Please select your home edition
Edition
Trinidad and Tobago - Sail Service Stay

Max Salminen in quest to repeat Olympic success

by Robert Deaves, International Finn Association 23 Jul 2016 11:43 PDT 23 July 2016
Max Salminen on day 2 of the Finn Gold Cup in New Zealand © Robert Deaves

Four years ago Max Salminen (SWE) was on his way to a gold medal in Weymouth Bay, sat in front of Freddy Lööf (SWE) in their Star class boat. He is now trying again for Olympic glory in Rio, but this time will be in a boat by himself, sailing the Finn.

The only Swedes to have won medals in the Finn are the Finn's designer Rickard Sarby (SWE) ­– who won bronze back in 1952 – and Lööf, in 2000. Salminen says to join them, he would be in great company. "It's a dream that has been chased for four years now, which is not a lot for some, but I have really given it my all." He was well suited physically to the Finn at nearly two meters tall and weighing 98kg.

Since he made the decision to do it all again, the 27 year old says it has been an upward curve. "When I looked at 2012, I thought how am I going to be able to win another one? So I made a plan for my progression, and of course you have to advance faster in the ranking the first two years, while expecting that the last places are harder to conquer."

"So I said in 2013 I'll be top 20 in the world, and I think I finished seventh at the Europeans, but some were missing. And in 2014 I'll be top 10 in the world, and I was 10th at the Worlds that same year. And I'll be top five in 2015, and so I was in Takapuna at the Finn Gold Cup. And that would lead me to a top three in 2016. It's been a nice progressive curve."

He says the two campaigns are quite different. In 2012, "I came in pretty late to a ready set-up. This time around I had to build it all from scratch. On the other hand I feel that the experiences from the last campaign have made me a lot wiser, and will I go into this Olympics with much more routine."

For the Rio campaign, "I pretty much filled the empty space Daniel Birgmark (SWE) left in the group." Birgmark sailed the Finn for Sweden in 2008 and 2012. "I was really fortunate. I would have had a much harder journey on my own. And as soon as I could afford it I hired Dayne Sharp as coach. After a seventh place at the 2013 Europeans I got more funding and could look around for a coach. Tapio [Nirkko (FIN)] felt we had a lot of the pieces in place such as the material and the sails from WB-Sails, in Finland, so we needed a coach who was specialised in boat on boat tactics. But I have to say I was impressed how quickly Dayne caught up with all the material and technical parts of it."

He says the final preparations are going to plan. "I am very happy where I am today, because it's been a long journey to get to where I am, with changing class."

When in Rio he has been training out of the Iate Clube Rio de Janeiro along with his training group of Nirkko and Jonathan Lobert (FRA). "It's been really convenient. It's a great club where you can find all you need and it's really close to where we usually stay in Rio. We did 14 days in Rio from the end of June until beginning of July, then home for a week then a short visit to Garda, to eat good and spend a lot of time sailing downwind and then pack and go for the big one."

He estimates he has spent around 150 days in Rio. What has he learned in that time? "That's what we are about to find out isn't it. I think it is always hard to put in to words. Maybe what I've learnt in Rio I could have learnt somewhere else as well. But why take the chance. It's a pretty special place where you race closer to high land than most places. There are a lot of local effects to learn."

"I think you have to be an overall sailor. You race both inside the bay close to land on almost flat or choppy water. And the next day you're out on the ocean with huge waves." He says his strengths will be, "speed both up and down and then hopefully that my time spent there will help me take good decisions on the race course."

"Mostly it has been smooth sailing, I have to say. But the nature in Rio is something, it is so much more wild in Rio. I have never seen it rain as it rains in Rio and I have never seen as big waves as we've had in Rio."

But he has already set his sights beyond Rio. "Absolutely I am thinking about Tokyo as well very much. But I would like to try sailing something different and faster as well. Then see how to weigh the two with my time."

Not a lot of people know that...

Max got married a few weeks ago and his wife, Suzanne, is expecting their first child in the autumn. He says apart from sailing he is not that interesting and lives for his muesli and coffee in the morning. Then he "gets outdoors and moves". He loves his toys, mostly bikes. "I have all the equipment for all possible sports and outdoor activities. I think sport was my saviour. I actually don't know how I'd cope living behind a glass window and a desk."

Related Articles

Single Handed Regatta at Big River Sailing Club
The regatta at Clarence River at Harwood attracted 62 entrants Tucked away in the cane fields on the northern bank of the Clarence River at Harwood, Northern NSW, lies the beautifully groomed parkland and grounds of the Big River Sailing Club. Posted on 1 Nov
Open Finn Europeans at Cannes overall
Alessandro Marega seals it in Cannes Italy's Alessandro Marega has won the Finn European Championship in Cannes after the final day brought even more drama and turnarounds. Posted on 25 Oct
Open Finn Europeans at Cannes Day 4
Cannes it be any closer? The fourth day of the 2024 Finn Open Europeans was, and is, filled with drama and uncertainty after a day of waiting for wind, then multiple restarts and finally multiple hearings in the jury room. Posted on 25 Oct
Open Finn Europeans at Cannes Day 3
Cannes we have more wind please? After a windless second day at 2024 Open Finn Europeans, the third day of the event also started windless with a long postponement on shore in increasing temperatures. Posted on 24 Oct
Open Finn Europeans at Cannes Day 2
Second day of racing canned in Cannes All racing on the second day of Open Finn Europeans in Cannes was abandoned after the wind failed to show up. With three races sailed on the opening day, one more race is needed on Wednesday to enable the finals series to begin as scheduled on Thursday. Posted on 22 Oct
Open Finn Europeans at Cannes Day 1
Cannes it get any better? Italy's Alessandro Marega is the early leader at the 2024 Finn Open European Championship at the Yacht Club de Cannes after three great races in a building breeze. Posted on 22 Oct
Record breaking Finn Europeans opened in Cannes
More than 150 boats complete registration and equipment inspection The 2024 Finn Open European Championship was opened in sunny Cannes Sunday evening with more than 150 boats completing registration and equipment inspection. Posted on 21 Oct
Record entry for Open Finn Europeans in Cannes
The class is pulling in bigger numbers than ever The 2024 Finn Open European Championship opens in Cannes this week, with a record-breaking entry of around 150 boats. Hosted by the Yacht Club de Cannes (YCC), it follows on the back of a hugely successful year for the class as numbers keep rising. Posted on 18 Oct
Finn European Championship Preview
More than 150 competitors expected in Cannes The Yacht Club de Cannes confirms its excellence and reputation in terms of organising major regattas, with the European Finn Championships from 18 to 25 October Posted on 14 Oct
2024 edition of Finn Masters Magazine published
John Greenwood looks at his time in the class, and equipment choices In the 2024 edition of the Finn Masters Magazine, published September, long time Finn sailor John Greenwood looks at his time in the class, equipment choice, the changes and the future. Posted on 14 Sep
Trinidad and Tobago - Sail Service StayMaritimo 2023 S-Series FOOTER