100 year dinghies in the Netherlands

From 27 till 29 June 2014 The Twaalfvoetsjollenclub will organize a big event at the Loosdrechtse Plassen in The Netherlands. The event commemorates the 100th anniversary of the “A” Class 12 Feet One-Design Dinghy which was accepted as a national class in the Netherlands and Belgium in April 1914. Over 100 classic wooden dinghies are expected to come to Loosdrecht. Projectleader is Leen van Willigen. Also a centennial book will be published in which the 12 foot dinghy history will be extensively described. The authors are Dolph Blussé, Remmelt Kraneveld, Lia Dudok van Heel, Wietske van Soest, Steve Crook and many other contributors.

Beulakerwiede 2004. 90 year dinghies in the Netherlands. 100 dinghies at the starting line.

Dinghy NED876

The newest classic wooden dinghy in the Netherlands with number NED876, built by boatyard de Jong. An article in the newspaper "Spiegel der Zeilvaart"

On the website jachtwerf de Jong pictures of the building process.
12 foot dinghy pictures

Capsizing and the centreboard

My friend Elena-Romana Gazenser from Germany has given a good advise. If you capsize with your dinghy in deep water, you can loose your centreboard. In that case you really have a problem. With the thin line it will not happen. Another possibility is a thin hawk of 1 mm, in Italy a lot of people have this system. In the Netherlands the lakes are not deep, about 1 till 3 meters. In that case you don't need a system to protect your centreboard. The best solution: don't capsize.


Hallo Pieter,

im Anhang 2 Fotos von meiner Schwertsichrung nach Art des Finn-Dinghy. WIr habe sie selbst angebaut. Jeroen de Groot war beeindruckt und fand die Idee gut. Vielleicht auch eine Bastelidee für Deinen Dinghy-Blog oder für die Technik-Seite der Dinghy-Vereinigung?

A Dutchman Italian champion ?

Can a Dutch dinghy sailor become Italian champion. The answer is NO. Can an Italian dinghy sailor become Dutch champion. The answer is YES. The Dutch Twaalfvoetsjollenclub is proud on the international past of the 12footdinghy and has always chosen for an open policy, to promote internationalization. In 2013 the best Italian GPR and the best wooden dinghy sailor will be invited to compete in really classic dinghies at the Dutch open championships. On an equal footing, because all Dutch dinghies have the same speed. The helmsman makes the difference. It will happen on 26, 27 and 28 July 2013 at the Loosdrechtse plassen. At least 50 dinghy sailors will participate. In 1988 the Dutchman Rudolf van Geyn participate at the Italian championship in Chioggia. He beat all the Italians, but did not get the Italian title. The reason: he had not the Italian nationality. We live now in 2012, have one Europe and one euro and would it not be time to change that ancient Italian rule. Why not, the Italians have excellent sailors, so what can they loose?. The best three sailors of the Dutch championship 2012 Martijn van der Pol, Jeroen de Groot and Pieter Bleeker would like to go to Italy and participate at the Italian championship. We prefer to sail in a Lilia GPR dinghy. A beautiful and fast GPR dinghy . Much faster than the modern and classic wooden dinghies. In 2012 the first wooden dinghy at the Italian championship was number 18.

The winner Rudolf van Geyn (l), he died in 1989

The results of the Italian championship in Chioggia 1988

International friendship series

A new series for classic wooden dinghies is launched with the name International friendship series. The dates are:
- France, Lac d'aillette near Reims, 4 and 5 May 2013
- Netherlands, Kaag, 18 to 20 May 2013
- England, Liverpool, 28 to 30 June 2013
- Germany, Laboe near Kiel, 23 to 25 August 2013
This new series will focus on the dutch classic rules. The other wooden dinghy series, the Swiss and Global cup, will focus on the modern Italian rules. Another difference: Swiss and Global will go up to 15 knots. The friendship series up to 25 knots. Swiss and Global will organize the world cup in Napoli at 15 to 18 July. Good news for the classic dinghy owners: The Italians will help to upgrade the slow classic wooden dinghies, so people can race on equal footing. If the Italian or Swiss dinghy sailors with a modern wooden dinghy want to participate at for example Kiel, the Dutch will help to downgrade the fast Italian wooden dinghies with dutch sails and gaffs. The cockshott events till now was the only official series, launched by the international committee. The cockshott events are important for the owners of plastic dinghies, because the rule is classic wood, modern wood and plastic start together. It is not sure what will happen with this series in 2013. The owners of plastic dinghies and every country can take initiatives.