Plastic dinghies in the Netherlands

Shocking news.. Plastic dinghies in the Netherlands. See new classic
The Italian boat builder Nauticalodi has found a dealer in the Netherlands. A beautiful site with excellent pictures.
It is an honest story: in the Netherlands it is not allowed to race together with wooden dinghies. Probably there is a market for plastic dinghies in the Netherlands. Not everybody like the maintenance of a wooden one. If it will be a success, you will got the issue: sailing together with wooden dinghies or not. As long as there is a big gap between the fast Italian plastic dinghies and the slow Dutch wooden dinghies, a mix is not very realistic. In the eighties there was something similar: the plastic Beusichemse jollen. Still very popular in Germany. The Dutch class organisation has the policy: just wood. Have a look at classes with a mix between wood and plastic like the Finn, Vaurien and O-dinghy. What happens.... wood is to slow and disappears finally. Unacceptable.

Kaag 2012

26, 27 and 28 May 2012.
50 wooden dinghies at one of the most beautiful lakes in the Netherlands.
A special dinghy atmosphere. Don't miss it.

See the pictures of the 2011 edition..

pictures Kaag 2011

Martini protocol

On the international website you can read the Martini protocol. The goal is to harmonize the rules. You have plastic dinghies from Italy, wooden dinghies classico from Italy and wooden dinghies from Holland. The differences between plastic and wooden dinghies are big. It is a matter of believe: you like the original classic dinghy or you like the dinghy as a race machine. Personally I prefer the wooden original dinghy. It will be a challenge to make the gap smaller. Portoroz will be the ultimate test. I hope we will come together and find an opportunity to harmonize the rules. But I am afraid the gap is already to big. A lot of stuff to discuss this summer.