Archive for category: Uncategorized

Muschka Van Hacht 75m2 – Ready for submersion

Among the hundreds of yachts on the IJsselmeer is a very special yacht, the more than hundred-year-old Muschka Van Hacht 75m2 owned by skipper Ramon Van Leeuwen. ‘Spartan sailing, little comfort, but fast and cozy,’ as they put it in a message last year. And Spartan it certainly is this Coastal Sailors 24 Hour Sail Race for the six-man crew. Van Leeuwen: “In itself it’s going very well, but it’s bumpy.”

“We are on a kind of rocking horse,” he continues. “We are now sailing above Stavoren toward the Afsluitdijk. It’s bouncing in all directions here with high waves and thick winds, so it’s going fast. We see others in T-shirts on board while we are ready for submergence. We get buckets of water over us.” “We started in Medemblik. That wasn’t the most ideal starting spot, but it was for us in terms of logistics and planning. The trade-off was whether we were going to go to a lot of trouble to sail the boat to Stavoren, for example, or do we relax and have a nice dinner at our leisure. We chose the latter and just took that short cruising leg for granted.” The nighttime hours were dark, according to Van Leeuwen. “There was very little moonlight. It went fine. There was quite a thick wind, I think on average wind force four to five. There wasn’t a moment when the wind dropped. Maybe below the Frisian coast. We did go there, but it was still blowing hard. We sail with six men, three of whom steer and rotate about every hour. The sleepers have one tack and sometimes two when things slow down. It’s a little rougher at the moment than at night, so we take our rest where we can.”

Record?

The past two years, Muschka won in Tour 3 and recorded the best overall performance in the tour. “With that, we won the silver pennant from the Coastal Sailors, so we have something to defend,” Van Leeuwen said. “I don’t know if it’s going to work again, but at least it’s going fast and for us it looks like we’re going to set a record distance. That’s kind of nice. Our record now is 171 miles and we’re now on track for 174 miles.” The mood on board is fine and there is good reason for that. Van Leeuwen: “Everyone is smiling, we have been eating and drinking. We are sailing nicely. We know we are at record distance, so everyone is motivated to go for the last quarter.” Will Muschka manage to reach his ninth official finish with a record number of miles? At the time of writing (1:15 p.m.), the counter stands at 126 miles. Still a few hours to go…

 

 

Fighting to beat the record

“It’s going so particularly hard,” reports Volkert Zijlker of the Dazzling Dolphin, a Dehler 39 SQ, when I ask how things are going. “But everyone in the Tocht 5 class is going so hard, so we have to keep fighting to win.” Before the race, he still reported that he had hoped for a light-weather 24 hours because his mainsail is no longer in top shape. “It started blowing a little more than predicted. So trick 1 is to keep the mainsail whole, then the rest comes. We worked very hard last night and fortunately we kept the mainsail in one piece. Sometimes sailed a little conservatively and put in a reef quicker or took the pressure off the neck corner.” The Dazzling Dolphin is a “family affair” this year, as Volkert calls it. Son Tammo and girlfriend Anouk, daughter Lisanne and friend Marc are also on board. Completing the crew is Wim van Slooten. Wim has started six times in the Fastnet Race and finished four times. Lisanne sailed the Sydney Hobart in 2023. So a very experienced crew. And Volkert is competing for the 14th time in the Coast Sailors 24 Hour Sail Race and has sailed it thirteen times.

Few sail changes

They started in Hindeloopen, a tactical move with last night’s northeast wind. For now, they are now in first place in Tour 5. Volkert: “So far we have sailed a relaxed trip. With this northeast wind you can sail beautiful northwest-southeast laps. We actually sailed all night from the Wieringermeer to the Noordoostpolder and back again. Now we are making a second run from Enkhuizen to the Afsluitdijk and vice versa. I specially chose races of about fifteen miles, so everyone could take a break on those long races. That way there are few sail changes and few exciting buoy turns, where one boat has to jibe and the other has to tack. With this constant wind, it’s ‘picture perfect’ of course.” Volkert has been preoccupied for days before the 24 hours with the weather and the favorable courses and especially the starting location. “Beforehand I let the wind tell the story and I linked the racks to that,” he says. “That way we hopefully made it easier on ourselves. But because we sailed harder than anticipated, we are now starting to run out of racks. Our forecast was 180 miles in 24 hours, but when I see now we end up with 183.7 miles. Our record is 184.5, we’re probably not going to make that, but we’re doing our best.

I have a great team together, we all have a lot of experience. That helps to have peace of mind in the boat.”

 

 

Spitfire J121: Swing contest

“It’s going well. We’re comfortable,” says ocean sailor Jelmer van Beek enthusiastically when we call him around 9 a.m. Saturday morning. “Beautiful weather conditions with fifteen to twenty knots of wind. And yes, we are sailing nice half wind back and forth all the time. Just when you’re dry, another wave comes across the deck.” He laughs, “Pretty much, you know the drill.” He sails aboard the Spitfire J121 of skipper Frederic de Visser of Scheveningen. Beforehand, Van Beek let it be known that he and his team were definitely considering a start at sea, but it ended up being Enkhuizen-North. “Yes, the wind was not favorable and with the current we didn’t come out either. So now the plan is to sail all the rakes on the IJsselmeer. By 9 o’clock we had done almost 120 miles. My Scheveningen friends all think it’s a crazy race. It’s super fun to be out on the water at night with so many lights.”

What is it like for you to sail the 24 Hours again after ten years and so many experiences as a professional ocean sailor richer? “Yes nice, to consider in Enkhuizen with the other participants before and if you get wet, at least it’s fresh water. That’s a lot more pleasant and dries faster. Also the IJsselmeer waves are fun again. In the Optimist, of course, I sailed on that an awful lot.” After his training with Team Heiner’s youth program, Jelmer van Beek’s sailing career took off. For example, he sailed the Fastnet Race, Middle Sea Race, the Sydney Hobart and, as skipper of Team JAJO, he finished second in The Ocean Race VO65 Sprint Cup. That the Coast Sailors 24 Hour Sailing Race is a different category of sailing competition may be obvious. But how different is this race compared to traditional sea sailing races. We asked Jelmer. “The unique thing about the 24 Uurs is that you have to turn the corner about every three quarters of an hour. You sail a lot from tack to tack. The funny thing is that you sail with and against everyone. You may be able to see the starting spot off each other, but otherwise you have little idea of how well you are doing relative to the other boats you encounter. This makes the game very different, because normally you are constantly watching each other. Now you do that to avoid sailing against each other.” Asked how the mood on board is, Van Beek replied, “It’s good. We just ate the buns with fried egg. Those were prepared. There were a few more freeze-dried meals in the cupboard, but I passed those by,” Jelmer admits with a laugh. “We have a watch schedule of two hours of sleep and five hours on deck,” he continues. “That goes just right. There are seven of us, so there are always two people downstairs and basically five upstairs. At the same time, we’re doing a lot of work on the Rak 24 program and getting weather reports in. We really do our best to get a good result.” At the time of calling, the wind gauge shows 20 knots. “We have a lot of boats around us. Some are sailing with a reef, some are not. We have a full mainsail and medium/heavy jib up. We have sailed Code zero a few times. We can do that very occasionally when we just have a slightly wider reach. And everybody waves to each other. You always do that on the water, but yes now you have a lot to wave to.” As we conclude, the Spitfire has covered 138.61 nautical miles. That puts the Scheveningen team in the lead in both ORC1 and the standings for most miles.

 

Great start to the 59th Coast Sailors 24 Hour Sail Race

Over three hundred participants on the water to sail miles for 24 hours Medemblik, Aug. 30, 2024 – On Friday evening between 6:30 and 7 p.m., 324 of the 365 registered participants started in the Coast Sailors 24 Hour Sail Race. Under a thin sun and with a nice easterly wind around 10 and 15 knots, the participants left from the thirteen starting places. The next 24 hours will be spent puzzling over the favorable courses to cover as many miles as possible. According to the forecast, the wind was still blowing from the north on Friday night and would turn east during the night, where it would remain until Saturday night. With the wind already in the east on Friday night, it looks like the direction will remain constant and the competitors will have to recalculate which courses yield the most miles. A wind shift during the 24 hours is probably not in the cards. The wind will also continue through the night, which is favorable for mileage, increasing over the course of Saturday to about 17 to 23 knots in the evening. As it looks now, it will be a nice spinnaker finish off the coast of Medemblik after the participants in the tour and race have completed their final miles to the finish line under spinnaker. It won’t be cold for the participants of the Coast Sailors 24 Hour Sail Race, the mercury probably won’t go below 13 degrees at night. Saturday will be a sunny day. It looks like this edition can be sailed out without precipitation or strong winds. For the participants, these weather conditions are perfect for making a lot of miles. Nevertheless, it is unlikely that the mileage record that has stood in the name of team Blacquire with the Blacq Magic since 2021 will be broken. This team covered 222.06 miles in 24 hours. The 59th edition again has many newcomers, most of them in the draft classes. It shows that the Coast Sailors 24 Hour Sail Race is undiminished popular among various groups of sailors. Also, a number of participants have already sailed the 24 Hours more than 30 times in regulation, a tremendous achievement. Of the 324 participants who started, 238 started on the IJsselmeer, hoping to make the most miles there, compared to 83 on the Markermeer. With this easterly wind and unfavorable currents, the new starting place on flowing water, near Den Helder, was not popular. Only one participant started there.

Starting Places

Friday evening’s start in the twelve starting places around the Marker and IJssel Lake went quietly. Most popular starting place was Stavoren with 62 participants started, which is not surprising with the easterly wind. Hindeloopen was a close second with 48 boats crossing the starting line. Enkhuizen Noord (46) was also popular, as it is every year. In Lelystad Zuid and Den Oever, 33 participants started their 24 hours of sailing.

Sailwise

SailWise’s Beatrix catamaran is participating for the third time in the Coastal Sailors 24 Hour Sail Race. This foundation offers people with physical or sensory disabilities, intellectual disabilities or non-congenital brain injuries multi-day, challenging water sports activities and vacations.

Digital processing of results

Participants’ covered miles can be tracked in real time via the Coast Sailors 24 Hour Sail Race website. During the race, the participants have to enter the digital system immediately after each buoy lap. This is not only for themselves and the other participants, but also for the people at home and the followers. The processing of the results is completely digital. All participants complete the race declaration online, which saves the organization a lot of work after the finish. It is immediately visible how many miles a team has sailed and in which place they finished.

Following the race

Participants can be followed live at www.24uurszeilrace.nl. Facebook also allows home fans and participants to follow the Coast Sailors 24 Hour Sail Race closely. The organization has asked a dozen onboard reporters in various classes to blog live from the cockpit via Facebook about how their race is going and what they are up against. Through photos, videos and live updates, they will let everyone in on their tactical choices, life on board, fatigue and perseverance. In addition, two reporters on shore will cover the race for 24 hours through interviews with participants, videos and live updates via Facebook and the website.

Finish

Saturday evening between approximately 5:30 and 8:00 p.m., all participants will finish en masse off the coast of Medemblik, after which the party on the quay will erupt and last into the wee hours, especially with this beautiful weather. About Kustzeilers 24 Uurs Zeilrace
In 2024, the Nederlandsche Vereeniging van Kustzeilers will organize the Kustzeilers 24 Uurs Zeilrace for the 59th time. The combination of the art of navigation, 24 hours of consecutive sailing, sociability and endurance makes the event still unique and beloved among yacht sailors. The field of participants consists of touring and racing classes. All teams must cover as many nautical miles as possible in a 24-hour period. They may only sail the set courses on the IJsselmeer, Markermeer, Wadden Sea and North Sea twice, so navigation is essential. Besides seaworthiness and endurance of the entire crew, a good interpretation of the weather, sailing area and currents are important factors for the final result. Participation in the Coastal Sailors 24 Hour Sail Race is possible in the race classes ORC Club fullhanded and doublehanded, Round and Flat-bottomed yachts, VKSJ (classic) yachts, as well as in the trip with non-measured cabin sailing yachts. The vast majority of the fleet participates in the trip. The rest divide among the various racing classes. The Kustzeilers 24 Uurs Zeilrace is made possible in part by the following organizations: Nationale Nederlanden, Municipality of Medemblik and media partner Sailing. For more information, see www.24uurszeilrace.nl /// End

Latest tips in the Sailing webinar

On Friday evening, August 30, the 24-Hour Sailing Race kicked off. Sailing organized another webinar prior to the race as a palaver, which you can watch back here. The speakers are race director Klaas Jan Kroon of the Coast Sailors, weatherman Henk Huizinga giving the weather forecast for the weekend and two race participants, Jelmer van Beek and Joost van Loon, talking about their tactics. You will also find helpful links in the link to the webinar for preparation and answers to the Q&A questions. Through the link below you can watch the recording of the webinar of August 28, 2024, 20:00 – 21:30: https://www.zeilen.nl/24uurs-webinar/

Jelmer van Beek: “The 24 Hours was my first night at sea at the time.”

Ten years ago, ocean sailor Jelmer van Beek entered the Coastal Sailors 24 Hour Sail Race for the first time. Back then with the Team Heiner Pups on a MaxFun 35. Since then, Van Beek has sailed the world’s seas and came in second in The Ocean Race VO65 Sprint Cup in 2023 as skipper of the Dutch team JAJO. Still, blood crawls where it can’t go and he now returns as a professional sailor to where night sailing began: the Coastal Sailors 24 Hour Sailing Race. “The 24 Hours was my first night at sea back then,” Van Beek says. He laughs, “That’s actually how my sea sailing career started. It was also the first time I was a little land sick afterwards. Since then I have sailed all kinds of international (sea sailing) races, such as the Fastnet Race, Middle Sea Race, The Ocean Race and the Sydney Hobart. But now I come back to the 24-hour. I sail along on a boat from Scheveningen, the J121 Spitfire of skipper Frederic de Visser.” How did you end up on the Spitfire? “The owner of the J121 had been along on the JAJO once. He then asked if I would like to join the Icicles in a coaching role. I liked that. They are nice people, who really know how to sail the boat. That’s how it started. Last year they sailed races on the Mediterranean, now in the Netherlands. We first compete in the Veronica Race, then the 24 Hours and then the Brown Bank Race. I like all three, but the 24 Hours is my favorite.” Contest of the Year “The crew of the Spitfire has never sailed the 24 Hours before. I told them all how much fun this race is. In competitive sailing you see the numbers of participants decreasing. With the 24 Hours of course also a little bit, but still it is fun to start with four hundred boats on the IJsselmeer. I am really looking forward to it. It’s just fun. Sailing is my profession, but I am also a lover of the sport. If you are a lover, then the 24 Hours is definitely the race of the year on the Dutch racing calendar.” Tips from the pro Asked for tips for other participants, Van Beek replied, “Even though it’s only one night, the unexpected things often happen at night and I think this race again. So you actually have to go to sleep before you get tired. Not four hours of course, but a rack. In addition, you have to prepare well, but that goes for every race. When you get tired, it’s harder to make a good decision. After the start and with the finish line in sight everyone has energy, but in those night hours you win the race.” Favoritism The Spitfire will start in the ORC 1, for which the counter currently stands at eight boats. Last year’s winner, skipper Couperus’ Endorphin, is missing. If conditions are favorable, Van Beek and his team will certainly be on the hunt for the mile record. Van Beek: “I have done quite a bit of puzzling with current times and so on, but I haven’t looked into the competition yet. I think we have one of the faster boats. It’s a nice yacht with good water ballast and Code zero. The approach is to be competitive, though.” 24 Hour webinar Next Wednesday, August 28, Jelmer van Beek will participate as a panelist in the 24 Hour webinar of Sailing. He will then talk with Klaas Jan Kroon, chairman of the 24 Hour Committee, and weatherman Henk Huizinga. If, in preparation for your own Coast Sailors 24 Hour Sail Race, you are interested in learning more about weather and tactics, please still register via this link.

A few more weeks …….

A few more weeks ….

And then we will start off in the 59th Coast Sailors 24 Hour Sail Race. Currently, the number of participating boats stands at more than 320. Registration is still open through August 9 for the low rate and through August 23 for a slightly higher rate. If you have already registered, challenge your fellow sailors to also join this unique race on the IJsselmeer, Markermeer and Waddenzee.

In this newsletter, among other things, we tell you more about the Sailing webinar in preparation for the race, the Sailing Photo taken at the finish of each participating boat. What did they do that made them win? The organization is still looking for onboard reporters to report before and during the 24 Hours. Something for you?

 

Sailing 24 Hour webinar in preparation On Wednesday, August 28 at 8 p.m., Sailing magazine will again host its famous Sailing 24 Hour webinar for all participants. Moderator Geert Folkertsma will discuss the latest race information with race director Klaas Jan Kroon and with weatherman Henk Huizinga the weather forecast for Friday, August 30 and Saturday, August 31. Three panelists, including Ocean Race skipper Jelmer van Beek, talk about their tactics and preparations for the race. Is the new starting location Den Helder, on the Wadden Sea, a favorable starting point? We’re going to hear about it in the webinar. Using statements, we’ll learn what the panelists are doing ahead of the race. Listeners can actively participate through the chat feature. The webinar is free, participants go first and full is full. Sign up at https://www.zeilen.nl/webinars.

Sail your team into the spotlight for Sailing Photo!

All participating boats will be photographed at the finish line by Vaarfoto. Participants will receive this for free as a cover photo after the race. Sail your team into the spotlight and get a nice souvenir of the 59th Coast Sailors 24 Hour Sail Race. Go for a cool action photo or a playful team photo! Included in the participant package is a photo pennant. This is a gift from the organization of the magazine Sailing and insurer Nationale Nederlanden. If you hoist this photo pennant before you start, you will be photographed by professional photographers. The photographers are present at several locations on the IJsselmeer and, of course, also at the finish line in front of Medemblik harbor. After the race a unique cover will be made of each finish photo. You can download that photo for free from vaarfoto.nl/cover. During the event you can also take your own photos of other boats with a photo pennant in the rigging. You can share these photos on Vaarfoto.nl so that all participants receive as many photos as possible of their boat under sail. In short, hoist the photo pennant and receive a beautiful photo of your team and boat under sail!

Onboard reporters wanted

Would you like to report live on the goings-on on board during the Coast Sailors 24 Hour Sail Race? Let the people at home sail along virtually and report from the boat about the race, the team, the tactical decisions, the food, the fatigue and especially the fun you are having on board. Writing, photographing or filming, anything goes. Through social media we keep interested parties informed about the race and the participating teams, we are still looking for onboard reporters. If you would like to report live during the race, please register at https://www.facebook.com/24UursZeilrace. The more teams, the more fun it is for the home front. Don’t think “I can’t do that,” anyone can photograph or film with a smartphone. Send us a pb and we’ll make you editor of our Facebook page.

About Coastal Sailors 24 Hour Sail Race

In 2024, the Nederlandsche Vereeniging van Kustzeilers will organize the Coastal Sailors 24 Hour Sail Race for the 59th time. The combination of navigational skill, 24 hours of consecutive sailing, sociability and endurance makes the event still unique and beloved by sailors. The start takes place on Friday evening, August 30, from 13 starting ports around IJsselmeer, Markermeer and Waddenzee. And the (massive) finish is on Saturday evening, August 31, in Medemblik. The field of participants consists of touring and racing classes. Participation in the Kustzeilers 24 Uurs Zeilrace is possible in the competition classes ORC Club fullhanded and doublehanded, Round and Flat-bottomed yachts, VKSJ (classic) yachts, as well as in the tour with non-measured cabin sailing yachts (including flatboats and multihulls). The vast majority of the fleet participates in the trip. The rest divide among the various racing classes. The 59th Kustzeilers 24 Uurs Zeilrace is made possible in part by the following organizations: Nationale Nederlanden, Gemeente Medemblik, Mediapartner Zeilen and many enthusiastic support companies.

Subscribe now

Meanwhile, there are already more than 300 registrations. Not yet registered? Then register now at www.24uurszeilrace.nl. Until August 9, the low entry fee applies and after that the entry fee goes up and the final closing is on August 23 at 11:59 pm. Again this year there are very nice prizes for the winners in the race classes and the best performances in the draft class made by Jantine Kroeze.

Crew Clothing

Due to the great success, we have had to close the webshop because the available clothing is sold out.

 

We wish everyone another very happy summer (vacation) with lots of great sailing hours to be well prepared for the start on August 30.

 

Aug. 28 Sailing webinar 24 Hours in preparation

Sailing is again hosting a webinar prior to the upcoming 24 Hours as palaver, on Wednesday, August 28 at 8 p.m. The speakers are race director Klaas Jan Kroon of the Coast Sailors, weatherman Henk Huizinga who will give the weather forecast for the weekend and some race participants who will talk about their tactics. Are you participating or interested in the 24 Hours? Then sign up for the webinar via the link below. Full is full and participants go first. Sign up for the webinar: https://www.zeilen.nl/webinars/

Boundaries are pushed together!

Coastal Sailors 24 Hour Sailing Race also for people with disabilities!

This year the wheelchair-accessible catamaran the Beatrix will sail in the Coastal Sailors 24 Hour Sail Race for the third time! Also this year the crew of the ship consists of people with and without disabilities. For example, people steer the ship from their wheelchairs and a sailor with a visual impairment acts as a helmsman. Using the special relief maps of the IJsselmeer, she can also help with navigation.

Boundaries are pushed together!

The Beatrix catamaran is one of SailWise’s vessels, which is celebrating its anniversary this year.

For 50 years this Enkhuizer foundation has been organizing active water sports vacations for people with disabilities. The motto of this lustrum is “You push boundaries together!” And that is exactly what we also aim for with our participation in this 24-hour race. “The adventurous enthusiasm and determination of the crew shows, that limitations set no limits to the passion for sailing,” says skipper Ton Vervest. “During our regular sailing trips, we do no different. People discover at SailWise that they can do much more than they think. No matter how light or heavy your disability is, we always find a way for you to participate 100%, ” says Ton.

Sailing with a disability

The Beatrix is a remarkable ship, fully adapted for people with disabilities. Among other things, the ship is equipped with a joystick for people with impaired hand function and a hydraulic platform so that people in wheelchairs can also steer the ship.

New genoa for the Beatrix

With its participation, SailWise wants to show how much is possible in water sports for people with disabilities. In addition, skipper Ton hopes that the crews of other ships participating in the 24-hour race will become enthusiastic to volunteer to join a SailWise water sports vacation next year. Because only with the help of some 300 volunteers a year can SailWise continue to organize the water sports trips. Want to know more about this? Go to https://sailwise.nl/nl/vrijwilligers And finally, the foundation desperately needs financial support. The Beatrix urgently needs a new genoa. Help out so the Beatrix can participate in the 24-hour race next year with a new headsail and go to https://sailwise.voorfondsgehandicaptensport.nl/project/doneer-voor-een-nieuwe-genua.

The first 100 registrations are in

On Friday evening, August 30, at 7 p.m., the 59th edition of the Coast Sailors 24 Hour Sail Race will start. Since May 1, registration has been open. Already 104 participants have registered! Look for the list of participants at https://24uurszeilrace.nl/deelnemerslijst/

Not registered yet? You can still do so at www.24uurszeilrace.nl.

Crew apparel

No matter what category you start in, team apparel is always functional and nice to have. Moreover, it is a nice memento of your joint adventure on the water. This year, in cooperation with Magic Marine, beautiful crew clothing can again be ordered with your own boat name on the back. There is a choice of Crew Polo, Crew shirt (long sleeve) or Crew Softshell jacket. Order your own crew clothing via https://24uurszeilrace.nl/winkel/

Supporter companies

The 24 Hours can only be organized with the support of sponsors and supporter companies. You too can become a supporter of the 24 Hours! For a contribution of € 500, – you get a nice package of benefits, such as logo on the website, 1/4 page ad in the result booklet, visibility on the quay of Medemblik etc. See for more information https://24uurszeilrace.nl/product/sponsor-worden/

Do you know the history of the 24 Hour Sailing Race?

What started in 1950 as a trial and in 1965 was issued as the first official 24 Uurs Zeilrace, has grown into the largest event for cabin sailing yachts in the Netherlands. An event that can no longer be ignored in patriotic sailing.

In 1950, the Coast Sailors organized the first 24 Hour Sail Race, initially only for its own members. Twenty-two yachts participated. Due to lack of wind, only two participants managed to finish in regulation, C. Kaars Sijpensteijn won with the Starnakel, A. Conijn was second with the Femmy. Especially the fact that only two boats finished made the board think. They thought that because of the windlessness there was too big an element of chance and the board postponed a next edition. In subsequent years, there were occasional attempts to organize the race again, but it was not until 1965 that it became an annual event. De Kustzeilers sought cooperation with the local water sports club in Medemblik and to this day, this IJsselmeer town is the finish port.

The idea for the 24 Hours originally came from Sweden. The Swenska Kryssarklubben organized 24 and 48 Hour “Crusades” in 1947 with great success. The concept is the same; in 24 or 48 hours cover as many miles as possible between self-selected raks. Of which each rake may only be sailed twice. Those who finish late receive penalty miles. In those days, skippers had to keep a journal of the marks they rounded, the forerunner of the on-line declaration. These “crusades” proved to be good learning schools in seamanship, navigation, meteorology and getting to know the characteristics of crew and ship. England and Denmark adopted the idea in 1949, and the Netherlands followed a year later.

The first official 24 Hours in 1965 had pleasant sailing weather, with moderate winds, but with a piece of venom in the tail in the form of rain showers and strong winds. In 1965 L. Weisfeld with the Salacia won the Radbout Cup, the overall prize in the RORC class. G. Jorritsma’s Spes Mostra won the 24 Hour Challenge Cup in the Round and Flatboat class. The foundation was laid for an annual event full of sailing challenges.

The formula of the 24 Hours has not changed in all these years. The organization did expand the number of starting places to 14 and in the seventies there were also races on the Wadden and North Sea. The dike between Enkhuizen and Lelystad is permanently closed in 1975. For passing through the lock, participants receive compensation time. The 24 Hours quickly gained popularity and the number of participants grew each year. The peak was reached with more than 800 participants, after which there was a period of decline. Nowadays also duohanded sailors sail in the ORC and the number of participating boats is on average around 400. For many participants, the massive entry into the harbor of Medemblik is still a highlight of the 24 Hours. Thereby the sailors are welcomed by enthusiastic crowds ashore.

Read the whole story about the history of the 24 Hours at https://24uurszeilrace.nl/historie-van-de-24-uurs-zeilrace/

About Coastal Sailors 24 Hour Sail Race

In 2024, the Nederlandsche Vereeniging van Kustzeilers will organize the Coastal Sailors 24 Hour Sail Race for the 59th time. The combination of navigational skill, 24 hours of consecutive sailing, sociability and endurance makes the event still unique and beloved by sailors. The start takes place on Friday evening, August 30, from 13 starting ports around IJsselmeer, Markermeer and Waddenzee. And the (massive) finish is on Saturday evening, August 31, in Medemblik. The field of participants consists of touring and racing classes. Participation in the Kustzeilers 24 Uurs Zeilrace is possible in the competition classes ORC Club fullhanded and doublehanded, Round and Flat-bottomed yachts, VKSJ (classic) yachts, as well as in the tour with non-measured cabin sailing yachts (including flatboats and multihulls). The vast majority of the fleet participates in the trip. The rest divide among the various racing classes.

The 59th Coast Sailors 24 Hour Sail Race is made possible by the following organizations, among others: Nationale Nederlanden, Gemeente Medemblik, Mediapartner Zeilen and many enthusiastic support companies.

Subscribe now

We hope to see everyone at the start on Friday, August 30, and welcome them to Medemblik after 24 hours of sailing. Register from May 1 at www.24uurszeilrace.nl. We wish everyone a very fine sailing season with lots of great sailing hours to be well prepared at the start on August 30.

Meld je aan voor onze nieuwsbrief en ontvang tips & tricks en 24uurs updates!

Contact
Organization

Crew shirts
Tips & tricks

Sponsors
Coastal Sailors

Facebook
Twitter

Website by: