When the Finn sailors arrived at Eastern Yacht club yesterday morning (25 September) for day two of the Gold Cup, there wasn’t much hope for any sailing. The wind was good, the waves not too big, but the fog had decided to stay. Around the club the visibility didn’t exceed 200 metres.

Wisely, the Racing Committee decided on a two-hours postponement. The fleet was sent out at around noon after the sky lifted enough to see the surrounding coast. After a couple of attempts to start a race, the bad weather settled in with a fog thickening and walls of waters falling from a menacing, lightning sky. Racing had to be cancelled for the day.

Frustrating day in term of sailing but a very special day as well. The International Finn Class had decided to honour one of its best and true Finnsters. Gus Miller was inducted in the Finn Hall of Fame by ISAF President Paul Henderson. The Finn Hall of Fame has been recognising the sailing skills and contribution to the Finn Class of 11 great people over the last 50 years. Among them are Richard Sarby, designer of the Finn, Paul Elvstrom, Olympic and Gold Cup Champion, and more recently Fredrik Loof, three-times Gold Cup winner, Bronze medallist and current Star European and world champion.

No one could have described as well as Paul Henderson, the dedication of Gus Miller for the Finn sailors. Gus, a top level Finn sailor, has put his heart and soul in to helping less fortunate Finn sailors. At the PanAm Games, Olympic Games and various regattas, Gus has always been ‘the coach’ for many countries. He doesn’t only share his expertise but also, and most importantly, his love for the boat and for the people who sail it. And as Paul Henderson likes to say: “Once a Finn sailor, always a Finn sailor.” This surely applies to Gus, who at the age of 67, still compete in the Finn Gold Cup and keeps the enthusiasm for the boat and its people.