Michael Beckett (GBR, ILCA 7):
In the ILCA 7 (men’s dinghy), Britain’s Michael Beckett, European Champion and early leader of the event, returned to winning ways with two race victories and a third place. The compact ten-boat format is proving fierce in this class, with the entire fleet never far apart. Hong Kong’s Nicholas Halliday and the Netherlands’ Duko Bos are the nearest challengers under the compact ten-boat format.

“It was great out there today. Once I got going, it went well – I scored a first, a third and another first. The racing is incredibly tight. The windward gate keeps the fleet packed together, so whether you’re leading or last, it doesn’t feel very different until halfway down the run. Even on the final leg it often comes down to a dash with four or five boats fighting for the line. It makes for exciting sailing.”

Duko Bos (NED, ILCA 7):
“The format is a challenge. It’s very different and I’m still figuring out how to deal with it. Normally you just want to sail your race, but here you’re tempted to take more risks, to think differently: if I’m not in the top three, what am I doing? And then you push harder, because in every race something happens. That makes it exciting and worthwhile. You see sailors at the back suddenly going all-in just to break into the top three – in a normal regatta that would be strange, but here it makes sense. The group is strong, the racing is close, and that keeps it fun.

In the iQFOiL men, Johan Søe (DEN) leads the standings after Day two, with Spain’s Nacho Baltasar Summers close behind and Olympic Champion Kiran Badloe (NED) in third. France’s Louis Pignolet (FRA) and Joost Vink (NED) are also well-placed as the field heads toward the final qualifiers.

The ILCA 6 (women’s dinghy) is equally tight at the top. Eve McMahon (IRL) holds the lead after Day two, ahead of the Netherlands’ Maxime Jonker and Canada’s Clara Gravely, with Norway’s Line Flem Høst and Poland’s Agata Barwinska right in the mix.

Maxime Jonker (NED, ILCA 6):
“Today was a good day. I had a bit of a rough start yesterday, but I managed to find the switch and really put it all out on the racecourse, so I’m happy with that. The conditions were tough – lots of wind, more showers, very shifty – so it was tricky racing and hard work. But I’m pleased with the result and looking forward to tomorrow.”

Testing new formats

As this is the very first Sailing Grand Slam Pilot Final, the event is also a live testing ground for new race formats and scoring systems. Different fleets are trialling different approaches: the men’s ILCA 7 class is sailing under a high-points system where only top three finishes score, while the women’s ILCA 6 fleet uses a traditional low-points format.

In addition, all fleets are racing on the experimental Course X, where both the start and finish are mid-course—an America’s Cup–inspired layout designed to keep the fleet compact and the action visible, with frequent mark-roundings and short, high-intensity legs.

With one more day of qualifying left at Marina Muiderzand, the focus will soon shift inland. On Saturday the racing moves to Almere’s city-centre Weerwater lake, before Sunday’s decisive Sailing Grand Slam Pilot Final. There, short and high-intensity races will determine the very first champions.

What’s next

Friday 19 September: final day at Marina Muiderzand, with more races to follow at the city-centre Weerwater lake
Saturday 20 September: qualifying races at the city-centre Weerwater lake
Sunday 21 September: decisive short-course finals

Official results (after Day 2):

iQFOiL Men (Format B, high-points – only top 3 score): Results after Day 2. Dutch Water Week
ILCA 6 Women (Format A, low-points): Results after Day 2. Dutch Water Week
ILCA 7 Men (Format B, high-points): Results after Day 2. Dutch Water Week

Text and images courtesy of Dutch Water Week. Read more here.

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