Sports in Aruba

After the rules were explained by James Kiley, Divi Links’ amiable Golf Pro, spirits were high as 46 fun-loving golfers departed in their carts at 9:30 am on Saturday, September 5, to take part in the Aruba Gastronomic Association’s 1st Annual Golf Tournament.

Conceived by Hubert Solagnier of Amazonia, AGA’s former President and avid golfer, this event celebrates the 16th year of AGA, the island’s well-known restaurant association representing more than 25 member establishments.  The Aruba Gastronomic Association is committed to excellence in service and product; restaurants are routinely visited by mystery shoppers and undergo kitchen inspections to ensure a quality dining experience.

Undaunted by blazing sun and soaring temperatures, refreshed by sponsors AWA (Tropical Bottling Company) and Polar/Polar Ice (Tec), colleagues, friends and visitors thoroughly enjoyed this two-person scramble 18-hole tournament that featured various categories of play.  Winners were announced at the jovial closing party at Mulligan’s, complemented by Aruba Trading Company’s Johnny Walker and fine wines, and catered by Amazonia (finger lickin’ chicken and ribs), Aqua Grill (delicious tuna tataki) and Buccaneer (jumbo shrimp and tenderloin kebobs).

AGA extends special thanks to all of these sponsors as well as the companies below who provided the generous prizes for the top golfers of the day. Appreciation also is extended to Divi Links staff for all their assistance in making AGA’s 1st annual Golf Tournament a rousing success.  No doubt this event will become an annual tradition!

Winners
1st Place Nett:  2 night/3 day stay Manchebo Beach Resort and Spa, and weekend stay La Cabana Beach & Racquet Club
- ‘George Wong/ Nigel Nedd’

2nd Place Nett:  $100 Gift Certificate Aqua Grill and $ 100 Gift Certificate Texas de Brazil
- ‘Cisco Quant / Patrick Haime’

3rd Place Nett:  Dinner for 2 French Steak House/ Manchebo Beach Resort, and Dinner for 2 The Pirates Nest,
Bucuti Beach Resort - ‘Mike Delisle / Maurice Delisle’

1st Place Gross:  2 night stay for 2 Westin Aruba and 2 night/ 3 day stay Hyatt Regency Aruba
- ‘Ray Perez / Harold Hagens’

2nd Place Gross:  $100 Gift Certificate Pure Beach/ Divi Aruba Phoenix and $ 100 Gift Certificate at Sunset Grille/ Radisson Aruba Resort - ‘Henrick Helman / Leslie Cook’

Closest to the Pin:
Hole #5- ‘Brian Reeve’ - $75 gift certificate Driftwood
Hole #7- ‘Herbie Tromp’ - Nokia 1650 cell phone from Setar

Longest Drive:
Hole #6- ‘Angela Pochettino’ - Massage at Mandara Spa

The first Aruba Rembrandt Regatta took place on August 14 – 16, featuring three days of fun, action and competitions among yachts, beach catamarans and sunfish, complemented by nightly festivities at Café Rembrandt.  The program included an around-the-island race for cruising and racing yachts.  More than 37 sailing vessels and a host of national and international competitors signed up, ranging in age from 16-year-old Marc Rooijakkers of the Rafaga to 79-year-old Ernie Kervel of the Ocean 505.

Variable wind conditions created some exciting and hectic moments. From Curacao, the D-Trip of Sergey Boer was victorious in the Racing Class, finishing at just over 5-1/2 hours, while the Venus Callipyge of Hans van der Straaten took first in the Cruising Class.  The Aruban captains, however, were strong competitors; the Tranquilo of Anthony Hagedoorn and the Eva Luna of Eric Mijts, regatta organizer, came in second overall in the two categories.  Third place was taken by Team Ibis of Curacao’s Karel van Haren and Italy’s Paolo Grazzini with his Supermario and almost-all-female crew.

Sharing in the fun, Theo Valize took first place in beach cats; Ramon Kervel in sunfish.  Windsurfers were out in full force as well; Amanda Westera in New Kids; Mack van der Eerenbeemt in Super Kids; and Nicole van der Velden in Pro Kids were the winners.

All photos: Paul van Driel

At the recent 2009 Professional Windsurfers Association (PWA) Grand Slam in Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, Sarah-Quita Offringa, the 18-year-old women’s world champion hailing from Aruba, again wowed spectators.  Sailing her best heat of the year, described as flawless in her execution of the most recent and technically demanding moves, she was crowned the 2009 PWA Women’s Freestyle World Champion for the second year in a row.  Sarah-Quita still holds a perfect record of not losing a heat since the start of the season in 2008.   “I am happy that I was able to retain my title during the competitions in the Canary Islands.  Most of all, I am happy to represent Aruba at these events.  It’s a wonderful small island that I want people to know more about,” she explains.

A few days later, Sarah-Quita (Starboard/NeilPryde) made a name for herself in the competitive world of slalom as well, taking second place in Alacati, Turkey, at the Women’s Pegasus Airlines World Cup (August 10 – 15).  With a sensational victory in race eight, this young star claimed the “sailor of the day” award; she controlled the race from start to finish and kept her nerve, despite immense pressure from the leader.

Known on the windsurfing circuit as “the girl with big hair,” Sarah-Quita Offringa was victorious in 2008 in all of the three Canary Islands competitions, without losing one heat.  This makes her the youngest ever PWA Women’s Freestyle champion.  In 2007, she took first place at the PWA Women’s Freestyle competition in Lanzarote, was tied for first in the Canary Islands competition, and took second in Fuerteventura in the Grand Slam.  She set the world record in 2006 as the youngest woman to win a gold medal in the Women’s Freestyle Competition during the second leg of the Professional Windsurfers Association (PWA) World Tour.  At age 15, she was awarded the coveted title of Rookie of the Year in an upset victory in the Canary Islands, making her the sweetheart of the European press.

Afgelopen zaterdag werd voor de vierde keer de Aruba BurgGolf Finale gehouden in Purmerend. Dit was de afsluitende wedstrijd van 14. Er werd gestreden om kwalificatie van het Nederlandse team voor het Pro Am Tournament op Aruba komende augustus. Na een uitdagende 18-holes baan te hebben gespeeld werd bekendgemaakt welke beste vier spelers, samen met een pro, naar het zonnige eiland zullen afreizen.

De gelukkige winnaars zijn, van 1 t/m 4:  W. Cheng, K. van Rinsum, H. Smeeman, A. Arends. Zij mogen deelnemen aan het Aruba International Pro Am Tournament van 20 tot 24 augustus. Voor de golfers die geen reis wonnen, waren er informatie-leaflets verkrijgbaar over hoe er toch deelgenomen kan worden aan dit toernooi op Aruba (zie bijlage), daarnaast waren er uiteraard verschillende brochures over Aruba en haar golfbanen Tierra del Sol en Links at Divi te verkrijgen.

Over Aruba BurgGolf Tournament
De Aruba BurgGolf Tournament wedstrijden zijn door het hele land gespeeld van 14 maart tot 1 juni, op de golfbanen Gendersteijn, Haverleij, Emmen, Zoetermeer, Wijchen, St. Nicolaasga en  Purmerend. Het Tournament was toegankelijk voor zowel clubleden als LoyalTee leden en er werd gespeeld met een maximale handicap van 24. Per wedstrijd gingen de beste vier spelers door naar de finale. Jaap Ellis van het Arubaanse Verkeersbureau: ‘Ik ben zeer tevreden over het verloop van het toernooi en ik ben ervan overtuigd dat de golfmogelijkheden op Aruba nu nog beter bekend zijn onder de golfers doelgroep’. Het is nog mogelijk om met het Nederlandse team mee te reizen naar Aruba, ABC Travel is de officiële touroperator voor dit toernooi.

Voor meer informatie: www.burggolf.nl/aruba en www.abctravel.nl

National Beach Tennis Event

Eagle Beach (across from Le Dome)

Events include: Beach Tennis, Beach Vollyball, Wind & Kite Surfing Race, Bar, Grill, DJ’s
To register visit: www.arubabeachtennis.com

Click on image to enlarge

Due to the resorts’ picturesque tropical beachfront setting and variety of dining and activity choices, the Divi & Tamarijn Aruba All Inclusives has been selected as the official host venue of this year’s New England Patriots Cheerleaders exclusive swimsuit calendar shoot.

The photo shoot will be taking place from Friday April 24th to Friday May 1, 2009 at both the Divi Aruba and the Tamarijn Aruba, located just steps apart.  These all-inclusive, oceanfront sister properties are situated on a wide stretch of sandy beach facing the sparkling turquoise Caribbean Sea, making them an ideal backdrop for stunning photos.

Over the course of the week, the Cheerleaders will be participating in various activities throughout the resorts with fans who have booked their trip with TNT Vacations as part of the Celebrity Come Along program.  Activities range from beach volleyball to private dinners and cocktail parties to autograph sessions and special dance performances taking place within the resorts.  Anyone booking the trip will have full use of the Divi & Tamarijn Aruba’s 10 dining options, three swimming pools and wide range of activities available all inclusive to guests of both resorts.

Located just ten minutes from the airport and five minutes from Aruba’s capital city, Oranjestad, the Divi & Tamarijn Aruba All Inclusive resorts are set on beautiful Druif Beach, with a shopping arcade and the Alhambra Casino nearby.  Guests staying at either the AAA 3-Diamond Divi Aruba or the adjacent, oceanfront Tamarijn Aruba have use of all facilities and services of both properties.  All stays at the Divi & Tamarijn Aruba include all meals and snacks at a choice of ten dining options, unlimited beverages at seven bars, the use of three freshwater pools, a wide range of activities including non-motorized watersports and nightly entertainment and offer a variety of packages.  In addition, all guests may use the well-equipped Divi Winds Sports Center, which features a 30-foot outdoor rock-climbing wall on the beach.

William Sunnucks and Simon Farren (GBR) climbed into third position overall on the fifth day of the Aruba Heineken Catamaran Regatta. Two out of three scheduled races were sailed, as a heavy tropical rain shower came with poor visibility in the morning. Once it cleared up, the wind increased to 14-18 knots and the fleet enjoyed the stronger conditions. Dutchmen Booth/Nieuwenhuis took again two bullets and are already unbeatable for the overall victory. Mischa Heemskerk and Eduard Zanen (NED) scored an early start (OCS) and second. They remain in second position on the leader board with one more race to go.

Martinair Race – OCS & Miscounting legs
“We do win, but we definitely have to work hard for it”, said Pim Nieuwenhuis after six bullets out of nine. “We started badly in the last race and had to work ourselves through the fleet. There are enough options on the course, which is good. It is a percentage game. If you make less mistakes than the others, you will come first.” They do dominate the competition, but Nieuwenhuis still likes the battle: “There are some good teams and every time there is another one fighting for the lead, like John Casey (USA) and Jorden Veenman (NED) in the second heat.” Casey and Veenman were in the lead for three laps and finished third, but back on the beach they found out about their OCS. Xander Pols and Frank de Waard (NED) miscounted the number of legs and carried on for a sixth one, which cost them their third podium position.

Eventful starts for Heemskerk/Zanen
Eduard Zanen and Mischa Heemskerk commenced with an OCS and blew the next start. Zanen: “We hit the pin-end and had to take a penalty. We were forced to continue on port-tack and were eleventh at the top mark. By gibing and tacking in the pressure, we were able to come back in the leading pack.” The last year’s winners finished second. Zanen: “The top is broader this time. There are at least six teams interfering in the battle for podium places.”

Honored by ATA
On Wednesday evening, the Aruba Tourism Authority honored Willie van der Heijden (NED) for coming to the island for the tenth time in row. Van der Heijden: “The atmosphere is still great and I enjoy the sailing here. The Aruba Regatta is very well organized, which makes me coming back every year.” Van der Heijden and his crew Arthur Moerman are racing a Nacra 20, but in 2009 they will return with a F18. Van der Heijden: “Let’s see how that goes.” Leo Ambtman (NED) already received the award, officially presented by the ATA. He only missed three editions of the Aruba Heineken Catamaran Regatta out of eighteen. Ambtman: “I was there at the first Aruba Regatta ever. Over the years, the concept stayed the same. It is about racing in paradise, but the level has improved. I never have enough of this event.”

Almost 6,000 euro for Right to Play
“The lottery raised 1,400 euro and the auction about 1,500 euro”, said Vladimir Voute (NED) proudly. He and his colleague Meriam Winterink organizes the fund-raising event within four weeks. “It is heartwarming how everybody offered prizes. Our employer Atos Origin will double this amount, so that will make it 5,975 euro. We are very happy with this result.” According to the initiators, most tickets were sold during happy hour. “Meanwhile, we showed a special video message of silver medalist Annemieke Bes.” The action was associated with an imaginary case, called ‘Passion for Kassy’. Kassy represents a boy in Sudan, who wants to play and practice sports with his boyfriends. “The money goes to his village.”

Top five <105 fleet (35 entries) after nine races and two discards:
1. NED – Booth/Nieuwenhuis, F18 Hobie Tiger, 8 points
2. NED – Zanen/Heemskerk, F18 Hobie Tiger, 16 points
3. GBR – Sunnucks/Farren, F18 Nacra Infusion 23 points
4. NED – Pols/De Waard, F18 Nacra Infusion, 24 points
5. GBR – Gummer/Bogaards, F18 Capricorn, 32 points

Top three >105 fleet (6 entries) after nine races and two discards:
1. ARU – Van der Velden/Van der Velden, Dart 18, 9 points
2. AUT – Thomasch/Westera, Dart 18, 13 points
3. ARU – Grijpma/Hankart, Dart 18, 15 points

The Aruba Catamaran Regatta is sponsored by Heineken, Aruba (ATA), Martinair, Hapag Lloyd, Holiday Inn, Setar, AWA, Coca Cola, TNG, Does & Cadushi, Aruba Aloe, Palmtours, Aruba Watersports Center, Atlantis, Pelican Nest, Moomba Beach, Zwitserleven and Alfons de Letter.

It was a concentration game on the fourth day of the Aruba Heineken Catamaran Regatta. The light and variable breeze caused big gains and losses on the course. The sailors had to be very cautious, as the tactics changed all the time. Menno Vercauteren and Jaap Straakenbroek (NED) won the morning race and climbed on the leader board. Mischa Heemskerk and Eduard Zanen took the bullet in the semi-long distance in the afternoon. Mitch Booth and Pim Nieuwenhuis scored two seconds and are still leading.

Zwitserleven Race: Last-minute gains
This Wednesday morning started calmly on the Aruba beach. The conditions were light and the sailors did not seem to be in a hurry, after a lay-day full of activities. They took their time to get dressed while swimming in the Caribbean Sea. But once they were out, the heat was on and the sixth race of the series saw a new winner. Menno Vercauteren and Jaap Straatenbroek pushed the accelerator hard and played the game well. They slowly worked their way up to the front and got there at the very end. Vercauteren: “We finally beat Mischa and Eduard in the last beat. Close to the top mark along the coast, they tacked off early and sailed straight into a header. We carried on and tacked on the lay-line. We gibed straight after the mark and picked up the breeze, whereas Mischa continued to the right side of the course into less pressure.” Vercauteren and Straakenbroek had a big lead, even after the penalty they had to take just before the finish. “It was so exciting”, said Vercauteren with a big smile.

Despite its bad start at the boat end, Team Zwitserleven came back strongly and finished second. Nieuwenhuis: “In the first beat we had every shift wrong, but after that we got them all right. We avoided the corners and went through the middle to leave all options open. That gives you the possibility to play the shifts.” Booth and Nieuwenhuis normally prefer the big winds, but today they showed their skills in the light conditions. Nieuwenhuis: “We don’t mind these circumstances as long as there are many tactical options on the course. Today it was about the tactics, more than boat speed.” The Olympic duo passed Heemskerk/Zanen in the last meters before the finish.

Semi-long distance: The tables are turned
Fortunately, the breeze was strong enough for the traditional semi- long distance race in the afternoon. The fleet had to round a top mark first, where after it set course to the southern point of Aruba, passing a reef and small islands. The 41 catamarans returned through the tricky lagoon in the shadow of Oranjestad and the airport. The differences in pressure and wind direction were significant, which was hard on the crews.

Mischa Heemskerk and Eduard Zanen (NED) were first at the upwind buoy. Heemskerk: “Initially we stayed close to the shore, whereas Mitch and Pim gibed away and chose for the seaside.” The two of them battled it out all the way to the entrance of the lagoon. Booth and Nieuwenhuis were leading at that point and extended the gap. On the way back to the last mark before the finish, the two front runners came together again. Heemskerk: “We sailed above Mitch in a good breeze, so he tacked and crossed us at the stern. We continued and benefited from a shift to the left. That is where we got him.” Sander de Boer and Mischa de Munck finished third. De Boer: “We gained a lot on the reach, by switching quickly in the variable wind. It was a great race.”

Small fleet: Troubles for leader
“We did alright this morning, but we had some troubles in the afternoon”, said Dart 18 sailor Martin van der Velden. He and his daughter Nicole are leading the small fleet. “We could not get the boat into the groove, until we found out why. In the lagoon we noticed that one hull was dislocated by 3 cm, so we pushed it back as hard as we could. Fortunately, we managed to overtake Henk, so we finished second.” Manfred Thomasch and Amanda Westera took both bullets.

Right to Play
It rained prizes in the afternoon at the Holiday Inn Beach Party. Not to reward the sailing performances, but to collect money for the Right to Play foundation. This event was initiated by team Vladimir Voute and Meriam Winterink (NED). All sponsored items were sold by auction or raffled. The final return will be doubled by Atos Origin, the employer of Voute.

Top five <105 fleet (35 entries) after seven races and a discard:
1. NED – Booth/Nieuwenhuis, F18 Hobie Tiger, 8 points
2. NED – Zanen/Heemskerk, F18 Hobie Tiger, 14 points
3. NED – Pols/De Waard, F18 Nacra Infusion, 21 points
4. GBR – Sunnucks/Farren, F18 Nacra Infusion, 25 points
5. GBR – Gummer/Bogaards, F18 Capricorn, 29 points

Top three >105 fleet (6 entries) after seven races and a discard:
1. ARU – Van der Velden/Van der Velden, Dart 18, 8 points
2. ARU – Grijpma/Hankart, Dart 18, 14 points
3. AUT – Thomasch/Westera, Dart 18, 17 points

The Aruba Catamaran Regatta is sponsored by Heineken, Aruba (ATA), Martinair, Hapag Lloyd, Holiday Inn, Setar, AWA, Coca Cola, TNG, Does & Cadushi, Aruba Aloe, Palmtours, Aruba Watersports Center, Atlantis, Pelican Nest, Moomba Beach, Zwitserleven and Alfons de Letter.

On Monday November 17 2008, Mitch Booth and Pim Nieuwenhuis extended their lead at the Aruba Heineken Catamaran Regatta. The Dutchmen took both bullets in again tricky sailing conditions on the Caribbean Sea. Pols/De Waard and Zanen/Heemskerk are tied on ten points, with Pols/De Waard still in second position. It was old style racing today, as the race committee decided to go for a tri-angle course.

This morning, big black clouds hang above the southern point of Aruba. As the fleet sailed out for the first race, it started raining and the wind was very gusty. By the time thunder and lightning came closer, all boats were sent back to the beach. That allowed the sailors to adjust some settings on the boat, to have a chat with others or to just have a siesta nap. During lunchtime the sky cleared up and the variable breeze filled in (10-12 knots). Finally, the Setar and Martinair Races could be sailed.

Booth: ‘Fun course with interesting tactics’
“Well, it is the other way around”, said Mitch Booth about sailing the former Olympic course. “This afternoon, we went clockwise and it used to be anti-clockwise in the old days. It has been a long time ago, since I rounded the marks on starboard.” The competitors had to do two tri-angles and a sausage. “It was a fun and small course with interesting tactics. The conditions were tricky, which you can expect from easterly trade winds at the leeside of an island. There was so much to gain and lose on the downwind along the coast.” Booth and Nieuwenhuis had a big lead at the first top mark in race one, but stayed a bit too long close to the shore. Pols/De Waard and Zanen/Heemskerk closed the gap by choosing the seaside. However, Booth and Nieuwenhuis maintained their winning position.

New F18
Despite sailing a 2005 Hobie Tiger, Team Zwitserleven is still competitive. Booth: “It is a 15 year old design, but it goes alright.” Meanwhile Booth and Nieuwenhuis are part of the design team of the new Hobie F18. Booth: “We are spending a lot of time to get all the details perfectly right. There are some good guys involved, such as Bundy, Ashby, Mourniac and Citeau. Pretty much everything is new and there are no compromises, since it might last for another fifteen years.” This summer, the Olympic duo caused heavy discussions by introducing the Code Zero to the Tornado class. However, this sail won’t appear on the new F18. Booth laughs: “It is not allowed by the rules.”

Pols: “Experience pays”
During the first three days of close competition, Xander Pols and Frank de Waard showed a consistent performance with only top four results. Today’s score is a fourth and second, which keeps them in second position overall. Former overall winner Pols: “I like the changeable weather at the moment. I think the experience with Aruba and the sailing pays in these circumstances. It feels good to battle with top sailors as Mitch and Mischa. Coming back from a fifth to a second place in the last race is fantastic. We never teamed up before, so I am very pleased with our performance.” Pols and De Waard are about 20 kilogram heavier than their competitors, which is an advantage going upwind. Pols: “We are slower downwind though, but the beat takes twice as long, so that is good.”

Small class adventure
The small class with six slower catamarans is dominated by the local kids. Father Martin and daughter Nicole van der Velden started the series with a disqualification, but took revenge by winning all following races. The Grijpma brothers and helmsman Henk-Johan Hankart are in a comfortable second position. Sil Grijpma (11) about his adventure of the day: “The dose dived into the water and I flew around the forestay. That had never happened before.” Amanda Westera, crewing for Manfred Thomasch (AUT), is third overall: “My mom replaces me in the mornings, while I am at school.” Both youngsters will participate at the Dart 18 Worlds 2009 on their home island Aruba.

Top five
1. NED – Booth/Nieuwenhuis, F18 Hobie Tiger, 4 points
2. NED – Pols/De Waard, F18 Nacra Infusion, 10 points
3. NED – Zanen/Heemskerk, F18 Hobie Tiger, 10 points
4. GBR – Sunnuck/Farren, F18 Nacra Infusion, 17 points
5. GBR – Gummer/Bogaards, F18 Capricorn, 19 points

Top three >105 fleet (6 entries) after five races and one discard:
1. ARU – Van der Velden/Van der Velden, Dart 18, 4 points
2. ARU – Grijpma/Hankart, Dart 18, 8 points
3. AUT – Thomasch/Westera, Dart 18, 15 points

The Aruba Catamaran Regatta is sponsored by Heineken, Aruba (ATA), Martinair, Hapag Lloyd, Holiday Inn, Setar, AWA, Coca Cola, TNG, Does & Cadushi, Aruba Aloe, Palmtours, Aruba Watersports Center, Atlantis, Pelican Nest, Moomba Beach, Zwitserleven and Alfons de Letter.

On the second day of the Aruba Heineken Catamaran Regatta 2008, the fleet of 41 teams had to deal with tricky sailing conditions on the Caribbean Sea. From time to time, big clouds brought rain showers and gusts. That resulted in a shifty and variable breeze, which made it an interesting competition. Dutchmen Booth and Nieuwenhuis are still in the lead by one point, with Xander Pols and Frank de Waard (NED) in second position. Last year’s winners Eduard Zanen and Mischa Heemskerk (NED) climbed to a third place. Henk-Johan Hankart and the Grijpma brothers are first overall in the fleet of slower catamarans.

Today’s weather required a lot more trimming and smart racing. The winning strategy was about getting the shifts and pressure right. Sunburned legs and arms had a rest, as it was mostly clouded. The morning breeze was about 8 knots strong, but in the afternoon it picked up to 16 knots and more. During lunchtime on the Aruba beach, the competitors could share their experiences and reconsider their tactics. Or simply enjoy the Aruba hospitality. Late afternoon, they decided to have their happy hour in sea, as the rain was pouring down in a tropical shower.

Race 2 - Going left pays
“We had to fight all race long”, said Mischa Heemskerk with a smile. He and his helmsman Eduard Zanen had a close battle with Xander Pols and Frank de Waard. Heemskerk: “I saw good pressure on the right sight of the course, so we started near the starting boat. Unfortunately, we had no room to tack and had to carry on. It looked really bad, but we managed to stay with the front runners. We pushed hard downwind and were second at the gate. In the next beat, we grabbed the lead by going to the left.” Pols and De Waard did the same and climbed to the second position. Both front runners fought for every meter. De Waard: “In the third beat, we went a bit further left than Mischa, which was our winning move.”

Crewing for the F18 World Champion
Jacques Visser and his son Thijs Visser (NED) recovered well from a bad start and finished third. Thijs (19): “We were forced to tack to the right, where we picked up a cloud with a good breeze. That was our luck.” This is their last regatta as a family team, as Thijs will move on to a new challenge. Next season, he will crew for the current F18 World Champion Coen de Koning (NED). “I am very excited about it, as it is a big step forwards for me. It gives me the chance to learn a lot and to compete on the highest level”, said Thijs Visser.

Race 3 – Shorter course
After a relaxing lunch break, the third starting gun was fired at about 2:45 PM. The race committee decided to shorten the course, so the fast cats had to do three laps and the slower boats two. That was one less that in the previous races. Booth: “That made the first beat very important.” He got it right and was in the lead from the beginning until the end. That battle for the second and third place was full on. The British duo William Sunnucks and Simon Farren was fifth at the first top mark and overtook three boats on the following run. It looked like a comfortable second position, but Heemskerk/Zanen became a threat again. Sunnucks: “On the last full beat, Mischa went left and made a huge gain. He came into second place, but dropped down to a third.” Sunnucks and Farren benefited from the final shift and kept their competitors.

In the evening, the sailors and families enjoyed the tasty barbeque at Moomba Beach. Tomorrow is going to be a big day, as three races are scheduled.

Top five <105 vloot (35 entries) after three races:
1. NED – Booth/Nieuwenhuis, F18 Hobie Tiger, 7 points
2. NED – Pols/De Waard, F18 Nacra Infusion, 8 points
3. NED – Zanen/Heemskerk, F18 Hobie Tiger, 10 points
4. GBR – Gummer/Bogaards, F18 Capricorn, 13 points
4. NED – Visser/Visser, F18 Capricorn, 15 points

Top three >105 vloot (6 entries) after three races:
1. ARU – Grijpma/Hankart, Dart 18, 5 points
2. ARU – Van der Velden/Van der Velden, Dart 18, 10 points
3. ARU – Grijpma/Van Galen, Hobie Tiger, 12 points

The Aruba Catamaran Regatta is sponsored by Heineken, Aruba (ATA), Martinair, Hapag Lloyd, Holiday Inn, Setar, AWA, Coca Cola, TNG, Does & Cadushi, Aruba Aloe, Palmtours, Aruba Watersports Center, Atlantis, Pelican Nest, Moomba Beach, Zwitserleven and Alfons de Letter.