The Finn dinghy is a single-handed, cat-rigged sailboat, and a former Olympic class for men's sailing.

Initially there was little understanding of the role of a mast which could bend to reduce power.

However over time the Finn sailors learned how to plane timber off the front of their masts for heavy winds and to glue on strips of timber on the front of the masts for lighter winds.

The original spars were made of wood until the late 1960s and early 1970s, when there was a gradual change to aluminum masts.

The sails, too, have evolved and are now commonly made of various laminates such as Technora, polyester, and Kevlar.