Inaugural Nacra 17 World Championship set for The Hague

by Diana Bogaards on 21 Jun 2013 Starting on Sunday July 21st, 2013 and running until Saturday July 27th, the first ever Nacra 17 World Championships bring the global Olympic top of multihull sailing to The Hague, Netherlands. With one month to go, there are now fifty entries from 22 countries. This new sailing discipline is part of the program of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The registered participants represent the whole world, from North and South America, Australia/New Zealand, Europe to Asia. Among the applications are the leaders of the ISAF World Ranking, Thomas Zajac and Tanje Chiara Frank from Austria. And the French duo Moana Vaireaux and Manon Audinet, who won the Delta Lloyd Regatta and a bronze medal in Palma. The winners of the French World Cup in Hyeres, Tim Shuwalow and Hanna Klinga from Sweden, will also battle for the first world title in the Olympic Nacra 17.

The Netherlands will line up with three teams from the national selection. These are Mandy Mulder with Thijs Visser, Renee Groeneveld with Karel Begemann, and Elke Delnooz with Coen de Koning. Mulder and Visser won the ISAF World Cup in Palma, the Sofia Cup, earlier this season. Groeneveld and Begemann ended there as second and won also bronze at the Delta Lloyd Regatta in Medemblik.

In May last year the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) selected the Nacra 17 as the equipment for the new mixed multihull class. Never before a mixed discipline was part of the Olympic sailing program. It is no coincidence that the first World Championships in this Dutch catamaran are taking place in The Hague, Netherlands. Nacra Sailing International is a Dutch company and based in Scheveningen (The Hague), so participants are assured of prompt service. Morrelli and Melvin designed the Nacra 17 fully in line with the specifications given by ISAF for the Olympic multihull 2016. The curved dagger boards ad a distinct dimension to the catamaran sailing. In February 2013, the Nacra 17 was selected HISWA Boat of the Year.

The Hague is working hard to strengthen its position as seaside City of Top sports and focuses diligently on one of its pillars: the beach and sea sports. The Nacra 17 Worlds connect seamlessly to this. The Hague is the proud home port of the National Top Sport Sailing Center (NTC) and the NTC Beach Volleyball, which means that the national champions in these two sports train, live and study in The Hague.

The cats leave from the beach at the Scheveningen boulevard next to beach pavilion Fonk, near the Vissershavenweg. The race course is situated just off the coast between the port and the main promenade pier near the Kurhaus. The races can be followed via screens on the beach and with tracking and tracing on the Internet. An expert commentator will keep the visitors informed of the sportive battle on the North Sea. For them and the youth there are also various activities planned.

The Nacra 17 World Championships are organized by the Foundation Nacra Events and Sailing Management International with support of (partners) The Dutch Sailing Federation (Watersportverbond), City of The Hague, Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport and Nacra Sailing International.

The schedule is as follows:
Sunday July 21: start practice race + opening
Monday July 22 and Tuesday July 23: qualification races (four a day = eight in total)
Thursday July 25 and Friday July 26: closing races Gold en Silver Fleet
Saturday July 27: Final race and two Medal Races

For more information about the Nacra 17 Worlds 2013, see the Event website