14 years later: Heiner`s back!
26 May 2010 18:13
He won a Bronze medal in the Finn in Atlanta, competed in the Soling at the Sydney Olympics and led the Brunel and ABN Amro round the world campaigns...Roy Heiner has made a name in sailing.
Jumping on the opportunity to sail a Finn at the 2009 Dutch Open, Heiner realised that the saying `Once a Finn sailor, always a Finn sailor!` applied also to him. He won the event and is now asking for more. 14 years after winning his Olympic medal he`s back in the Finn for an international event: the Delta Lloyd Regatta!
`I hadn`t touched a Finn since the last race in Savannah that gave me the Bronze medal. I was not sure what to expect but it all came back to me, in fact it was still in me! The mechanism, the sensations, the feel for the boat...actually Finn sailing is far more enjoyable nowadays: no weight jacket, softer hull, the boat is more lively, easier to sail and so much fun!! I enjoyed so much sailing the Finn at the Dutch Open that I couldn`t resist coming and race here. Of course the level is much higher and I have no idea if I will be competitive. I am not a fast sailor, I am tactical, I love racing but I need much more training. The downwind techniques have evolved and I am slow especially when it is light.`
Reflecting on his come back to Olympic sailing: `Hard to say now. I have to see how I sail against the new generation. Surely the Finn remains an amazing boat to sail. It is easy and fun. Professional Match-racing becomes harder to access and requires money to get into. It is only for a select few, it takes the dream away. I am still very disappointed that the Men`s Match Racing was taken out of the Olympic Games.`
As for a future in the Finn, the future will tell!
By Corinne Mckenzie
