INTERNATIONAL FINN ASSOCIATION
2026 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Was held online by Zoom on 12 May at 21.30 CEST.
Present: Executive Committee: Rob McMillan (President), Robert Deaves (Executive Director), Tim Tavinor (TC Chair), Andy Denison (VP Masters), Remko Boot (VP Sailing), Arkadii Kistanov (VP Development), Andrzej Romanowski (VP)
Representatives from AUS, AUT, BRA, DEN, EST, GER, HUN, ITA, LIE, NED, POL, ESP, SUI, GBR, USA and 10 sailors.
MINUTES
1. National Class Associations
The list of National Class Associations (NCA) and the Treasurer’s statement of the NCA Representatives’ voting powers based on the IFA dues received was noted. Details were published online with the agenda.
2. Minutes from the last meeting
The minutes from the 2025 IFA AGM (previously circulated on IFA website, to secretaries) were approved with no amendments.
3. Reports
The President summarised all the reports and accounts in a brief presentation covering the key issues over the past 12 months. This repeats some of the reports below, but is included for completeness.
[auto transcribed…] “It's been an absolutely amazing year of fin sailing, I think by any measure. We've had an absolutely outstanding year of events in no uncertain terms, I think we were feeling pretty buoyant this time last year, having enjoyed Naples, but having seen the bumper fleet in Medemblik and the standard of organization delivered by a Dutch Friends. And the spectacle of the Gold Cup in Cascais, followed by the events this February in Brisbane and the great work done by the team there, I think things went from great to awesome
The media response alone from Brisbane was amazing
In terms of the number of impressions, I think, Robert, we were talking about numbers of 2.5 million impressions. The standard of racing was excellent at every event we attended.
I think we've set new precedents for the level of execution that we've delivered for our members, and I think our events still set the standard that everyone in the sailing world is looking to, and I think that's a fantastic achievement, and it's testament to the enormous amount of volunteer effort that goes in from the NFAs, from the clubs, and from regular Finn sailors who just pitch in and make things happen
So, a huge thank you from the executive, and I'm sure from every Finn sailor for all the people that contributed to those events. It was an outstanding year of competition. So, a fantastic year for our membership
I think in no small part I think it's important to note that from Robert's attendance at the World Sailing Conference, the success of the Finn Class, it's continued growth, the strength of its membership base, which is bigger than ever is recognised by World Sailing, and I think it's because the class continues to be seen, by those who govern our sport as a success story. And you should all feel incredibly proud to be part of it, and contributing so amazingly to its continued success
Fiscally, we made a small loss but as you will see from the accounts we have a substantial sum of money in the bank, and our challenge is to spend it wisely for the betterment of the class, and to underpin its continued growth. That's not a small task, and you could rightly criticize us for not spending more, perhaps
However, I don't think our membership in the future would not congratulate us if we didn't spend wisely. So, there are things we need to do. There are things that we haven't done this year that we should have done or should have made a start on. But what I would note is I think we've made a terrific start to our under 29 training initiatives under Arkadii.
There is no doubt there is a lot more work to do and certainly as your executive and Arkadii is going to take this forward, we want to spend more money in that area, and we want to spend more money on training, not just under 29, but delivering training to our membership more widely or underwriting initiatives that our local NFAs have. So, this is an area where we think it's great to spend money. But we're looking for solid proposals and ideas to support
Where we didn't make progress, this year was on the website. There's lots of reasons for that. But it's on the list of things we must do. There is some disagreement amongst the IFA executive about the urgency of this matter, and I think I think it's important whether it's super urgent or not, we could have a very long debate about, but it is important that our point of presence on the web really does set the stall out for what we offer.
Equally, and alongside this, so is having contemporary media around our events. And again, we do see some criticism of the way we're executing our event media, such as insufficient use of drones, and we are again open-minded to improving all those things. They take money and they take a sound plan. And I know that Robert is looking into how we can advance media this year at our events going forward.
The other area we need to spend some attention is your executive in the in the year ahead is what I'll describe as tuning our event manual. And this is something that Remko is contributing to, and the wider executive. But it also it also stretches into the realm of what I'd call legalese. And what I mean by that is that is we are blessed that at the scale we operate our events, we're attractive to many places. But we do want to expand the number of places we visit. And we want to push the boundaries there to go to our favourites, but also new and exciting venues. And sometimes when you go to a new and exciting venue you encounter teams with less experience, you might otherwise experience at, say, a La Rochelle or a Hyeres or a Medemblik.
And what that means is we need I think protect both our membership and our event organisers from themselves to a degree. So, our event manual needs to be short form contract, and we also need to reconsider the roles that the IFA play in governance during the delivery phase of these events.
Some of the decision making when you're dealing with a team who have perhaps not experienced a Gold Cup, or not experienced a major event in recent times, is that decisions don't necessarily line up with our vision of the event as it stands today.
And the IFA needs to play a stronger role in that governance and that needs to be defined more closely in the event manual than it currently is. We're not stretching to writing an event contract, but it does need to be a little bit more prescriptive around the governance, particularly during the delivery phase of an event.
Finally, and this could consume the entire meeting if we let it run, technology, which is being embraced widely across many prominent international classes. I'm referring to particularly technology to support race management that impacts the integrity and the fairness or improves the integrity and the fairness of our racing, particularly on the start line. It is a huge subject that's occupying a lot of IFA executive time and NFA time at present, and I'm sure you'd have to be living under a rock not to say that many classes are adopting a technology known as race sense technology to better execute start lines and starting procedures. We have a lot to talk about later on this subject.”
4. Executive Committee Reports
4.1 President – Rob McMillan
I want to begin this review with a sincere thank you to all of our National Finn Associations, volunteers and sailors who have made the last twelve months such an outstanding success for the class. The energy, commitment and passion shown across the world have been remarkable and have helped ensure that the Finn class continues to thrive.
Since May 2025, the Finn class has continued to build remarkable momentum around the world. I think many had concerns about our post-Olympic future, but I believe we have continued to prove those people wrong in spectacular fashion and remain a benchmark class within the sailing world.
Our love, the Finn, remains a machine you can have faith in from every respect: as a true level playing field, as a solid investment – especially in your own wellbeing – and as a pathway to some of the very best racing in the world. The Finn continues to offer unique competition across every age and ability, while the friendships, camaraderie and opportunities that come with the class remain as strong as ever.
Our diverse range of events continues to set a high bar for the sailing world and is being enjoyed by ever-increasing numbers of sailors. The class has experienced renewed growth, stronger international participation, deeper cooperation between national associations and an exciting sense of optimism for the future.
One of the most encouraging developments has been the continued growth of Finn sailing
internationally. Major championships and regional regattas across Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific and South America have all seen strong entries and highly competitive fleets. Demand for boats, equipment, sails and spare parts has remained exceptionally strong, while many countries have reported increased participation at both national and club level. Rather than a decline following the major events of 2025, the class has instead experienced a period of renewed energy and expansion.
The standard of racing has also continued to rise. The 2025–26 season saw strong fleets at international championships, continental events and domestic regattas. Competition remains intense across all levels of the class, from elite sailors and former Olympians through to Masters competitors and sailors new to the Finn. One of the most positive trends has been the increasing number of younger sailors moving into the class from youth, Olympic and former Finn pathways, bringing fresh talent and helping secure the future of the fleet.
At the same time, the Finn class has retained and celebrated one of its greatest strengths: the depth of experience within its membership. Former Olympians, world champions and leading coaches continue to play an active role in the class, sharing their knowledge with the next generation. Sailors such as Rafa Trujillo, Nicholas Heiner and many others have continued to contribute through coaching, mentoring and technical support. Across the world there has been a noticeable increase in cooperation between sailors and national associations, with training camps, shared coaching initiatives and international exchanges becoming more common.
The class has also continued to embrace technology and technical development. GPS tracking,
performance data, video analysis and structured coaching programs are now increasingly common at major events and training camps. Sailors are sharing rig settings, tuning information and performance insights more openly than ever before, helping to lift the overall standard of the fleet internationally. This willingness to collaborate while still competing fiercely on the water has become one of the defining strengths of the modern Finn class.
There have also been important developments in the organisation and governance of the class.
National Finn Associations and the International Finn Association have worked closely together to strengthen planning, improve event delivery and ensure that the class remains well positioned for the future. There is now a stronger focus on supporting a broad range of events, from World and Continental Championships through to regional regattas, training camps and Masters competition.
In the twelve months since our last AGM we have run two spectacular Finn Gold Cups and two editions of our renowned Finn World Masters.
All four regattas were great showcases for the class. Whether it was the astounding entry in Medemblik, the insane conditions in Cascais, or the incredible media interest in our events in Brisbane, you could not help but notice that the Finn is where it is at.
The Masters World Championship in Medemblik attracted record entries and once again demonstrated the extraordinary strength and depth of the global Finn Masters fleet. Sailors from around the world enjoyed not only superb racing, but also the camaraderie and spirit that have become hallmarks of the Finn class.
The Gold Cup in Cascais was another major success. Hosted in classic Finn conditions, it delivered exceptional racing, a world-class venue and one of the strongest fleets seen in recent years. Cascais reminded everyone why it remains one of the great homes of Finn sailing and reinforced the continuing prestige of the Gold Cup.
Brisbane 2026 then proved to be a resounding success and one of the great Finn events of recent years. The Brisbane Finn Gold Cup and Masters World Championship exceeded expectations both on and off the water. Strong fleets, outstanding organisation, excellent racing conditions and significant international participation combined to create a memorable event that showcased the very best of the class.
Together, Medemblik, Cascais and Brisbane highlighted what makes the Finn class unique: world-class racing, strong friendships, committed volunteers and organisers, and an international community that continues to thrive.
Before looking ahead more broadly, I am delighted that we have rejuvenated our focus on Under 29 sailors. The renewed training and support offered during the past year has been well received, but there is still much more work to do in this area.
Affordability and stability remain key factors in attracting young sailors into the class, together with better marketing and presentation of our outstanding product. The Finn has so much to offer younger sailors – close racing, great equipment, a supportive international community and a pathway to lifelong involvement in the sport – and we must continue to ensure that message is communicated clearly.
Looking ahead, the Finn class is continuing to take important steps to protect and strengthen the
quality of its major championships. A new quota system is being introduced for the Finn Gold Cup and Open European Championship in order to preserve the integrity, value and prestige of these events.
The objective is to ensure that the world’s leading Finn regattas remain highly competitive,
internationally representative and of the highest standard, while also encouraging stronger
participation and development within national fleets.
The class is also exploring new technology to further improve the integrity and fairness of racing. Whilst we had previously postponed this work, your Executive is listening carefully to feedback from National Finn Associations and members and wants to ensure that we respond appropriately to protect the integrity and fairness of our racing, particularly in larger fleets.
With growing interest from members around the world, we will be bringing forward our investigation into the use of GPS devices and related technology at major championships and events for better race management.
Our curiosity is solely around the use of these technologies for race management and their ability to assist in the better presentation of our racing. We will not be contemplating additional functionality in any form.
The plan is to run a number of test events using these devices before any formal proposal or
presentation is made to the class. More on this will follow later in these reports.
Not everything has progressed as quickly as hoped. One area where the class has been less successful over the past year has been in refreshing and modernising its online presence. While the year began with strong momentum and a clear intention to improve the Finn class website, communications and digital platforms, this work has not advanced.
However, there is a clear commitment to address this. The class intends to secure an external provider to help deliver a modern, professional and more dynamic online presence. This will be an important priority for the year ahead, helping the Finn class better promote its events, support national associations, communicate with members and present the class to a wider international audience.
We have a great plan for the balance of 2026, with the Finn Europeans to take place in June, followed by a Masters Europeans later in the year.
Looking further ahead, 2027 promises to be an outstanding year for the class, with the Finn Open and Masters Europeans in L’Estartit, the Finn Masters Worlds in Ishcia, Naples and what promises to be an amazing Finn Gold Cup in La Rochelle.
I look forward to seeing you on the water!
4.2 Executive Director, including marketing – Robert Deaves
Since the last AGM we have had two Finn Gold Cups and two Finn World Masters and many other successful events. Membership numbers have been more or less stable with a few fluctuations. We have just over 1,800 members in more than 40 countries, ranging from 1 member to over 400 in any one country. Numbers at major championships continue to be very healthy, while the initiative to take both world championships to Australia proved very worthwhile.
Aside from the day-to-day work of the IFA office (membership, royalty labels, general enquiries, event management and documents, jury and race official management, measurers, technical matters and questions, documentation, managing the finances and invoicing), some keys points from the last year include:
- U29 clinics held in Cascais and Torbole, run by Arkadii Kistanov
- Two webinars run by Piotr Kula
- New Class Rules published
- A lot of work and discussion on the future of GPS devices within the class
- Social media under Francesca continues to evolve and improve, resulting in more than 2 million views for the events in Brisbane.
- The World Tour for Finns and the World Ranking List remain pivotal to the annual calendar and obtain a lot of exposure for the class.
- The launch of the WTF Grand Slam to focus media and attention on specific events should further enhance this exposure.
Our finances remain healthy, which allows us to offer the U29 clinics and webinars, with more in the pipeline for the coming year. Sales of sail, mast and boat labels remains healthy and funds most of these activities.
It has been another challenging year for the Finn class in some areas, but generally in the end everything came together and optimism and confidence in the class continue to grow. Thanks to the Executive members, as well as many national representatives, for their support over the past year.
I would reemphasise that all feedback is important and valued, so please do get involved.
4.3 Vice-President Masters – Andy Denison
The Brisbane World Masters was a successful event. The numbers were down as expected, with 107 entries. Early disagreements with some sailors wishing to sail in two fleets were resolved, which highlighted a number of points that IFA and Masters will tighten up.
Masters Merchandise is in demand, which has prompted discussions to advertise for someone to take on board the role of all the merchandise in Europe.
There is a lot of talk about Vakaros, SailTeck and Mesh systems which has been elevated to trials within the fleet.
I personally feel it would benefit the larger Masters fleet, cutting out the general recalls and waiting time on the water, together with the assistance on the bunched-up finishing. There are, of course a number of other discussions that need consideration
Progress is slow on opening up Masters Europeans in Mar Menor, however I don’t for see any issues.
At the AMM in Brisbane, the sailors unanimously selected Pula, Croatia for the 2028 Finn World Masters, while preparations are well underway for the next event in Ischia, Italy in 2027.
4.4 Vice President Sailing – Remko Boot
The past period has been very active for the Finn Class internationally, with strong participation levels at major championships and the continued development of high-level international events.
The class continues to demonstrate excellent fleet strength, particularly in Europe, with several major championships reaching full capacity and attracting highly competitive international fleets.
Sailing Activities
Major Events 2025
Finn Gold Cup – Cascais, Portugal
The 2025 Finn Gold Cup in Cascais was a major success for the class.
Deniss Karpak became the first ever Estonian sailor to win the Finn Gold Cup. Italy’s Arkadii Kistanov took silver, while defending champion Oskari Muhonen from Finland secured bronze and also won the Jorg Bruder U29 Finn Silver Cup.
Finn Open Europeans – Naples, Italy
The Open Europeans in Naples attracted 114 boats competing together in one fleet, confirming the strong international interest in the class.
Valerian Lebrun became the 2025 Finn European Champion.
Major Events 2026
Finn Gold Cup – Brisbane, Australia
Alessandro Marega became the first Italian sailor ever to win the Finn Gold Cup.
The combination of the Finn Gold Cup and the Finn World Masters during the tour outside Europe proved to be a major success.
It gave sailors the opportunity to share boats, logistics, and travel costs when competing outside Europe, which contributed to strong participation numbers across both fleets.
The class will evaluate and discuss in the future whether this format could again be used for future major championships held outside Europe.
World Finn Tour (WFT) Grand Slam 2026
The World Finn Tour Grand Slam started strongly in Palamos with a fleet of 45 boats from 12 nations.
Leg 1 17–19 April – Mediterranean Finn Cup, Palamos, Spain
Winner: Valerian Lebrun
Leg 2 30 May – 1 June – Italian National Championship, Cannigione, Sardinia, Italy
Leg 3 20–27 June – European Championship, Gdynia, Poland
Leg 4 3–5 July – British National Championship, Brixham, Great Britain
Leg 5 21–23 August – Swedish/Danish National Championship, Varberg, Sweden
Leg 6 2–6 September – Swiss National Championship, Silvaplana, Switzerland
Leg 7 7–11 September – German National Championship, Berlin, Germany
Leg 8 18–20 September – Dutch National Championship, Medemblik, Netherlands
Leg 9 2–4 October – International Finn Cup, Malcesine, Italy
Europeans 2026 – Gdynia, Poland
The 2026 Europeans in Gdynia reached its limit of 120 boats within 24 hours of opening registration, demonstrating the very strong demand within the class.
The event will be sailed in one fleet, which remains an important objective for the class at major championships.
The entry limit was based on the capacity of the venue in Gdynia and the objective of maintaining one-fleet racing.
Due to time constraints and organisational considerations, it was not possible to organise a qualification series ahead of the championship.
Other Topics
Future Events/bids
2027
• Finn Gold Cup – La Rochelle, France
• Europeans – Estartit, Spain
2028
• Finn Gold Cup – Weymouth, United Kingdom (bid)
• Open Europeans – no confirmed bid yet (Douarnenez, France, could become a potential option)
2029
• Finn Gold Cup – Palma de Mallorca, Spain (formal bid to be received)
• Open Europeans – no confirmed bid yet
Major Event Manual
Work is ongoing on an updated Major Event Manual for future championships.
The updated manual will incorporate lessons learned and findings from recent major events in order to further raise the level of competition, organisation, race management, and event delivery.
Quota System
The proposed quota system for future major championships will be addressed later during the AGM.
Fleet and Participation
The fleet remained active throughout the year with regular sailing activity across participating clubs.
The class continues to benefit from:
- A strong masters fleet;
- Experienced sailors supporting newer members;
- Good camaraderie within the class;
- Ongoing enthusiasm for Finn sailing.
- Training camps around Europe (incl U29)
Maintaining participation and attracting new sailors will remain important priorities moving forward.
Challenges
As with many sailing classes, several ongoing challenges remain:
- Rising travel and event costs;
- Encouraging younger sailors into the class;
- Maintaining strong participation across all events.
Despite these challenges, the Finn Class continues to show resilience and commitment from its members.
Outlook for the Coming Year
The focus for the coming year will include:
- Supporting existing regattas and championships;
- Encouraging participation at international events;
- Promoting the Finn Class to potential new sailors;
- Maintaining strong communication within the fleet;
- Continuing cooperation with clubs and national sailing authorities.
Finally
I would like to thank all sailors, organizers, volunteers, race officials, clubs, and committee members for their continued support and contribution throughout the year.
4.5 Chairman of the Technical Committee - Tim Tavinor
With the exception of an increasing number of requests from some sailors about future use of GPS devices it has been a quiet year on the technical front.
No formal technical submissions or submissions regarding GPS have been made, however I would like to make clear the current position on GPS devices and make some recommendations.
It remains not permitted to use GPS enabled devices while racing . This includes watches, phones, cameras.
Permitted by the rule changes that became live early this year it is permitted to carry these onboard during racing but they must be not accessible and must be inside one of the buoyancy tanks during the racing.
Of course, GPS derived data and devices can be used for training and an increasing number of people are using the increasing range of data analysis software becoming available.
Since I have been more focused in the past year to the implications of permitting onboard GPS devices in some form it has become very clear to me that available hardware from a range of different suppliers have started to offer more options than the current market leader Vakaros.
I can see this arena continuing to evolve rapidly over the next two years.
It has also become apparent that we need to be very careful not to escalate the costs of Finn racing or change the nature of our racing for the worse by rushing into any changes.
Different GPS devices from different suppliers offer a very different cost and cost structure for their race management systems and this also continues to evolve.
Because of this it is my suggestion that we, as a class, do not make any commitment regarding GPS devices and review again in two years’ time.
However, I do think it’s important that we continue to review the potential benefits of using these devices, especially the race management features that the use of GPS devices can bring at major and large championships.
To this end we will endeavour to run some test events during the next two years using equipment from a range of suppliers that will give us “real” feedback how these devices can impact our racing so we as a class are better positioned to make informed decisions.
4.6 Treasurer’s report and accounts – David Bull
The Budget for 2026 has been prepared and forwarded to the Executive for inclusion in the Agenda for the May AGM and incorporated in the current financial year summary. Our
financial year runs from 1st January to 31st December and the following report reflects this period.
The 2026 budget shows a small loss of Euro 3,550. This is mainly due to the smaller income for the Finn Gold Cup and the Finn World Masters being held in Brisbane, Australia.
Although they were extremely successful events, the fact they were held in the southern hemisphere and the distances involved, there were less entrants than usual.
On the positive side there will be a Finn European Masters and a Finn Open Europeans held this financial year which will provide additional income.
It is difficult to predict income from sail labels because of so many variables. Last year was a particularly good one with lots of new sails being purchased. This year I have budgeted a smaller number to be on the connective side.
Budgeted Expenditure for 2026 is pretty much unchanged from last year.
The Budget financial details are provided in the published Accounts section of the Agenda (see HERE)
The Balance Sheet details below indicate Total Equity of Euro197,746 which is a slight increase over 2024 which was Euro191,132.
2025 Balance Sheet
Total Bank 200,229 Euros
Total Assets 197,728 Euros
Total Liabilities (18) Euros
Net Assets 197,746 Euros
Retained Earnings 191,308 Euros
Current Year Earnings 6,438 Euros
Total Equity 197,746 Euros
The Xero accounting system has the 2026 budget loaded, with the projected loss of Euro 3550 as mentioned above.
We are currently close to budget on a year-to-date Accrual basis, however with only 4
months of the financial year completed our Net Profit as at 23rd April is slightly ahead of budget.
2026 Budget Summary
Gross Profit 107,700 Euros
Other Income 3,500 Euros
Operating Expenses 114,250 Euros
Net Profit (3,550) Euros
2026 Balance Sheet (as at 30th April 2026)
Total Bank 241,465 Euros
Total Assets 242,224 Euros
Total Liabilities 238 Euros
Net Assets 241,987 Euros
Retained Earnings 203,165 Euros
Current Year Earnings 38,882 Euros
Total Equity 241,987 Euros
Surplus funds are transferred to the Liquidity Manager Investment account and we are receiving a competitive interest rate.
I can report we have no major outstanding debtors although there are a few countries yet to pay their membership fees. (BUL, CAN, EST, CHI, ARG) Most are smaller memberships with only a few members.
The Masters income and expenditure is incorporated with the IFA accounts although there is a separate bank account with Lloyds Bank which indicates a balance of 14,688 GBP. I will address this matter at the executive meeting prior to the AGM.
The Association continues to be in a sound financial position with a healthy balance sheet.
An annual report is submitted to the Victorian Government in Australia where the association is incorporated and as a Tier 1 category, therefore no audit is required.
Again, my thanks to Robert Deaves for his continued support and valuable assistance which makes my job a lot easier.
5. Major Championships
5.1 The 2028 Finn Gold Cup will be held in Weymouth, GBR
5.2 Approval was received for the 2029 Finn Gold Cup in Arenal, Palma, subject to satisfactory agreement between CNA and the IFA Office.
5.2 IFA is talking with several clubs for the 2028 and 2029 Open European Championship, and these will be presented to the class for a decision when confirmed.
5.3 It was noted that interest was welcome for the next Finn Gold Cup outside Europe, whether or not combined with a Finn World Masters, which would be due by 2031.
6. Rule Changes
None received
7. Changes to IFA Constitution
Given the reduction of nations represented before 2020 had fallen by about 10 to 15. it was noted that a change was possibly required for a quorum needed for a valid AGM. This is currently 15 member nations (we have 35), so perhaps can be reduced to 10 or 12. This would be discussed and presented to the membership at a later date.
8. Submissions and discussions
8.1 The quota policy for 2027 was presented with a chart to show how it would work in practice. General approval was received from the meeting. It will be refined by the Executive and published on the website later this year.
8.2 The TC Chair gave a brief update on technology and GPS compasses, including race management functionality. There was a lively discussion on the advantages and disadvantages and there were many views from the meeting.
Upon a proposal from the President, it was unanimously agreed that any trials would be delayed until 2027 or until there were at least three comparable platforms to test. In the meantime, a policy paper would be published and an online survey carried out among the members to gauge interest, acceptance and device ownership.
9. Elections of Members to IFA Committees
8.1 All current members of the Executive Committee, the Technical Committee and the Marketing Committee were re-elected unopposed.
8.2 Deniss Karpak was elected to the Marketing Committee.
10. AOB
The Executive Director advised of the delay in launching the 2026 Finn European Masters in Mar Menor and that work was ongoing. Entry is open, with the Notice of Race signed off ready to be published by the OA, hopefully very soon.
The Meeting was closed at 11.00 CEST
