Eighty sailors from 20 nations descended on Clube Naval de Cascais for the 2025 Finn Gold Cup, August 30-September 6, and Deniss Karpak became first ever Estonian to win a major Finn title, the Finn Gold Cup. Italy’s Arkadii Kistanov took silver, while last year’s champion, Oskari Muhonen, from Finland, took bronze and won the Jorg Bruder U29 Finn Silver Cup.

Finn sailing is an individual sport, but as a community the sailors honor their champions as a group. Deniss Karpak was a well-deserved champion and was honored by every individual present. His victory was an incredible continuation of a sailing story that has come full circle from his bronze medal in the Laser class in Cascais at the 2007 ISAF World Championship.

Apart from one slip up in Race 2 he sailed fast and stayed among the top four, winning three races, including the lightest and the windiest.

“No words to describe my feelings,” he said. “I’m really happy to win this title, this is a historical moment for Estonian sailing, this is a big payout for my technical director, my coach and my dad Igor so I dedicate this win to my family, and to my little daughter Adeline.

“Also, I’m happy to be here because it’s where everything started for me. Eighteen years ago I won a bronze medal in the Laser class here exactly in the same sailing club and now 18 years later I won the Finn Gold Cup.”

Of the class he said, “The Finn is a way of life and I am really happy to see that, especially the Masters fleet, with 300 boats starting. That’s impressive.”

Fifty-five years ago, the Finn Gold Cup was won in Cascais by the legendary Jörg Bruder, his first of three wins. Fate determined he would remain unbeaten when he was tragically killed in an air crash in 1973 on the way to defend the title for the third time. This week his daughter Georgia was at Finn Gold Cup in Cascais to complete the circle after writing her father’s story in the book ‘Regatta 977 – Biography of the champion sailor’.

At Clube Naval de Cascais Georgia presented the Jorg Bruder Silver Cup, donated to the Finn class by the Brazilian Olympic Association, to remember her father. She was on stage with Patrick de Barros, who competed at the 1970 Finn Gold Cup here in Cascais..

Past commodore of the Clube Naval de Cascais Jose Matoso, also a Finn sailor in the 1970s, presented many of the prizes to the other winners and top 10.

All told, it was a great championship at Clube Naval de Cascais, even if not in typical Cascais conditions with three light wind races, and five moderate to strong wind races—a true test of sailing ability.

Competitors will be off to Brisbane, Australia, for the next Finn Gold Cup, preceding the Finn World Masters, to be held in February 2026.

Top 10 After 8 races
1 EST 2 Deniss KARPAK 15
2 ITA 51 Arkadii KISTANOV 32
3 FIN 8 Oskari MUHONEN 45
4 ITA 1103 Alessandro MAREGA 50
5 FIN 99 Jesse KYLÄNPÄÄ 51
6 NED 6 Martijn VAN MUYDEN 55
7 FRA 111 Valerian LEBRUN 60
8 FRA 75 Laurent HAY 63
9 AUS 2 Rob MCMILLAN 69
10 BRA 114 Antonio CARVALHO MOREIRA 70

RESULTS >> 

PHOTOS >>