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Finland Nationals 1996

courtesy Kari Vainio

The annual four-month sailing season in Finland is about to end. The yearly main sailing event for OK sailors, Finnish open championships, took place on August 24-25,1996 in Espoo. The race was hosted by the leading OK dinghy sailing club, Jollarit (free translation: "Dinghians".) The weather conditions were tough, 10 -15 m/sec.(abt. 20-30 knots), some boat damages and injuries occurred. Altogether 8 starts were sailed.

Results:

1. Alistair Deaves, Waldringfield sailing club, GB 0
2. Matti Visanti, Jollarit 38.7
3. Ville Hyt|nen, Jollarit 63.4
4. Veikko Rihu, Turku sailing club 73.1
5. Ari Kansakoski, Jollarit 86.5
6. Pietari Visanti, Jollarit 86.7
7. Juha Kasanen, Jollarit 94.7
8. Seppo Lauhio, Jollarit 99.7

So Alistair, on his two-month European Tour 1996, made history by being apparently first foreign winner (not first foreign participant) in this race and gets his name engraved in the cup trophy. Not bad.

More foreign sailors are welcome in 1997. The race will take place around the end of August.

Report from Alistair Deaves

The 1996 Finish OK Open Championships were held over the weekend of 24/25 August in the waters to the west of Helsinki. Eight short format races were held in mainly windy conditions. Alistair Deaves from Waldringfield Sailing Club in England, sailing a borrowed boat, won every race and was chased hard by the champion for the previous five years Matti Visanti. The short races meant that the small fleet didn't get too spread out. A very beautiful club with many kind, friendly people.