Dutch Youth Regatta 2025 – Day 2 Report (May 30)
Sunshine, strong breeze, and standout performances
Day 2 of DYR 2025 brought us a classic Oosterschelde combo: strong wind, rolling swell, and a golden sun overhead. The friendlier skies made everything look calm, but the steady 20-knot breeze told a different story — this was another full-power day on the water.
Our youngest fleet, the Optimist Benjamins, showed true grit. Despite the tough conditions, they completed three full races — a massive achievement for these junior sailors. Afterward, every one of them was towed back to the harbor. The trip out to the racecourse takes over an hour and fifteen minutes against the current, so launch times were moved earlier to accommodate. A few sailors retired early and were warmly welcomed aboard De Poon, the now-famous parent-initiated mother ship that offers comfort and rest to those stepping out mid-race. What a brilliant spontaneous effort!
Elsewhere on the water, racing was in full swing. The ILCA sailors were absolutely in their element today — strong wind and tight racing made for a perfect day. In ILCA 4, Amber Knape is leading the pack with a clear gap to Maurits Melens, who recently moved up from Optimist to ILCA and is clearly adapting well. He dominated in the Optimist class before and is carrying that same drive into his new fleet.
In the Europe class, Jules de Smet is on fire — he hasn’t sailed anything other than first places so far. Very impressive!
The Cadet fleet saw some drama with one team losing their mast in the swell, but at the front, Barend Joosse and crew Cato are doing exactly what many expected — leading the fleet with confidence. Barend, clearly enjoying himself, said: “This is my kind of weather. I keep the boat steady with ease.”
In the 29er class, FRA 3425 (Alexandre Mostini & Raphaël Allain) continue to dominate, but Dutch team Van Surksum – Ganzevles is closing the gap and has now climbed to second overall.
The 49er FX fleet had its own comeback story. Tjed Wildeboer & Lars van den Berg lost their mast on Day 1, but thanks to a heroic parent who drove across the country for a replacement, they were back in action today. Meanwhile, Thijs Bijleveld & Marijn Eggermont are leading with an imposing string of results.
In RS Feva, the Lithuanian team Benas Šapkinas & Mykolas Leipus are on top, while in the RS500, it’s Lars & Rens van Dartel leading the way. Hidde Lagendijk is currently the front-runner in Splash Blue.
In the ILCA6 Alexander Hartsink looked unstoppable with a string of 1st place finishes — until a UFD penalty today interrupted that streak. Once discard races come into play, he’ll move back to the top, currently headed by Victor Frère (FRA), Ralph Musto (GBR), and Sebastiaan van Ofwegen (NED).
Back in the Optimist fleet, we’re seeing a thrilling battle develop between Ties de Ruiter, Nicholas Koekkoek, and Felix Mulder.
The first race of the day was particularly tough for the Optimists — sailing with the current makes it hard to stay behind the start line without drifting over early. A few timing errors and general recalls made it a stressful opening for many.
And on shore? We had sunshine, smiles, and a lively market near the main tent, with stalls offering all kinds of goodies — a great spot to relax, recharge, and soak in the regatta vibe.
It’s been a day of hard-fought victories, personal breakthroughs, and some pretty spectacular crashes too — our photographers were out on the water and we’ll be sharing the images soon!
What a day. And we’re only halfway through the regatta…
