Containing a great mix of event news, training articles and informed interviews and comment, the April 2026 FINNFARE chronicles the current success of the Finn class.
President Rob McMillan opens his column with “Since the conclusion of the 2025 European season, Finn sailing has demonstrated once again why our class continues to be one of the strongest, most resilient and most passionate communities in world sailing. The second half of 2025 and the opening months of 2026 delivered some of the largest and most competitive Finn events we have seen for many years. From the powerful conditions of the Australian Finn Nationals to the exceptionally challenging Finn Gold Cup, and finally the subtle and tactical Finn World Masters on Moreton Bay, sailors were tested in every possible way.”
Former Finn Gold Cup winner, John Bertrand looks at the story behind Brendan Casey’s win at the 2026 Finn World Masters. In a fascinating and first-hand insight into Casey’s story he writes: “I had a front-row seat to Brendan Casey’s Olympic campaign. I coached him leading into London 2012, and over the years, I got to know not just the sailor, but the person behind it. The resilience, the stubbornness, the ability to keep showing up when things didn’t go his way. What’s always stood out is that Brendan never followed the typical path. To see him now win the 2026 Finn World Masters, after everything that came before it, says a lot about who he is. Not just as a sailor, but as a person. This is a deeper look at that journey and the lessons along the way.”
This year’s Finn Class webinars were hosted by London Olympian Piotr Kula. In FINNFARE he brings out some key points, which, when used, guarantee considerable gains. He writes, “As much as I love sailing for its complexity, it also means there is a lot to remember about in the race. It gets even harder when you want to introduce new tricks to your skill set. I see it especially when I work with sailors, who don’t have as much time for practice as they would like to. That is why I am a big fan of applying the Pareto principle when learning/teaching new skills. It roughly means that 80% of the desired effect comes from 20% of the input.”
Then Arkadii Kistanov talks analytically about “How to Go fast Downwind in a Finn – Physics, modes, transitions and data-driven training”
“Downwind speed in a Finn is not just about ‘feeling fast’, it is about understanding how the sail works, choosing the correct mode for the wind strength, and using heel, sheet and body movement in the right way to get more speed and VMG.”
Arkadii is also the IFA Vice President for IFA Development and organised the third IFA U29 Training Camp at Torbole on Lake Garda in March. These camps are provided free of charge by IFA to develop the skills of the younger sailors in the fleet and are having a real impact on their performance at regattas. Jonus Jung describes his experience.
Sport Scientist and Finn sailor, Tomas Mihalik,PhD, talks about preparing Finn sailors for the season and major events. He writes, “A stronger sailor not only produces more force, but does so at a lower relative intensity, allowing him to delay fatigue and stay effective for longer. But strength is not just about performance. It is also a key factor in injury resilience and longevity in the class. For Masters sailors in particular, strength training plays a critical role in maintaining muscle mass, protecting joints, and supporting spinal stability under load. Over multiple days of racing, this becomes the difference between simply getting through the regatta and remaining competitive until the final race.”
Alessandro Marega received a hero’s welcome back home in Italy following his historic victory at the Finn Gold Cup in Brisbane. Francesca Frazza talked to him on his reflections of the event and the impact on his sailing community. “I read the names on the trophy case and got chills. There are names that made the history of sailing, not just the Finn class, but the sport as a whole. It had been my dream for some time, and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity and to have seized it.”
Finally, there is a conversation with Super Legend Gus Miller on his remarkable performance at the Finn World Masters in Brisbane at the age of 91. Age has become no excuse. He said, “I had to come back here [to Brisbane] because I’d been here for the Finn Gold Cup 50 years ago. John Bertrand and Sid Howlett, my training partners, both beat me in that. And I realised that I was not strong enough to beat them. So, I went back to Ann Arbor, got permission to use football team’s training room and the trainers who had a set of brand-new equipment. And for two months, they pushed me with other exercises that built up my strength. So, when I got to the Europeans, I beat John and all the others that had beaten me here. So that started a 50-year process of continuing to train. And then I thought I wanted to come back here to this anniversary.”
This issue also contains:
• News and results
• Hall of Fame
• World Tour for Finn and World Ranking List
• Full reports and results from Brisbane at the 70th Finn Gold Cup and the Finn World Masters
Download a pdf here (10mb)
Read the April 2026 issue online here
