Fight for first

After breezy day at the Aruba Heineken Catamaran Regatta

Today both Carolijn Brouwer (NED) and Sebbe Godefroid (BEL) won their first race at the Aruba Heineken Catamaran Regatta climbing to a third position overall. Team Larsen/Pols is still leading, chased by Hans Bouscholte and Ruurd van Wieren.

This morning, the sky was cloudy and it rained. By the time the boats had to be rigged up, the sun came out and the blue ocean colours were back. The onshore wind was about 12 knots and there was a nice swell. Two races were scheduled.

“I am surprised by our peformance”, said Olympic Finn sailor Sebbe Godefroid after he won race seven with 16 knots wind. He pointed at Hans Bouscholte and put a smile on his face: “He let us go first.” The two teams were in close competition until the finish line. “We had a good start, but Hans was chasing us. We made a little mistake with estimating the lay line of the gate, so he passed us. In the last down wind lap, we were very close. We both choose a different mark in the gate and we could just beat him on the finish line.”

Bouscholte and Van Wieren won the race six, followed by Richard Allen and Simon Farren. The wind was less strong and Brouwer and Godefroid found they had speed problems. “I could not use trapeze while flying the gennaker, so we found it difficult to find pressure," said Godefroid. "It was also hard to maintain the speed in these waves.” They finished in fourth.

Larsen and Pols were third twice. The gap between the leading teams Larsen/Pols and Bouscholte/Van Wieren is now only four points.

Atlhough people were thrilled by today’s beautiful sailing conditions with wind and waves, it was also tough racing for some competitors. As a result, the equipment suffered a great deal. John Beech and Andrew Brett (GBR) jumped through the mainsail of their Spitfire. Rodolphe Gautier and Axel Meyer (SUI) hit the port hull of Gunnar Larsen and Xander Pols during a gybe. Both teams had damage, but only the Swiss had to go back. Larsen/Pols continued with extra litres of water on board. Pols: “It must have been 30-40lt, because we could hardly pull the boat on the beach.” Two local teams also crashed into each other.



In October Swiss sailor Yves Detrey was sailing Alinghi to victory in Valencia. This week, he is crewing for Michael Vaucher on a Ventilo F20. “We have time off until March, so this is my sailing holiday before skiing starts," he says. "Normally, I sail the Ventilo just for fun on the lake.” They are the best Swiss team in 20th position. “We are always ahead of the other Swiss guys, so we are doing alright. We missed two races, due to damaged equipment and we have a bad rating.”

The Aruba Heineken Catamaran Regatta is a whole new experience to Charles Devanneaux and Daniel Jacques from French. “This is our first catamaran regatta ever. In June, we decided to participate," said Devanneaux. "We bought our 18 foot Alada a month later. We only practiced three times, before we had to pack the container.” Normally, they sail keel boats.

The French, living in the Netherlands, are in 28th position after four days. “And we have finished all races," said Devanneaux. "That was our target, plus not becoming the very last.”



The Aruba Heineken Regatta is sponsored by the Aruba Tourism Authority, Heineken, Hapag Lloyd, Holiday Inn, KLM, TNG, Magic Marine and Does & Cadushi, Setar, Diamonds International, Palm Tours, Tropical Bottling Company, Antony Veder, Kodak and Coca Cola.

Results:

Pos	Helm	Crew	Class	Nat	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	Net
1	Larsen, Gunnar	Pols, Xander	Nacra F 18	NED	1	1	2	1	5	3	3	11
2	Bouscholte, Hans	Wieren, Ruurd van	Tornado 2001 (new ri	NED	DNF	8	1	2	1	1	2	15
3	Brouwer, Carolijn	Godefroid, Sebbe	Tornado 2001 (new ri	NED	6	7	3	7	3	4	1	24
4	Sproat, Christopher	Burke, Georginia	Spitfire	GBR	5	3	5	3	6	8	6	28
5	Moret, John	Smissaert, Paul	Tornado 2001 (new ri	NED	4	4	10	5	OCS	5	10	38
6	Ambtman, Leo	Heemskerk, Mischa	Tornado 2001 (new ri	NED	7	26	8	8	4	7	4	38
7	Breur, Hans	Geest, Gerhard van	Hobie Tiger	NED	10	12	6	4	2	6	15	40
8	Power, James	Forshaw, Ellen	Spitfire	GBR	11	5	DNF	6	7	10	7	46
9	Beech, John	Brett, Andrew	Spitfire	GBR	3	18	7	14	10	12	DNF	64
10	Jury, Paul	Jury, Jacquie	Spitfire	GBR	20	6	9	17	9	9	20	70
11	Foster-Taylor, Robin	White, David	Spitfire	GBR	13	11	11	11	12	16	13	71
12	Machin, Ashley	Machin, Julia	Hurricane 5.9 SX	GBR	15	14	13	16	11	15	11	79
13	Zanen, Eduard	Mol, Maarten	Tornado 2001 (new ri	NED	18	15	36	12	14	13	9	81
14	Allen, Richard	Farren, Simon	Tornado 2001 (new ri	GBR	DSQ	DNF	4	9	8	2	5	83
15	Reynolds, Huw	Borders, Keith	Tornado 2001 (new ri	GBR	DNF	23	15	13	16	11	14	92
16	Soet, Robert	Vries, Joel de	Nacra Inter F20	NED	17	17	20	22	21	19	16	110
17	Furber, Richard	Blaser, Dawn	Hurricane 5.9	GBR	16	24	18	20	22	27	22	122
18	Leighton, Hamish	Leighton, Helen	Hurricane 5.9 Sport	GBR	14	10	26	32	DNF	24	18	124
19	Harms, Rob	Leeuwen, Jan Willem van	Nacra Inter F20	NED	23	21	32	24	20	20	19	127
20	Vaucher, Michael	Detrey, Yves	Ventillo F20	SUI	DSQ	DNF	22	10	13	14	17	131
21	Thomasch, Manfred	Hankart, Henk	Dart 18 Spi	AUT	8	35	14	33	19	35	23	132
22	Ganseman, Dick	Groot, Mayco de	Dart 18	NED	9	9	19	39	23	37	DNC	136
23	Schrama, Jan	Schrama, Armand	Tornado 2001 (new ri	NED	26	22	27	36	27	21	21	144
24	Harcourt, David	Harcourt, Jillian	Hurricane 5.9	GBR	DSQ	19	16	23	18	32	38	146
25	Fischer, Jean Francois	Gianola, Benard	Ventilo Pulso	SUI	21	16	33	28	26	22	33	146
26	Diks, Marcel	Diks, Daniel	Tornado 2001 (new ri	NED	12	DNF	12	DNF	DNS	26	8	168
27	Cooper, MArk	Ward, Mike	Hobie Tiger	GBR	DNF	DNF	17	15	14	DSQ	12	168
28	Devanneaux, Charls	Daniel, Jacques	Alado 18	FRA	32	27	39	29	25	29	30	172
29	Treffers, Sijbrand	Stoel, Tsjitske	Dart 18	NED	19	DNF	21	38	28	41	29	176
30	Taylor, Alan	Hawkins, Alf	Nacra F 18	GBR	25	32	30	41	30	30	36	183
31	Visser, Jacques	Visser, Thijs	Nacra Inter F20	NED	26	28	DNF	31	DNF	27	27	194
32	Baker, Darren	Eplett, Jerry	Hobie Tiger	GBR	DNF	DNF	24	18	17	DNF	26	195
33	Gautier, Rodolphe	Meyer, Axel	Ventillo F20	SUI	24	20	23	21	DNF	DNF	DNF	198
34	Dalmeijer, Robbert	Hoog, Jacco de	Nacra Inter 18	ARU	DNS	13	29	25	24	DNF	DNF	201
35	Gottreux, Pierre	Schir, Franck	Ventillo F20	SUI	30	29	DNF	35	DNF	23	32	204
36	Emeis, Henk	Bruijne, Rens de	Tornado 2001 (new ri	NED	22	DNF	25	30	DNF	DSQ	27	214
37	Stannard, Simon	Emptage, Mark	Nacra 6.0	GBR	36	DNF	DSQ	26	35	31	31	214
38	Koops, Herald	Vonk, Renso	Nacra Inter F20	NED	33	37	41	42	32	38	37	218
39	Stahl, Robert	Chatten, Annette	Tornado 2001 (new ri	GBR	28	DNF	38	43	31	39	40	219
40	Lindley, Roger	Jones, Simon	Nacra Inter F20	GBR	31	33	DNS	DSQ	34	34	35	222
41	Heikamp, Jurgen	Kummel, Koen	Nacra Inter F20	NED	DNF	DNF	DNS	34	29	25	25	223
42	Valize, Theo	Erenbeet, J.P. van	Prindle 16	ARU	35	34	37	46	36	42	39	223
43	Gummer, Stuart	Power, Gillian	Spitfire	GBR	2	2	DSQ	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	224
44	Aubert, Jean Daniel	Favre, Christian	Ventilo Pulso	SUI	DNF	DNS	28	19	DNF	17	DNF	229
45	Thomason, Mike	Kitson Jones, Kevin	Hurricane 5.9	GBR	DNF	DNF	31	37	DNF	36	34	248
46	Bakker, Friso	Kranebroek, Marco	Hobie Fox F20	NED	DNF	36	45	27	DNC	43	DNF	261
47	Davidson, Alasdair	Davidson, Brigid	Nacra F 18	GBR	DNF	DNF	DNS	DNS	DNC	18	24	262
48	Heyden, Willie v.d.	Klinkhamer, Sietse	Nacra Inter F20	NED	DNS	DNS	44	44	33	45	41	262
49	Lang, Nils	Aerschot, Constant van	Ventillo 20	SUI	29	DNF	43	DNF	DNS	RDG(42)	43	267
50	Bogaards, Diana	Straathof, Paul	Hobie 16	NED	DNF	25	34	45	DNF	DNF	DNS	269
51	Schönthal, Daniel	Blumenstein, Peter	Ventillo 20	SUI	DNS	31	DNF	40	DNS	33	DNF	269
52	Grijpma, Rob	Galen, Marc van	Prindle 19	ARU	34	30	42	DNF	DNF	DNC	DNC	271
53	Hutchings, Adrian	Smith, Rick	Nacra 6.0	GBR	DNF	DNF	40	DNF	DNF	44	42	291
54	Tranter, Bob	Cosgrove, Ian	Hurricane 5.9	GBR	DNS	DNS	35	DNF	DNS	40	DNF	295