Sharpie European Championship 2023 at Vinkeveen, The Netherlands
by Tim Gibbs 30 Aug 2023 16:51 BST
23-28 July 2023
The 12 square metre Sharpies met for the 2023 European Championship in the last week of July at Vinkeveen Sailing Club - a traditional stronghold of the Dutch fleet.
The majority of the contestants were from the host nation, with Germany, Portugal and Great Britain making numbers up to over 30 boats. An 11 race series ensured all competitors had ample chance for their chance at glory, although in reality it was the usual names that occupied the top places at the end of each race.
Three home based boats quickly established themselves as a class apart from all others and fought out a very close end result, each of them enjoying their own specific day of dominance. On day one Patrick van Raalte and Jeroan Kool in NED128 recorded two wins and a second place. This was matched by Tom Weller and Jeroen van Veen in NED119 on day two and again this was matched by Dan Versteeg and Jaimie van Dorst in NED14 on day three. Five times champions Chris and Tim Gibbs in GBR125 recorded several top three places but never quite matched the top three boats for pace or consistency and were satisfied with an overall 4th position in conditions and at a venue with which they struggled.
Very pleasing to see was the clear progress made by Will Gibbs and Charlie Orton in GBR12, whose 11th overall position didn't reflect their competitiveness, who look a few more big fleet weeks away from joining the classes top dogs.
In the end, on a controversial final day, Patrick and Jeroen ran out overall winners. Daan and Jaimie can feel slightly aggrieved, having led comfortably 40minutes into race 10 only for an abandonment due to committee error, a race in which when restarted they trailed the eventual champions over the finish line, leaving them in second overall. Tom Weller and Jeroen van Veen finished third, despite winning four races during the week.
Other British competitors Richard Mulderij, sailing with children Issy and Alex and Alex Smith sailing with Paul Beachell, had mixed fortunes throughout the week, but both boats had pleasing races along the way. Alongside this, Maddie Gibbs was called upon to sail for Dutch helm Dennis van Vliet due to injury from his crew.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Crew | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | R9 | R10 | R11 | Pts |
|---|
| 1 | NED 128 | Patrick van Raalte / Jeroen Kool | 1 | 2 | 1 | ‑7 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | ‑5 | 16 |
| 2 | NED 14 | Daan Versteeg / Jaimie van Dorst | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 | ‑9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ‑8 | 20 |
| 3 | NED 119 | Tom Weller / Jeroen van Veen | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ‑6 | 5 | ‑7 | 1 | 1 | 21 |
| 4 | GBR 125 | Chris Gibbs / Tim Gibbs | 3 | 8 | 6 | ‑19 | 4 | (ocs) | 3 | 3 | 2 | 16 | 12 | 57 |
| 5 | NED 145 | Dennis van Vliet / Ben Kloos | 10 | 3 | 13 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 5 | ‑15 | 10 | ‑19 | 2 | 58 |
| 6 | GER 377 | Klaus Eisenblaetter / Peter Hauschild | 6 | 9 | 8 | ‑10 | 7 | ‑19 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 58 |
| 7 | NED 9 | Bart Kraan / Jacques Kraan | 7 | 5 | 5 | 11 | ‑24 | ‑12 | 4 | 11 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 65 |
| 8 | POR 44 | Mario Coutinho / Manuel Calao | 11 | (dns) | 14 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 13 | ‑16 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 66 |
| 9 | NED 15 | Job Volwater / Ton van Berkel | 5 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 10 | ‑11 | 7 | ‑11 | 7 | 11 | 67 |
| 10 | NED 181 | Frank Steeneken / Cees van Dijk | 9 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 12 | 14 | (dnf) | ‑21 | 9 | 72 |
| 11 | GBR 77 | Will Gibbs / Charlie Orton | 8 | 11 | ‑26 | ‑21 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 20 | 14 | 83 |
| 12 | NED 55 | Arie van Vliet / Ronald van de Poel | 14 | (ufd) | ‑22 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 14 | 9 | 13 | 5 | 6 | 96 |
| 13 | NED 49 | Joost van den Hondel / Veronique van den Hondel | 12 | ‑15 | 11 | 8 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 15 | 14 | ‑17 | 114 |
| 14 | POR 40 | Bernardo Cálão / Goncalo Garmito | 17 | ‑27 | 21 | 17 | 11 | ‑24 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 13 | 117 |
| 15 | POR 55 | Nelson Machado / Anna Omas | ‑19 | 13 | 9 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 8 | 12 | 12 | ‑21 | 124 |
| 16 | NED 94 | Derk Jan Konijnenberg / Jorik Konijnenberg | 15 | 17 | ‑25 | 12 | ‑19 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 11 | 18 | 137 |
| 17 | NED 33 | Frans Verkaik / Jitse Hazendonk | 20 | 10 | 20 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 18 | 19 | 14 | ‑23 | ‑23 | 144 |
| 18 | NED 123 | Eric Payens / Daan Payens | 16 | 19 | 17 | 9 | 17 | 20 | ‑22 | 21 | ‑22 | 17 | 10 | 146 |
| 19 | POR 56 | Francisco Cálão / Salu | (dnf) | 22 | 12 | ‑25 | 13 | 7 | 9 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 148 |
| 20 | NED 226 | Richard Mulderij. Izzy / Alex Mulderij | 13 | 16 | 10 | 24 | 22 | 11 | 21 | 23 | (dns) | 9 | (dnc) | 149 |
| 21 | GBR 128 | Alex Smith / Paul Beachell | 21 | 14 | 15 | ‑28 | 20 | 16 | ‑24 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 154 |
| 22 | NED 87 | Flip Koome / Lotte Koome | 22 | 12 | 19 | 23 | 18 | 17 | 20 | (dnf) | (dns) | 15 | 20 | 166 |
| 23 | NED 219 | Charles Mittelmeijer / Sander Mittelmeijer | 18 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 23 | 22 | ‑27 | ‑24 | 18 | 24 | 15 | 178 |
| 24 | NED 174 | Bart Versteeg. Jos Voorbij | (dns) | (dns) | 23 | 13 | dnf | dns | 17 | 13 | 20 | 13 | 19 | 180 |
| 25 | NED 138 | Peter van Dorst / Diessel van Dorst | 26 | 23 | 16 | 16 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 19 | ‑27 | ‑27 | 198 |
| 26 | NED 141 | Huib Schoonhoven / Karen Kuiper | 23 | 25 | (dns) | 26 | 21 | 23 | ‑26 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 216 |
| 27 | POR 57 | António Martins Pereira / Vasco Labrincha / B. Branco | 24 | 18 | (dns) | 26 | 25 | 27 | ‑29 | 26 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 219 |
| 28 | NED 132 | Bert van den Berkhof / Jan Willem van den Berkhof | 28 | 21 | (dns) | 29 | (dnf) | 21 | 23 | dnf | 24 | dnf | 24 | 232 |
| 29 | GER 215 | Norbert Steiner / Wolfgang Frank | 27 | 26 | (dns) | 27 | 27 | 26 | 28 | (dnf) | dns | dnf | dnc | 254 |
| 30 | GER 378 | Jan‑Henning Sander / Jacob Sander | 25 | 24 | 24 | (dnc) | (dnc) | dnc | dnc | dnc | dnc | dnc | dnc | 259 |