One Person Dinghy (Finn), Open
| Date | 26 November – 5 December 1956 | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Olympic | |
| Location | Port Phillip Bay (Finn Course) | |
| Participants | 21 from 20 countries | |
| Format | Points awarded for placement in each race. Best six of seven scores to count for final placement. | |
The races were held on a 6 nautical mile (11 km) course in Port Phillip Bay. Paul Elvstrøm of Denmark had won the one-person dinghy at the 1948 and 1952 Olympics, although in 1948 it was raced in the Firefly class. He won the opening race in Melbourne, but then struggled in the next two, only to come back and win the final four races for a gold medal three-peat. He would make it a four-peat at Roma in 1960, becoming the first Olympian to win the same individual event at four consecutive Olympics. Elvstrøm could have skipped the final race and won the gold medal in 1956. Belgium’s André Nelis won the silver medal, winning the second race, and finishing second three times. The designer of the Finn, Rickard Sarby, placed fifth, while the eighth-place finisher was Canadian Bruce Kirby, who designed the Laser, which would later become an Olympic class.
| Pos | Competitor | NOC | Points | Race #1 | Race #2 | Race #3 | Race #4 | Race #5 | Race #6 | Race #7 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul Elvstrøm |  DEN | 7,509 | 1,402 (1) | 499 (8) | 226 (15) | 1,402 (1) | 1,402 (1) | 1,402 (1) | 1,402 (1) | Gold | ||
| 2 | André Nelis |  BEL | 6,254 | 624 (6) | 1,402 (1) | – ( | 1,101 (2) | 1,101 (2) | 925 (3) | 1,101 (2) | Silver | ||
| 3 | John Marvin |  USA | 5,953 | 1,101 (2) | 1,101 (2) | 499 (8) | 925 (3) | 925 (3) | 1,101 (2) | 800 (4) | Bronze | ||
| 4 | Jürgen Vogler |  GER | 4,199 | – ( | 925 (3) | 1,101 (2) | 448 (9) | – ( | 800 (4) | 925 (3) | |||
| 5 | Rickard Sarby |  SWE | 3,990 | 925 (3) | 703 (5) | 323 (12) | 557 (7) | 624 (6) | 624 (6) | 557 (7) | |||
| 6 | Eric Bongers |  RSA | 3,912 | 323 (12) | 323 (12) | 1,402 (1) | 800 (4) | – ( | 703 (5) | 361 (11) | |||
| 7 | Adelchi Pelaschier |  ITA | 3,409 | 557 (7) | 198 (16) | 925 (3) | 624 (6) | 402 (10) | 499 (8) | 402 (10) | |||
| 8 | Bruce Kirby |  CAN | 3,213 | 703 (5) | 172 (17) | 624 (6) | 402 (10) | 499 (8) | 361 (11) | 624 (6) | |||
| 9 | Kenneth Albury |  BAH | 3,182 | 226 (15) | 448 (9) | 198 (16) | 703 (5) | 800 (4) | 557 (7) | 448 (9) | |||
| 10 | Colin Ryrie |  AUS | 2,965 | 800 (4) | 288 (13) | 361 (11) | – ( | 557 (7) | 256 (14) | 703 (5) | |||
| 11 | Richard Creagh-Osborne |  GBR | 2,853 | 499 (8) | 624 (6) | 557 (7) | 499 (8) | – ( | 448 (9) | 226 (15) | |||
| 12 | Yury Shavrin |  URS | 2,664 | 402 (10) | 402 (10) | 703 (5) | 226 (15) | 256 (14) | 402 (10) | 499 (8) | |||
| 13 | Didier Poissant |  FRA | 2,555 | 361 (11) | 557 (7) | 800 (4) | 288 (13) | 323 (12) | 226 (15) | 198 (16) | |||
| 14 | Jack Snowden |  SGP | 2,354 | 288 (13) | 800 (4) | 256 (14) | 361 (11) | 361 (11) | 198 (16) | 288 (13) | |||
| 15 | Wolfgang Erndl |  AUT | 1,910 | 256 (14) | 226 (15) | 402 (10) | – ( | 703 (5) | – ( | 323 (12) | |||
| 16 | Somers Payne |  IRL | 1,830 | 448 (9) | – ( | 448 (9) | 323 (12) | 288 (13) | 323 (12) | – ( | |||
| 17 | Joaquim Roderbourg |  BRA | 1,519 | 198 (16) | 361 (11) | – ( | 256 (14) | 448 (9) | – ( | 256 (14) | |||
| 18 | Esteban Berisso |  ARG | 1,403 | 147 (18) | 256 (14) | 288 (13) | 198 (16) | 226 (15) | 288 (13) | – ( | |||
| 19 | Maung Maung Lwin |  MYA | 1,007 | 172 (17) | 147 (18) | 172 (17) | 172 (17) | 172 (17) | 172 (17) | 147 (18) | |||
| 20 | Nesbit Bentley |  FIJ | 934 | – ( | 123 (19) | 147 (18) | 147 (18) | 198 (16) | – | – | |||
| 20 | John Gillmore | FIJ | 934 | – | – | – | – | – | 147 (18) | 172 (17) |