From 7-27 February 2026, the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron will be hosting three major Finn championships back-to-back.
Some sailors are doing one, many are doing two, and some are challenging themselves to the limit and doing all three.
Though it might sometimes appear you have to be slightly insane to sail a Finn, the normalisation it brings is the great equaliser.
Pick your level of insanity:
- Australian Championship – 7 to 10 February
- Finn Gold Cup – 12 to 19 February
- Finn World Masters – 20 to 27 February
There are 80 entries for the Australian Championship, the largest ever entry for the event. The 52 strong Australia fleet plus more than 25 visitors looking to experience Waterloo Bay before the main events.
After a few days off for rest and equipment inspection the Finn Gold Cup will take place from 12-19 February. Twenty Australian sailors will be lining up against 46 from overseas. It will also include the Finn Silver Cup, for U29 sailors.
Brisbane last hosted the Gold Cup 50 years ago in 1976 when Chris Law from UK won from Jonty Farmer of New Zealand and Australia’s John Bertrand.
Finally, the Finn World Masters takes place from 20-27 February, the first time it has taken place in the Southern Hemisphere, and only the third time outside Europe. The entries to date number 107, including 48 Australians.
While the Nationals and the Masters will be sailed in the relatively sheltered Waterloo Bay, the Finn Gold Cup will be sailed, conditions permitting, in the more exposed Moreton Bay outside Green Island, to provide the challenging conditions that are demanded for this prestigious world championship.
British Gold Cup Entries: Russ Ward, Jeremy White, Roman Khodykin, Lawrence Crispin, and Nick Craig.
To enhance what will already be an eventful and epic three weeks in Brisbane, the events are being presented by Porsche Centre Brisbane, and it’s hard to think of a more apt sponsor for the ultimate sailing challenge than the ultimate driving experience.
Robert Deaves
