Delta Lloyd North Sea Regatta - Tough sailing conditions

by Diana Bogaards on 17 May 2012 Delta Lloyd North Sea Regatta 2012 started on Tuesday 15th May in The Hague, the Netherlands, with the 110-mile Vuurschepenrace from Scheveningen to Harwich. On Wednesday morning, 16th May 2012, Baraka GP took line honours of the race.

The Swan 42 skippered by De Graaf crossed the finish line at 9:02:47 AM local time off the Harwich coast, eleven minutes later than the Aquis Granus of skipper Robert Rohde (GER). Rohde withdrew after racing, because of rounding a buoy at the wrong side. Entirely as expected it was a cold and wet crossing from Scheveningen.

'The weather forecast was the worst possible version', says De Graaf after having moored at the Woolverstone Yacht Club. 'It has not stopped blowing at 30 knots, with gusts to 38 knots. Half the crew was seasick, so this was a fun trip. As soon as you are in, you forget the hardships.' On his crossing De Graaf says:' We have sailed our own race. At night we had the Xcentric Ripper and Elke just behind us, but they were gone after a squall of about half an hour.'

According to De Graaf the first finisher, Aquis Granus, rounded the South Bawdsey buoy off the English coast wrongly. 'We're going to protest him,' said De Graaf. The German skipper Rohde commented: 'After they told us this, we checked everything. We also have the track on screen. As far as I can see, we haven't made a mistake, so I think we are good. But I'm only a human being, so I can be wrong.' It turned out he was indeed wrong, so he retired.

The crew of the Aquis Granus, former Tonnerre de Breskens Lutra 52, consists of members of the Akademischer Segler Verein from Aachen. Rohde: 'Since we do not have much offshore experience on board, we sailed conservatively. That means we put a reef in early and sometimes we unreefed a bit late. But this race was on survival mode and that is something that students are good at. It was heavy and extremely cold. It is a pity that we missed that mark, but I am proud of my team.'

A total of eight teams withdrew for various reasons from the Vuurschepenrace:
1. Exxellence due to sickness
2. Sea-Beryl, reason unknown
3. Shiva, with damage to the sails
4. L'Esprit du Morbihan, preservation of new mainsail
5. TU Delft, ripped mainsail
6. Gouden Ruiter, leakage
7. Lucifer, too heavy conditions
8. De Ondeugd, ripped mainsail

Meanwhile, more and more competitors are crossing the line. The results will follow as soon as possible.

About the Delta Lloyd North Sea Regatta: On Tuesday May 15, the starting gun of the Vuurschepenrace from Scheveningen to Harwich was fired. This is the first race of the Delta Lloyd North Sea Regatta. After a lay day in Harwich, the IRC and ORC classes sail the R.O.R.C. North Sea Race back to Scheveningen on Friday May 18. During the Whitsun weekend, from May 25 until May 28, hundreds of boats compete in the inshore races before the Coast of Scheveningen. Several disciplines will participate: big yachts, current and former Olympic classes, one-design classes, catamarans and open Delta Lloyd North Sea Regatta website