29er EuroCup 7 at Workum, The Netherlands
by International 29er Class 17 May 2024 23:26 AEST
9-12 May 2024
Dutch Youth Regatta © Laurens Morel /
www.saltycolours.com
The Dutch Youth Regatta is one of the largest youth sailing events in Europe. It takes place annually in the Netherlands and attracts young sailors from around the world. The regatta typically features competitions in various classes of sailing boats, including Optimists, ILCA, 29ers, RS Fevas and Cadet among others.
Participants range from very young Optimist sailors just venturing out in the world of National sailing events to highly skilled sailors with international careers and ambitions. The event offers racing opportunities for different age groups and in addition to the competitive aspect, the Dutch Youth Regatta often includes training clinics, social activities, and opportunities for young sailors to learn and improve their skills.
The regatta aims to promote youth sailing and provide a platform for young sailors to compete, learn, and connect with others who share their passion for the sport. The event is held in Workum (Friesland) with the venue on a large beach resort where most of the participants set up camp for 1 or 2 weeks to both the event and clinics and training beforehand.
The races are held on the Ijsselmeer, the largest body of water in the Netherlands. The venue is known for the stable weather conditions and choppy waves and the 29er class again held their Eurocup as part of the event - with 24 boats and participants from Czech Republic, Belgium, Switzerland and of course many Dutch sailors.
Day 1
On the first day of the event the 29er fleet experienced a delay of 3 hours due to a lack of wind, resulting in a postponement for all fleets. Luckily later in the day a small sea breeze kicked in and the race committee was able to launch the fleet at three in the afternoon. The 29ers managed to sail one race before the wind completely disappeared in the warm evening. The attempt for a second race was stopped and the fleet got towed back to shore by coaches and rescue boats. All happy with the racing even though it was only a slow start of the event. BEL 2931 Vic Rossel & Quinten Opstaele were on top of the leaderboard overall going into day 2.
Day 2
Friday also had a bit of a sluggish start due to a lack of wind, leaving the sailors with a leisurely pace. As anticipated by many, the race committee opted to delay again - this time for only one hour. Luckily the wind picked up nicely and all fleets left the dock. The 29er fleet had some excellent racing with the Dutch duo Folkert van Surksum & Larz Ganzevles (NED3412) taking the lead with an impressive three wins to kick off the day.
Day 3
Only on the third day the Swiss team Ikke Huber & Liam Berger (SUI3423) and under 17 team Beerdluuk Spijkervet & Thomas Reyers (NED 2725) attempted to make a move for the top spot on the leaderboard. On this final day of racing though, Folkert van Surksum & Larz Ganzevles (NED3412) left no uncertainties as to who was going to win this event and secured their spot on the top of the podium overall.
Overall Results: (top three)
1: NED 3412 Folkert van Surksum & Lars Ganzevles
2: SUI 3423 Ikke Huber & Liam Berger
3: NED 2725 Beerdluuk Spijkervet & Thomas Reyers
1st Men's Team
NED 3412 - Folkert van Surksum / Lars Ganzevles
1st Women's Team
CZE 3088 - Nela Viscorova / Anna Kostalova
1st Mixed Team
NED 3208 - Lenny Hofman / Anne de Kort
Under 17 Men's Team
NED 2725 - Beerdluuk Spijkervet / Thomas Reyers
Under 17 Mixed Team
CZE 3087 - Carolina Lojkova / Petr Palnar
Full Results available here