Van Uden Reco Regatta Had Great Sailing
(Stellendam, The Netherlands)- It was a nice Easter weekend. It was perhaps late this year but 3 years ago there was so much snow on Easter that a snowman in the garden could be made. Shorts and sun this weekend were must-haves during the Van Uden Reco in Stellendam.
The predictions were very mixed. A sleepy start for the day was very welcome. For those who tried to sail to the line it was hard, a paddle worked nicely! The first couple of hours before the race the RC had a challenging time to determine which way to set the starting line and the first windward leg. The postponement flag was interspersed with lots of class flags. The J/22 started a contest that was canceled halfway through. Around 1500 hrs the wind suddenly began to fill. The gradient wind for that matter that came from the north east. So there were two hazards for us today. One, the overheating of many heads hanging and bobbing in the sun, which the cool breeze helped blow away. Second, was the wind! Time for concentration. It remained difficult to sail with the thin and unstable winds. An abbreviation of the last race at the leeward mark caused a surprising turn. After two races GILL was the first racing team with 3 points, second was ENG 1385 and third ENG 1591.
Sunday there was more stable wind than on Saturday. After some delay there were two more races. Around 1400 hrs the sea breeze cam in nicely. The race track had to be moved. But, because there was no time limit in the SI's, all the folks at home who were waiting to celebrate Passover would just have to wait a little longer! After a whole day of re-shuffling among the top three after 6 races the final score as follows: first was NED 1385 STRIPES, second was ENG 1591 sailed by Henry Wouter Kollman and third was ENG 1141 GILL RACING Team sailed by Marieke Poulie. For more J/22 Netherlands sailing class information.
