Half Ton Classic Cup returns to the Royal Nieuwpoort YC
by Half Ton Classics Cup 20 Jul 2024 03:21 AEST
5-9 August 2024
Half Ton Classic Cup © Royal Nieuwpoort Yacht Club
After six years, the Half Ton Classics Cup returns to Nieuwpoort. The event is the annual highlight for this sailing yacht class with an impressive pedigree, both technical and sporty. Sailors from all over Europe don't want to miss this event, which has been held since 2003.
Challenges
The current list of 27 participants from France (3), England (4), Ireland (2), Finland (1), Norway (7) and of course Belgium (9) will grow in the coming days with sailors from Sweden, among others. In the spirit of the class, there are all-male teams, mixed teams and all-female teams and, for the first time, a youth team as well.
From 5 to 7 August, a maximum of 1 series are scheduled. Depending on the weather conditions, these short so-called windward-leeward series on specially designed courses (inshores) alternate with short or longer courses around existing beacons in the sea (offshores).
The Half Ton Classics Cup, which has was sailed annually since 2003 - with the exception of the Corona years - is in fact an unofficial European Championship that draws its energy from the extremely popular and pioneering Half Ton sailing competition formula that originated in the 1960s.
At the time, the Half Ton formula was the laboratory for competitive sailing yacht development.
Contenders
According to Philippe Pilate and Bert Janssen, the driving forces behind the Half Ton Classics Europe class, at least ten participants have a chance of a podium place. "We are looking forward to the winner of the previous HTTC in Norway: The Evil (Nor) steered by Arild Heldal. Another tip: the English Checkmate on which Phil Cook -England- took over the helm from David Cullen who could hardly keep away from the podium of the HTCC and other competitions with this boat.
And from his own circles, Farther Bruyn - Jan-Jacob Muyls -Belgium - can provide surprises, especially since his team has completely fine-tuned the boat. There are also the two boats run by an all-women's team: the Belgian A+ steered by Ann Callens with some sailors from Sailing for Think Pink on board and the Norwegian Midnight X skippered by Alexandra Wang.
Host Club Royal Yacht Club Nieuwpoort
The Royal Yacht Club Nieuwpoort has a patent on this sailing competition. Since 1932, the water sports club has hosted and organizes various national, European and world sailing competitions for unit classes, prototypes and ocean racers. The marina of the KYCN acts as a base from which all yachts depart daily in fleet to sea and moor again for the night. The public therefore gets a beautiful parade in the marina every day.
Of course, the surroundings of the club at Krommenhoek venue will become a fully-fledged competition center. The sailors not only find Nieuwpoort an interesting base for the races, but are also looking forward to the challenging series on the North Sea. With its changing tides and currents and erratic weather pattern with surprising wind and wave conditions, it will not be a routine competition for any of the usually experienced sailors.
Half Ton Class Europe
After an exploding popularity of the prototypes but also mass-built sailing yachts in the Half Ton Level rating formula in the sixties to eighties, some sailors came to the conclusion that these boats still had a lot of competitive future. The boats were refurbished for a relatively low cost and proved to be formidable opponents in the sailing competitions.
The Half Ton Class Europe inspires and supports sailors to maintain and improve these boats with a pedigree and -above all- to sail a lot with them. This half-ton Classics Cup is the annual highlight that is sailed in important sailing centers such as England (Cowes), Norway (Hankø), Ireland (Kinsale), France (Boulogne) and Nieuwpoort.
In addition to the day's classification and general classification, there is a ranking for the so-called 'Classics', the boats that have remained the most original, and the highest prize goes to the team that best represents the spirit of the class: the True Half Ton Spirit Trophy.