Tricky conditions on day two

The Aruba Heineken Catamaran Regatta is being lead by Booth and Nieuwenhuis

On the second day of the Aruba Heineken Catamaran Regatta 2008, the fleet of 41 teams had to deal with tricky sailing conditions on the Caribbean Sea. From time to time, big clouds brought rain showers and gusts. That resulted in a shifty and variable breeze, which made it an interesting competition. Dutchmen Booth and Nieuwenhuis are still in the lead by one point, with Xander Pols and Frank de Waard (NED) in second position. Last year’s winners Eduard Zanen and Mischa Heemskerk (NED) climbed to a third place. Henk-Johan Hankart and the Grijpma brothers are first overall in the fleet of slower catamarans.

Today’s weather required a lot more trimming and smart racing. The winning strategy was about getting the shifts and pressure right. Sunburned legs and arms had a rest, as it was mostly clouded. The morning breeze was about eight knots strong, but in the afternoon it picked up to 16 knots and more. During lunchtime on the Aruba beach, the competitors could share their experiences and reconsider their tactics. Or simply enjoy the Aruba hospitality. Late afternoon, they decided to have their happy hour in sea, as the rain was pouring down in a tropical shower.

Race 2 - Going left pays

“We had to fight all race long”, said Mischa Heemskerk with a smile. He and his helmsman Eduard Zanen had a close battle with Xander Pols and Frank de Waard. Heemskerk: “I saw good pressure on the right sight of the course, so we started near the starting boat. Unfortunately, we had no room to tack and had to carry on. It looked really bad, but we managed to stay with the front runners. We pushed hard downwind and were second at the gate. In the next beat, we grabbed the lead by going to the left.” Pols and De Waard did the same and climbed to the second position. Both front runners fought for every meter. De Waard: “In the third beat, we went a bit further left than Mischa, which was our winning move.”

Jacques Visser and his son Thijs Visser (NED) recovered well from a bad start and finished third. “We were forced to tack to the right, where we picked up a cloud with a good breeze. That was our luck,” commented Thijs Visser. This is their last regatta as a family team, as Thijs will move on to a new challenge. Next season, he will crew for the current F18 World Champion Coen de Koning (NED). “I am very excited about it, as it is a big step forwards for me. It gives me the chance to learn a lot and to compete on the highest level”, Thijs added.

Race Three - Shorter course

After a relaxing lunch break, the third starting gun was fired at about 2:45 PM. The race committee decided to shorten the course, so the fast cats had to do three laps and the slower boats two. That was one less that in the previous races. “That made the first beat very important,” Booth said. He got it right and was in the lead from the beginning until the end. That battle for the second and third place was full on. The British duo William Sunnucks and Simon Farren was fifth at the first top mark and overtook three boats on the following run. It looked like a comfortable second position, but Heemskerk and Zanen became a threat again. “On the last full beat, Mischa went left and made a huge gain. He came into second place, but dropped down to a third,” Sunnucks commented. Sunnucks and Farren benefited from the final shift and kept their competitors.

In the evening, the sailors and families enjoyed the tasty barbeque at Moomba Beach. Tomorrow is going to be a big day, as three races are scheduled.

Overal Results:

1-NED – Booth and Nieuwenhuis, F18 Hobie Tiger, 7 points
2-NED – Pols and De Waard, F18 Nacra Infusion, 8 points
3-NED – Zanen and Heemskerk, F18 Hobie Tiger, 10 points
4-GBR – Gummer and Bogaards, F18 Capricorn, 13 points
4-NED – Visser and Visser, F18 Capricorn, 15 points

The Aruba Catamaran Regatta is sponsored by Heineken, Aruba (ATA), Martinair, Hapag Lloyd, Holiday Inn, Setar, AWA, Coca Cola, TNG, Does & Cadushi, Aruba Aloe, Palmtours, Aruba Watersports Center, Atlantis, Pelican Nest, Moomba Beach, Zwitserleven and Alfons de Letter.