J.P. Morgan Asset Managment FinN Festival 2012. Falmouth

From Left:
Dr. Balazs Hajdu (President International Finn Association), Jerry Allen (EIC), Russel van der Schouw (Spoton), Robin Taylor (Race Director), Sam Lockyer (Midas Construction, Jackie George (Chair Falmouth Watersports Centre), Peter Collett (Commodore (Falmouth Yacht Club), Peter Coles (Falmouth Watersports Centre)

Falmouth Watersports Centre welcomed over 90 international Finn sailors and their support teams from all corners of the globe, competing in the J P Morgan Asset Management Finn Festival in Falmouth. The Centre is the Regatta Centre and base for the Finn competitors for both the Finn Nationals and the Finn Gold Cup.

GB sailor Giles Scott took gold medal honours with Ben Ainslie – GB’s Olympic Finn competitor in the 2012 Games taking silver, while the bronze medal was awarded to French sailor Jonathan Lobert in the Finn Open British National Championships which finished on Monday.

“Falmouth Watersports Centre was a hive of activity over the weekend, with competitors declaring the Finn Nationals in Falmouth to be a World class event with excellent facilities at the Regatta Centre and the team managing the launching and recovery of the boats the best they have experienced anywhere in the world” commented Malcolm Bell, Head of VisitCornwall, the tourism service of Cornwall Development Company “Competitors were delighted with the race organisation and the welcome they received, they are now looking forward to competing in the Finn Gold Cup, the Olympic qualifying event.”

The Finn Nationals saw a record numbers of entries in the 56 year history of the event. Many sailors used the championships as a training event for the Finn Gold Cup, the world championship for the class, which starts on Sunday 13 May with an even larger international fleet competing in Falmouth Bay.

The Falmouth Watersports Centre was built and opened in 1993 to provide a focal point for watersports groups in the Port of Falmouth, with direct access to the public slipway at Grove Place, Falmouth. The Centre provides a base for the Falmouth Watersports Association and its 10 member clubs and organisations, currently with approximately 400 members, covering a wide range of activities from sailing, gig rowing, sliding seat rowing, canoeing and diving to support groups including the Sea Scouts, RNAS Culdrose and Falmouth Marine School. Facilities at the Centre are also available to visitors and non members.

Midas Construction agreed to help Falmouth Watersports Centre by upgrading existing changing, toilet and shower facilities. Midas was supported by building services provider, EIC South West, who provided and installed new WCs, wash hand basins and showers along with new extract fans to create a modern and practical legacy building. Other contributors were Nicobond who donated tiles to Spot-on-Ceramics, who fitted them free of charge. The company, part of Midas group, is one of the UK’s largest independent construction and property services providers has very strong links with Cornwall and have been involved in some of the county’s landmark buildings and projects over many years.

Midas Executive Director Mike O’Neill said: “We were delighted to support Falmouth Watersports Centre and to prepare these new facilities in time for the Finn Festival providing a legacy for future users of the Centre. Midas is no stranger to the location as it was only last year we completed Rick Stein’s Fish & Chip Shop on Events Square, adjacent to the Watersports Centre.”

“Falmouth Watersports Centre is extremely grateful to both Midas Construction and EIC Ltd for their generous support in refurbishing the showers and changing facilities at the Centre. Competitors from around the world have been among the first to make use of the full facilities at the Centre which is the competitors base and the Regatta Centre for the Finn Festival” Commented Jackie George, Chair Person of Falmouth Watersports Centre, “The generosity of Midas Construction and EIC Ltd will also ensure that there is a legacy after the Finn Festival that can be enjoyed by the many members of the clubs who use the FWC as their base and will benefit future events in Falmouth.”

Over 150 volunteers are assisting the event organisers to run the J P Morgan Asset Management Finn Festival in Falmouth.

“The Finn Festival has been three years in the planning and execution and without a massive amount of support from all our sponsors and partners it would not have happened. We also are deeply indebted to our magnificent team of volunteers who have given up their time to make this event happen. Over 150 individuals from the RCYC, POFSA, Falmouth Marine College and many other organisations have formed an amazing team” said Robin Taylor, Race Director, “We have members of the race team who have come from all over the world to ensure that the competition is of the highest standard and we thank them for their involvement. On behalf of the organising committee and competitors I would like to pass on our sincere thanks for the help from everyone involved in the event.”