Dutch J/80 Frostbite Cup in full swing

Jerapi - Dutch J/80 Frostbite Cup © j80.nl

It was very close to canceling the second Frostbite Cup on November 6th. Fortunately, the Gooimeer Lake is inland and the J/80 fleet could count on steady winds of force 4 (12-16 kts), with peaks to force 6 (22-27 kts)!!

These conditions and the arrival of extra teams created a new energy on the water and resulted in an almost completely different top three than during the first competition day of the winter season. The RZV Naarden Race Committee and PRO team did a great job managing the very competitive fleet of twenty teams in demanding weather conditions.

Team DON JUAN started with a seventh place, but made up for everything by getting a 1-3-1 for the day to be declared the day's winner! They were closely followed by Team DE SJAAK in second and Team RED HERRING in third place.

Despite the relaxed atmosphere in the clubhouse of RZV Naarden after sailing, it seemed that quite a few teams had a bone to pick with each other at the bar. Robert De Liefde from Istanbul, Turkey also noticed that. He made his entrance into the J/80 class during this second Frostbite Cup.

Dutch J/80 Frostbite Cup winners - photo © j80.nl

"Everyone is very fanatical," said De Leifde. He continued, "we as a team were very satisfied with the race committee. The track was in good shape. A quick start was made and we were back inside before the weather turned really bad. A top committee! And, a world of difference from what we are used to in Istanbul."

Robert is the new owner of the J/80 JSB, it was the boat of reigning Dutch J/80 Champion Jorrit Beekman. With his registration, the Frostbite Cup has become even more international, because this team is (partly) from Turkey! The big question is of course: why would you want to sail in the Dutch winter, while the weather is still wonderful in Istanbul?!

Eyes on the J/80 World Cup

In addition to the Frostbite Cup, the Turkish team sails ten months a year, every week, in the mouth of the Bosphorus. It is only too cold in January and February. As an old acquaintance of Frostbite Cup pioneer Bernard Holsboer, Robert was aware of the success of the winter series in the Netherlands. With the prospect of the J/80 World Championship in Baiona, Spain, the Turkish team decided to sail the six remaining races in the Netherlands.

"Vaurien and I want to go to Spain again, we love sailing there. The Frostbite Cup is therefore a stepping stone for us to the National Championships at the end of March, the North Sea Regatta, and, if it all works out, also the J/80 World Cup in Spain. The reason to prepare in the Netherlands is simple; here we sail one class. In Istanbul we sail ORC/IRC," said Robert.

The Dutch J/80 class has a formidable opponent in Robert! Robert has been actively competing with Vaurien for more than 15 years. For the new team, he has asked Martijn De Liefde and old friend Benny Kouwenhoven to complete the partly Turkish crew. In the 470 class, Benny has clearly earned his spurs in the sailing world. There are team members from Turkey with Olympic, Admirals Cup, and Volvo Ocean 70 experiences, among others. Nevertheless, the team consists of amateurs, according to Robert.

The team looks back with satisfaction on its first appearance in the Dutch J/80 fleet. Robert explained, "despite the rigging being too tight, I made a steering error on the first start, the gennaker ended up under the boat twice, we unintentionally got involved in a starboard-port mishap, and we were allowed to buy another team's leniency with beer! So, we finished sixth in our first outing... a bit rough to say the least! However, we certainly enjoyed the event!"

The Dutch J/80 gets the same name as her Turkish sistership- JERAPI. "The name is a conjugation of the two words- J/Boats and Therapy," explained Robert. "I don't need to explain that any further, do I?! This Dutch J/80 is a good boat, which we can certainly take to the J/80 World Cup in Spain. Our boat in Istanbul is not suitable for this, with a swim ladder on the back and winches that are too heavy. We look forward to the upcoming Frostbite Sundays! Our JERAPI team invites enthusiastic J/80 sailors to come to Turkey in 2023 to sail the Bosphorus Cup on that famous body of water!" Thanks for this story from Ellen Hamelink.

More information at j80.nl