg Oser Z 1 21.0
2.
Ivan Hoffmann CZ 93 25.7
3. Friedrich Müller G 1683 34.0
4.
G. Wossala M 7 34,4
5. Klaus von Packowski G 1756 56.0
6.
Peter Mohilla OE 1 60.0
7.
Erich Kaspareth I 665 64.0
8.
Karel Hruby CZ 262 66.0
9.
G. Schilling G 7 67.0
10. Horst Klein G 1687 67.0
11. Adalbert Wiest G 1336 67.4
12. Erich Baumgartner OE 222 72.7
13. Gerhard Gfreiner OE 158 73.0
14. Klaus Schulze G 1704 73.0
15. Peter Bohland G 1562 75.0
16. Jiri Maier CZ 654 75.0
17. Elmer Rist G 998 78.7
18. Dieter Ottlik G 1798 86.0
19. Werner Oberheidt G 1810 86.0
20. V. Chalupnik CZ 371 90.7
And Robert Laban was kind enough to grant it. However the wind in Port
Camargue was already bored by the constant visits of the old boys. Seven
times is fine, but eight is too much and so it was determined to expel the
veterans from that paradise. Therefore it blew a lot in 1983; for some too
much. The favourite, Georg Oser, collected two wins but also twice a PMS
and dropped to 10th overall. The unexpected winner was Heini Unterhauser
from German speaking northern Italy.
14. Veteran Gold Cup
1983
Port Camargue, France, May 21-28
48
entries from 8 countries
1.
Heini Unterhauser I 651 24.4
2.
Frank Roth Z 334 47.7
3.
H. Herwig G 1682 52.4
4.
Werner Oberheidt G 1810 53.0
5.
Friedrich Müller G 1683 55.1
6.
Erich Kaspareth I 665 55.7
7. Andrea Roost Z 9 56.0
8.
Peter Bohland G 1562 68.4
9.
U. Gut Z 409 79.0
10. Georg Oser Z 2 87.0
11. Bernd Gunther G 1565 88.0
12. Bernd HaIler G 1853 93.0
13. Dieter Ottlik G 1798 97.0
14. C. Sturm Z 352 110.0
15. Elmer Rist G 998 111.0
16. Eric Larsson S 596 118.0
17. Rolf Lehnert G 1815 113.0
18. Hendrik Vincke G 1312 115.0
19. Karel Hruby CZ 26 118.0
20. Hans Dieter Mölls G 1509 125.0
15. Veteran Gold Cup
1984
Lago di Caldaro/Kalterersee, Italy
June 11-15, 103 entries from 8 countries
1.
Walter Mai G 1818 6.0
2.
Palle-Steen Larsen D 147 6.0
3.
Friedrich Müller G 1683 28.4
4.
Klaus Stuffer I 506 35.7
5.
Jürgen Bärwind G 1790 41.0
6.
Jürgen Oberheidt G 1810 48.4
7.
G.J. van der Werf H 615 50.7
8.
Heinrich Unterhauser I 651 52.7
9.
Peter Bohland G 1562 54.0
10. Bernd Gunther G 1565 56.4
11. Walter Schuster OE 208 56.7
12. H. Herwig G 1682 59.1
13. Georg Oser Z 1 59.7
14. Laszlo Zsindely Z 347 61.0
15. Alan Tucker OE 490 63.7
16. Václav Hudec CZ 10 69.0
17. B. Burton Barbour OE 504 69.0
18. Frank Roth Z 334 69.4
19. Horst Klein G 1687 72.7
20. Klaus v. Packowski G 1756 75.0
21. Erich Kaspareth I 665 76.0
22. Franz Steib G 1676 82.0
23. Fabio Albarelli I 516 83.7
24. Dieter Ottlik G 1798 84.7
25. Adalbert Wiest G 1836 86.0
26. O. Andergassen I 662 87.0
27. Günter Kellermann G 1589 87.0
28. Herbert Sondermann G 1 774 98.0
29. Klaus Weixelbaumer OE 219 100.0
30. RoIf Lehnert G 1815 101.0
31. Elmar Rist G 998 101.7
32. Erich Baumgartner OE 222 103.0
33. Riccardo Grande I 147 103.0
34. Berthold Hailer G 1853 105.7
35. Cornel Mayrgündter I 694 107.0
That is one of the most pleasant spots in the world. Charming vineyards, a
comfortable climate, and hospitable people are the main attraction. There
is even a small water in between, which they selected for the Veterans:
the Kalterersee. They had to divide the fleet into two groups, otherwise
it would not have been possible to get the more than 100 boats across the
line, already hitting the shores on both sides. Old hand Walter Mai and
newcomer Palle-Steen Larsen were equal in overall points before the last
race, which was not sailed because there was no wind. So they gave the
title to Mai, because he was second in the first race when Palle-Steen
ended up 25th.
In
1985, an even larger number of veterans gathered in Bavaria. Lake Chiemsee
offered not too much wind, but it was good enough for four races. The
veterans were no challenge for the professional Jorgen Lindhardtsen who
won with four straight line honours. The 110 amateurs behind him enjoyed
the event very much.
16. Veteran Gold Cup
1985
Seebruck, Chiemsee, Federal Republic of Germany, May 28-31
111 entries from 10 countries
1.
Jörgen Lindhardtsen D 142 0.0
2.
Klaus Stuffer I 506 27.0
3. Henning Wind D 157 50.9
4.
Georg Oser Z 1 59.0
5.
Heini Unterhauser I 651 70.9
6.
Berthold Hailer G 1853 74.6
7. Peter Weichel G 1869 74.6
8.
Adalbert Or. Wiest G 1836 81.0
9. Jürgen Bärwind G 1790 100.0
10. Friedrich Müller G 1846 102.0
11. Palle-Steen Larsen D 147 106.9
12. Karel Hruby CZ 26 110.0
13. Peter Mohilla OE 1 110.0
14. G.-J van der Werf H 615 115.0
15. Wilfried Balthasar G 1671 115.0
16. Louie Nady US 1009 117.0
17. Jiri Maier CZ 304 118.0
18. Hans Wölke G 1767 122.0
19. Egbert Vincke G 1705 124.0
20. Herbert Sondermann G 1774 125.0
21. Georg Rieperdinger C 1876 125.6
22. Martin Quadfass Z 406 126.0
23. Herbert Herwig G 1682 130.0
24. Erich Kaspareth I 665 134.0
25. H.P. Schobert G 470 135.0
26. Peter Bohland C 1562 136.0
27. Horst Klein C 1687 139.0
28. Gerhard Gfreiner OE 158 153.0
29. Günter Plinke C 1733 155.0
30. Hans Dieter Faass C 1 298 158.0
31. Gerhard Benz Z 398 162.0
32. Dieter Ottlik C 1803 164.0
33. Antonin Vachek CZ 311 168.0
34. Klaus P. Schulze C 1704 171.0
35. &nbs | 
