After competing in the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Didier Poissant stopped Finn sailing for 40 years, but returned at the age of 73 in 1996 when the Finn World Masters first came to La Rochelle. Since then he has been a youthful inspiration for Finn sailors worldwide, sailing the Finn well into his 90s.

didierSadly his voyage has come to an end. He died in February 2021 at the age of 97.

He joined the French Finn team in 1953, in the run up to 1956, when he was one of 15 sailors battled for selection. His first race in the Finn was in 1953 in St Jean de Luz. His best result was a second place in the 1956 Europeans in Losdrecht, while he won selection to Melbourne at the Olympic qualifiers in Maubuisson and La Baule. 

He wrote in Photo FINNish “It was quite an adventure. We left from Paris on a stormy evening with no officials to see us off or say good luck. About one hour into our trip, one of the engines caught fire and we had to go back and land in Great Britain to change plane. Our trip to Melbourne took two days and had about six stops including New York, Chicago, LA, Hawaii, New Zealand and finally Melbourne.”

“In Melbourne we were allocated boats, masts and sails by a draw and I ended up with the stiffest mast when I was one of the lightest. I had my chances in light winds against Paul Elvström, but we had a very windy regatta with just one light day where I finished fourth. I was disappointed in 13th place but loved the experience. I surely prefer the way it is now where everybody can chose the equipment most fitted to his physique. If I had had this chance and some coaching I am sure I could have done much better.”

“My first international event was in Zeebrugge in a Finn built by the French Federation. The boats then were very uncomfortable and unsafe with no hiking pads and no double bottom. We sailed in the harbour with a big storm. The rescue boats were tugs, and unfortunately I capsized and this big boat came to my rescue…the driver didn’t find the brake and ran over me and my boat, luckily I had just enough time to grab the buoy and didn’t end up sliced by the propeller.”

“Then I raced the European championship in Loodsdrecht, Holland, before the 1956 Games. Before the last race I had a huge advance and had to finish last to lose the title. I remember it was very windy and to play it safe I had rolled my sail around the boom, then on the last leg before the finish I thought, “I can’t win with a sail rolled down, it is not worthy of a champion to do things like that”. I was foolish, because once I had my sail fully up I capsized and lost the championship by a point.”

He stopped racing the Finns at the age of 33 because he thought he was too old, and then reinvigorated his Finn career 40 yeas later in La Rochelle, attending many World Masters and Finn regattas in the coming years. He became a legend in the Masters fleet, often beating many sailors half his age, at least to the top mark.

“I love racing in the Finn. I love the competition. I love the feeling of freedom it gives me when I pack my car and my boat to go to a regatta to join my friends from France and overseas. I hope the future generations will enjoy racing the Finn as much as me.”

RIP Didier Poissant

 

 

didier FINN ROCK STARS 029 didier in blue leads french team at opening ceremony 

 

didier in maubuisson  fons didier

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