Team DutchSail - Janssen de Jong wins Youth Foiling Gold Cup Act 3
by Team DutchSail - Janssen de Jong 1 Nov 2021 08:46 PDT
Team DutchSail - Janssen de Jong wins Youth Foiling Gold Cup Act 3 © Sailing Energy / 69F media
Sunday Team DutchSail - Janssen de Jong took the victory in Act 3 of the Youth Foiling Gold Cup.
It was their third victory in a row after winning Act 1 and Act 2 earlier in the year. The Dutch team consisting of Cas van Dongen, Scipio Houtman, Ismene Usman, and Merle Louwinger was sailing supreme in Cagliari. With winning nine out of the ten races in the final, their victory was never in danger.
Mainsail trimmer Scipio Houtman: "It's super awesome to be on the top of the podium again. This is why we train and work hard." Asked to their secret, Houtman is clear: "For ourselves as a team and as individuals the most important thing is that we improve every day. Both in and outside the boat."
Despite the seemingly easy victories, it is a lot more difficult according to coach Pieter-Jan Postma. Postma: "Becoming first is one thing, but then staying the best requires a lot. The growing curve of the whole 69F fleet is tremendous, if we would still sail on the same level as we did in Act 1, we would be probably last in this fleet. So far we have been able to step up our game every single time."
Next up: Grand final
From Monday to Wednesday, the best six teams of the season sail the Youth Foiling Gold Cup - Grand Final. For Team DutchSail - Janssen de Jong the main goal of this season. In this Grand Final, in addition to the overall title, the winner awaits a ticket for the 69F Pro Cup. In this event, which will be sailed from November 12 to 14 in Palermo, five teams of pro sailors with America's Cup experience and Olympic medals will compete against each other, complemented by the winner of the Youth Foiling Gold Cup Grand Final.
Scipio Houtman: "Our goal for the next three days is to win the Grand Final and get that ticket for the Pro Cup. The opportunity to sail there with and against toppers such as Francesco Bruni (coxswain Luna Rossa in the Amerca's Cup), Phil Robertson (SailGP skipper and multiple world champion match racing) and Dylan Fletcher (Olympic gold in the 49er in Tokyo) is for us as youngsters. sailors crazy. It is clear that we will do everything we can to seize that opportunity."