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10 March 2005, 12:10 pm

Young Sailors Head To The Netherlands

International Easter Optimist Regatta 2005

Roelofarendsveen, Netherlands

The Easter weekend of 25-28 March will see the Yacht club Braassemermeer and the Optimist Club Nederland (OCN) organizing the 20th International Easter Optimist Regatta.

About 250 young sailors from twelve countries will be competing fiercely to win this prestigious event. The Easter Optimist Regatta began in 1986 with 75 competitors from mostly the Nordic countries. It gave them a chance to compete in the spring while their homeports were still iced up.

The early years saw a rapid growth in contenders and a maximum of 250 sailors was quickly installed. Most countries now have qualifying rounds for the event. For the past three years even competitors from the United States of America have been at the regatta to race.

On Saturday and Sunday boats will be split into six groups which will compete amongst each other. On Saturday three races will be held with two more on Sunday. After racing on Sunday the three groups for the two final races on Monday will be announced.

These two final races will decide the winner of the 20th International Easter Optimist Regatta. It will then be the responsibility of last year's victor Victor BERGSTRÖM (SWE) to hand over his crown.

Yacht club Braassemermeer (Roelofarendsveen) is a Yacht club with a keen interest in training and racing both nationally and internationally. The 87-year-old club has about 900 members (some of them even winners of the Volvo Ocean Race and the America's Cup) and in July 2005 will be organizing the J/22 World Championship.

Bas VAN GRIEKEN (As Amended By ISAF). Image, 2004 action