On 10 and 11 of June the Dutch Open Soling Championship was held in Muiden, near Amsterdam at the Royal Dutch Yachtclub. There were tricky conditions on the IJsselmeer during the Dutch Nationals, with variable wind speeds and variable wind directions ranging from 7 knots up to 16 knots with 20 degree (or more) windshifts on the race course.
The Royal Netherlands Yachtclub, had the average wind direction sorted out pretty nicely which resulted in fair racecourses and fair starting lines for the duration of the event.
By the end of the first racing day, with 3 races sailed, there was only a 5 point margin between NED 46 in first and HUN 77in fourth position.
On Sunday there was close racing and during the last (6th) race NED 46, NED 33 and UKR 1 were still battling to win the regatta. After quite a dramatic start (which resulted in 2 boats over the line, including the NED33) all options were still open who would be able to become Dutch Champions but in the 2nd half of the 1st beat NED 46 got control on the fleet after playing the center/left of the racecourse and didn’t let that go. In the last beat in the last race NED 46 was still ahead of NED 33 and UKR 1, and the battle continued between the latter boats. UKR 1 managed to finish in front of NED 33, making them 2nd overall.
The Dutch soling class will now be preparing for the European Championships, which is already starting IN 4 weeks and thereafter the Soling Worlds held again at Muiden, 16-22 September of this year.
You can read more about the Dutch Soling Club at http://solingclubnederland.blogspot.nl/ and on the international Soling site www.soling.com