Over 400 entries

Competitors are preparing for the Zwitserleven Round Texel Race

On Monday 12 June 2006, the organization of the 29th Zwitserleven Round Texel Race have received 418 pre-entries in total. As of Wednesday 14 June, sailors from all over the world will begin to arrive and the annual catamaran spectacle will start on the Dutch Wadden Island, Texel.

The top multihul sailors from around the world will be present, among which last year’s overall winners Mischa Heemskerk and Sander de Boer and record-holders Wouter Samama and Jeroen van Leeuwen. Zwitserleven Sailing Team Booth and Dercksen, part of the Dutch Olympic team, will be trying hard to win line honours. A helicopter will give the famous smokey starting signal on Saturday 17 June at about noon.

Round Texel Co-ordinator Edwin Lodder said: “For now, the pre-entries are less than in 2005, but as ever we expect late comers especially with the good weather forecast for the coming week. After last year’s rough conditions, many participants decided to wait and see what will happen this time.”

At the moment, the fleet represents ten nationalities. Former overall winner and silver medallist at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Darren Bundock (AUS), and French top sailor Jean-Christophe Mourniac are back to challenge the Dutchmen. The young winners of the Texel Dutch Open 2005, Kearns and Bearns (GBR), will defend their title.
This championship, officially recognized by the Royal Dutch Yachting Association, is to be sailed from 14 June until 16 June and exists of course races. Many sailors consider it as a good training for the Zwitserleven Round Texel on Saturday. On Friday afternoon, ten teams will participate in the first TNG Short Track. They will sail knock-out races and the last two boats will battle against each other in the final.

While the sailors are out challenging the elements in the round Texel, people onshore can follow the exciting competition on the Texel beach at Paal 17. The pictures will be broadcast live on a big screen. Those who have to stay at home can watch the live reports on the event’s website www.roundtexel.com thanks to I-net. The Zwitserleven Round Texel Race will also enter the living rooms through Astra and the cable on Texel and in the Dutch province Noord-Holland.