Peace, love, & the Dutch Shoe Marathon
by San Diego Yacht Club 22 Jul 2023 04:37 BST
21 July 2023
2023 Dutch Shoe Marathon © Simone Staff
The Dutch Shoe Marathon has always been the anticipated race of the summer. It invites hundreds of juniors and adults to more than just a regatta. It celebrates tradition, it fosters generational sailing, and it promotes the future of the sport we all love. This year, San Diego Yacht Club and Coronado Yacht Club were able to co-host the event with even more pride while looking back over 50 years of the Dutch Shoe Marathon.
The 50th anniversary of the race makes it even more special to win. Tyler Sinks in the Senior Fleet was the overall winner of the regatta. "I thought my window for winning the Dutch Shoe had closed twenty-five years ago," Sinks joked. Sinks grew up in SDYC's Junior Sailing program and continues to be a role model for our juniors.
Congratulations for the first Junior finisher goes to MBYC's Loki Barrett in the A fleet. First place in the B fleet goes to BCYC's Abel Berge, and C fleet goes to SDYC's Emmanuel Smith.
Every year, there are several more unique trophies handed out at the Awards Ceremony, like First to Capsize and First to the Weather Mark. The Dutch Shoe was established in the '70s, so this year co-chairs Julie and David Servais awarded the "Best Dressed '70s Sailor." Congratulations goes to C fleet's Chloe Schuh!
Similar to, well, the 50 years prior, this year's Dutch Shoe Marathon started at SDYC in La Playa and finished at CYC in Glorietta Bay. The wind was light and patchy between 4-8 knots with lots of commercial traffic needing to pass through the fleet as they traversed the bay -- a frustrating, yet challenging aspect of the regatta that tests the skills of our young sailors!
As over 160 boats crossed under the Coronado Bridge and into Glorietta Bay, spectator boats honked and roared with excitement. Those that don't race can be found year after year enjoying the rainbow of Sabots flocking the Bay. Post-racing, competitors and families enjoyed Coronado Yacht Club at a barbecue, awards, and of course...'70s music.
San Diego Yacht Club was thrilled to see such a great turnout at this legacy flagship Junior event. The Club plans to host the next 50 Dutch Shoe Marathons, so go ahead and save the date for 2073's 100th anniversary!
50th Annual Dutch Shoe Marathon results available here.
For more information visit sdyc.org/dutchshoe.