To the wire

Diana Boogards reports on a tense day of racing at Aruba Heineken Catamaran Regatta

On Thursday 13 November, the long distance race of the Aruba Heineken Catamaran Regatta proved thrilling. Tornado teams were fighting the Formula 18 sailors Gunnar Larsen and Xander Pols from the Netherlands. William Sunnucks and Mark Self from Great Britain took the lead on the reach and they won the race.

At 10:30 hours this morning, the colourful fleet of catamarans left the beach for today’s first race. The wind force was about two to three, but it decreased later on. The small boats had to sail two laps instead of three, which made their competition more interesting.

The Hobie 16 teams Rowen/Baring from England and Heilbron/Bogaards from the Netherlands, were fighting hard for the first position of the smaller catamarans. Meanwhile, it was team Sunnucks/Gummer that took the lead of the fleet. Until the finish, the competition remained close.

“Gunnar crossed the finish line in about four minutes behind us, which is enough to beat us,” commented Sunnucks. Both teams were now leading the overall ranking. Richard Allen got a third place and the gap between them and third placed, Graat and Koene, decreased to just one point. The pressure was on. The Dutch Hobie 16 team beat the English and moved into the 11th position overall.

Due to light conditions, the race committee put a smaller long distance course down after the lunch. On the starting line, the teams on the pin end were better off. Simon Northrop and Mike Speller were first at the upwind and downwind marks, but while reaching it were Sunnucks and Self that passed them. Northrop: “We had a good start at the pin end. We finished fourth, but we prefer more wind.” He felt the hot pressure of Richard Allen, who was going after him. Allen: “It was a nice reach with finally a better wind. We caught up on William and Simon. We passed Simon and than we had a good competition with Gunnar Larsen, John Moret and Simon Northrop.”

Unfortunately, their main sheet broke just before the finish. As a result, John Moret was ahead of them on the finish line.

The Formula 18-sailors Rikkert Graat and Daan Koene from the Netherlands, had problems with the spinnaker and had to abandon the race, so they dropped to the fourth position overall. The gap between first finishers Sunnucks/Self and Larsen/Pols was big enough for the victory and for the first place overall to go to the British. Tomorrow’s last race will determine the first two positions.

Results

Pos	Helm/Crew	Nat	Type	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	Tot
1	Sunnucks, William	GBR	Tornado 2001	2	1	3	5	2	2	1		8
	Self, Mark
2	Larsen, Gunnar	NED	Formula 18	3	3	2	3	1	1	2		9
	Pols, Xander
3	Allen, Richard	GBR	Tornado 2001	1	37	1	7	10	3	4		16
	Gummer, Stuart
4	Graat, Rikkert	NED	Formula 18	4	9	4	4	3	6	DNF		21
	Koene, Daan
5	Deutekom, Maarten	NED	Formula 20	17	4	9	2	7	5	6		24
	Vries, Joel de
6	Moret, John	Ned	Tornado 2001	6	5	OCS	11	37	10	3		35
	Jannink, Gijs
7	Breur, Hans	NED	Formula 20	18	11	OCS	1	5	6	13		36
	Buyse, Paul
7	Northrop, Simon	GBR	Tornado 2001	5	14	5	13	18	8	5		36
	Speller, Mike
9	Bokma, Karel	NED	Formula 20	21	15	7	12	6	4	11		40
	Schoenmeijer, Lennert
10	Barnes, Nick	GBR	Tornado 2001	13	8	8	21	20	9	10		48
	Smith, Stuart
11	Reynolds, Huw	GBR	Tornado 2001	7	16	OCS	15	13	13	7		55
	Borders, Keith
12	Klootwijk, Rob	NED	Tornado 2001	9	19	6	22	11	11	21		56
	Smissaert, Paul
13	Nyhan, Jimmy	IRL	Formula 18	11	17	10	14	14	18	8		57
	Buwalda, Maritta
14	Machin, Ashly	GBR	Hurricane 5.9	12	2	OCS	16	12	22	DNF		64
	Machin, Julia
14	Heilbron, Rob	NED	Hobie 16	19	10	15	10	15	14	28		64
	Bogaards, Diana
16	Harrison, Paul	GBR	Formula 18	8	DNS	14	29	8	19	20		69
	Ausin, Michelle
17	Jong, Nico de	NED	Formula 20	16	32	16	9	19	26	15		75
	Sanders, Frank
18	Smith, Mike	GBR	Spitfire	10	32	13	17	24	31	12		76
	Lawes, Robert
19	Talfourd, Vincent	GBR	Tornado 2001	14	20	23	33	DNS	12	9		78
	Baldry, Neil
20	Scantlebury, Michael	GBR	Spitfire	DNF	7	11	5	4	DNF	DNC		81
	Harris, David
21	Depeuter, Wim	BEL	Tornado 2001	22	29	12	8	26	35	17		85
	Verelst, Loo
22	Furber, Richard	GBR	Hurricane 5.9	20	18	19	18	21	23	16		91
	Blaser, Dawn
23	Smeding, Herman	NED	Formula 20	26	6	30	20	31	16	26		94
	Smeding, Leo
24	Brugman, Jos	NED	Formula 20	28	13	29	23	16	20	31		100
	Hoop, Roel de
25	Dalmeijer, Rob	Aruba	Formula 18	DNF	25	20	OCS	9	27	22		103
	Hoog, Jacco
26	Diks, Marcel	NED	Tornado	14	27	25	34	34	21	23		110
	Diks, Daniel
27	Lindley, Roger	GBR	Formula 20	33	36	17	26	27	17	24		111
	Jones, Simon
28	Amtman, Leo	NED	Tornado	24	24	21	37	22	24	25		115
	Vos,Lauw
29	Thomasch, Manfred	AUT	Dart 18 Spi	23	31	18	25	23	41	35		120
	Hankart, Henk
30	Rowen, David	GBR	Hobie 16	35	12	35	36	32	15	34		128
	Baring, Jonathan
31	Koops, Herald	NED	Formula 20	29	22	34	44	17	DNF	29		131
	Vonk, Renso
32	Leigthon,Hamish	GBR	Hurricane 5.9 Sport	32	26	22	39	29	38	27		136
	Leighton, Helen
33	Needham, Chris	GBR	Tornado 2001	DNF	35	27	24	35	33	18		137
	Stephens, Martin
33	Davidson, Mick	GBR	Tornado 2001	27	40	32	27	44	37	14		137
	Langenhoff, Terence
35	Heijden, Willie van der	NED	Nacra 6.0	31	21	33	38	36	30	30		145
	Landa, Henk
36	Horsthuis, Dion	NED	Formula 18	25	42	24	28	33	DSQ	DNF		152
	Meppelink, Ronald
37	Soet, Robert	NED	Formula 20	DNF	30	26	41	38	DNF	19		154
	Hilbrands, Martin
38	Smit, Peter	NED	Formula 18	DSQ	34	42	30	28	29	38		159
	Bangma, Rogier
39	Hovenkamp, Egbert	BEL	Tornado 2001	DNF	28	28	40	42	36	32		164
	Desmet, Gille
40	Twisk, Wim	NED	Formula 18	38	23	DNS	31	39	34	39		165
	Hart, Manon van der
41	Laan, Barbera van der	NED	Formula 18	DSQ	44	44	19	43	32	32		170
	Dorp, Corien van
42	Huijboom, Peter	NED	Formula 18	39	39	39	32	40	25	36		171
	IJkelenstam, Arnold
43	Wolters, Henk	NED	Nacra Inter 17	36	41	31	43	25	43	DNC		176
44	Grijpma, Rob	Aruba	Prindle 19	34	DNF	OCS	35	48	28	40		185
	Galen, Marc van
45	Wild, Ian	GBR	Dart 16	37	38	OCS	DNF	30	39	43		187
	Wild, Jason
46	Offringa, Adrie	NED	Nacra 6.0	30	DNS	37	41	45	DSQ	37		190
	Offringa, Rienk
47	Bemelman, Willem	NED	Prindle 18.2	40	43	38	46	41	44	44		206
	Nio, Denise
48	Jong, Rimmert de	NED	Formula 20	DNF	DNF	36	45	46	40	45		212
	Liefting, Jan
49	Beerens, Cees	NED	Hobie Pacific	41	46	41	DNF	47	46	42		216
	Roovers, Bert
50	Leflot, Philippe	BEL	Tornado 2001	42	45	43	DNF	49	DNF	41		220
	Lathouwers, Emiel
51	Valize, Theo	Aruba	Prindle 16	DNF	DNS	40	DNF	DNF	42	DNF		244
	Sjak, Francis
52	Eijsbouts, Quitrijn	NED	Hobie 16	DNF	DNS	45	DNF	DSQ	45	DNF		252
	Hoedt,
53	Zwart, Peter	NED	Hobie 18 Formula 104	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC		270
	Kok, Michiel

The regatta is sponsored by the Aruban Toerist agency, Heineken, Hapag Lloyd, Holiday Inn, KLM, TNG, Magic Marine, Coca Cola, AWA, Tropical Bottling Company Aruba, Does & Cadushi, Pelican Watersports, Palm Tours, Aruba Watersport Center, Anthony Veder & Co, Astec, Meta Corporation, Seaworld Explorer, Kodak, Meta Corporation, AS Aruba and the Caribbean Mercantile Bank.