Dutch Championship 1

26, 27 and 28 july is it time for the Dutch Championship 12footdinghy again. 12footdinghy is in Dutch 12voetsjol. Since 1923 the oldest dinghy series in the world. It is organised by the Dutch watersportverbond, sailing club the Vrijbuiter and the class organisation Twaalfvoetsjollenclub on the Loosdrechtse plassen. 46 participants till now, 39 men and 7 women. Before the races starts at thursday the technical committee wil have a look to the mast and another important parts of the classic wooden dinghies. The principle is that all dinghies have the same speed (or better equal slowly), so the best helmsman become the new dutch champion. Who are the challengers. Joep Brinkmann, living in Germany now was 4 times Dutch champion. Martijn van der Pol the same, also 4 times. Jeroen de Groot 2 times, he is one of the best sailors in the Netherlands and very motivated in his brand new dinghy NED877, built by himself. Wim Bleeker is rather new in the class and in a good shape, he has won every dinghy race in 2013. Every year there is a black horse. Bob Heineke was the champion in another classic wooden class the Pampus. He wil try to do the same in the 12voetsjol now. Duuk Dudok van Heel (4 times world champion in the FJ class) is sailing a home race and a tactical genius. With a slow wind every dinghy sailor is afraid for the 81 year old woman Tonnie Surendonk. The championship is open for foreigners, the German Reinhard Schroeder would like to beat all the Dutch concurrents. Read it in 12footnews the next days. Want more information? See Nederlands Kampioenschap 2013


Tonnie Surendonk (l) and her crew Ineke Dankelschijn (photo Wietske van Soest)