2018 North Sea Regatta at Jachtclub Scheveningen - Day 1
by Annemiek Neumann 19 May 2018 08:56 BST
18-20 May 2018
It was a nice first race day today. The wind was good and stable with 10 to 12 knots. Three beautiful races could be sailed. With 60 boats on course A divided into four classes and 60 boats on course B also divided into four classes it was a real race.
Starting the four classes directly after each other, occasionally a general recall in between, the sailors had to pay attention not to miss their class's turn to start. With a current that ran from N to Z and the wind coming from the North, it was difficult to exactly time the starting line. The first race of the event all the teams have to get used to the circumstances. The second race you already notice that it is going a lot better and the third is like you never done otherwise.
What really is great about sailors, that if something breaks down it is often solved provisionally. On the water you learn to be inventive because you do not want to miss a race... and you cannot go back to the shore in between. The boats have been able to put up a good fight today. At the top buoy you could find yourself in a good starboard-port situation, where priority should be given by Boot A to Boot B. Those fights bring the best out of the competitors. Then on the downwind trail all the colorful spinnakers are hoisted, a beautiful sight!
A general Recall is not always nice for the sailors but it tactically gives a different game in the race because you encounter other classes in the track. We also enjoyed the start and finish ship. All volunteers were on the quay early in the morning, without them we cannot have such a great event. That is why we enjoyed a delicious volunteers dinner in 't Spuigat on the evening before the first race day.
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