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Somehow my Beschuits-toren regatta attendance wasn’t with the MS Meson after all.There was a Barnegat boat my mate found local, available and ready to sail.So I traveled light without trailer or roof-racked boat to the event. The Barnegat dingy is … Continue reading
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At the 2019 Nationals five Minisails were present and two local guest Fireballs. The idea to have British nationals 2019 in Ostend was launched last year in Bowmoor during the Nationals 2018. As this exotic move to mainland Europe was … Continue reading
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In May 2017 we participated in the French bi-annual Semaine du Golfe event (article here) And we are going back: We’ll bet at the 2019 edition. As newbies in 2017 we did some learning; Being at and sailing the edition … Continue reading
What about some events to look forward to in 2018?
Vintage Sailing in the city
“Les journées bruxelloises de l’eau“.
The Belgian GIRAFF Yacht Club invites to show old varnish on a lake near Brussels 25 March.
Ian Proctor Centenary Rally
The Ian Proctor Centenary Rally at the Bosham Sailing Club 2 -3 June
MS Europeans 2018
Very probably mid June in Wormer Holland or Ostend Belgium.
Here how it was last time
MS Nationals
Rupert suggested (on facebook.com/groups/minisail) to use the CVRDA Bowmoor Rally 2018 (18 Aug 2018 – 19 Aug) as a venue for a get together.
All to be confirmed and massaged.
Here is why: Look at the lovely poster of the event:
Now take a look at my Minisail 9000 sail:
Minisail Sprite 9000
I can’t but suspect but the designer of the poster artwork must have seen the sail.
So, dispite not having sailed that boat for more than a year I’ll take 9000 to the Europeans at Wormer Holland in a few days.
Four boats with two excellent local sailors (Frans and Yakko),David A. and daredevil Dean M. are the competition in the Minisail class.
I’ll choose for presence rather than win, probably sailing along carefully and pleasantly kind.
Done that on several occasions and it wasn’t only pleasant but it ended with a good result as well.
Fun isn’t it; five Minisails in an European event.
Three MS Sprint, one Monaco and one wooden Sprite; All with seats. (I’ll remove mine when it’s below 3Bft, but don’t tell anyone).
Report on the event will be next.
Our English mates from the Minisail owners club David A. and Tom M.once again organised a lovely weekend of sailing and staying at Keyhaven.
The warm welcome and hospitality from the Keyhaven Scouts and the Hurst castle sailing club we know but the feelgood experience is one that doesn’t wear.
Sailing out from the beach towards open water tacking along in a channel between three lines of moored yachts is challenging and good fun.
Spring tide was on our side and gradually the estuary opend up for us to play and sail quarter miles back and forth on the plank; With a shiftless 18 to 20 knots wind, the conditions couln’t be better.
Venturing further on toward Hurst Casle tacking along moored yachts I went in the water. Nothing bad but my drysuit unzipped rendered me soon as a helpless lame duck in a water-filled +70 kg suit. The situation was heary and I got slightly hurt during the recovery.
No matter, it was a good sociable event and we returned with good memories and stories to tell.
Keyhaven 2018, I look forward to it.
Three irregular figures got together in Wormer near Amsterdam for a great weekend of sailing.
We had some adventurous days on the water, both on the wild side and in the slow motion spectrum of adventuring (there were moments when I saw water spiders overtaking me in the Meson and have also seen Dean’s worried face
while he clung to the top of a yacht mast when it was about to tip over).
That mixed with camaraderie, after all that is half of what these gatherings are about, made it complete.
The obvious absence of any guests showing up was dissapointing but didn’t discolour the weekend, we adjusted the agenda at random.
Thank you Frans for the hospitality, for sorting things out with your club and the camp site plus the extras you added.
Dean’s comment:
I’m just back from another great weekend of sailing ‘camaraderie’, as
Ronny correctly described it.
A little bit more wind would have been nicer, but the beautiful location and excentric company made up for it. Saturday’s social was at a local Chinese restaurant serving excellent food in large portions. (And very cheap drinks!)
Sunday’s mast climbing shenanigans nearly ended with me swinging onto the neighbouring yacht’s family breakfast table. I would have had egg on my face if it hadn’t been for some frantic counterbalancing from my two sailing buddies!
All-in-all a very positive weekend for everyone involved. Including my wife and dog.
Dean
All images Courtesy of Dean Martin.
The 2016 Europeans will be in the Netherlands in Wormer.
Wormer is a city 30 km North from Amsterdam, hometown of our Dutch Minisail sailor Frans Stoop. The sailing will be on a wide and shallow stretch of water called “Het zwet”.
We will be staying on a camping site on the edge of the lake, offering all sailing facilities.
Arrival would be Friday afternoon or evening, sailing and racing on Saturday and Sunday, departure Sunday afternoon/evening.
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One of the better pictures taken at the Ostend meeting came from Dean’s Gopro. I nicked the lovely shot from Saturday afternoon with the four of us racing from FB. This Sunday, just prior to the Minisail Nationals 2015, Dean … Continue reading
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Some pictures from the Minisail Keyhaven Kruise 2015: Traffic Friday afternoon was slow but steady and after a 4 hour drive from Dover Dean Frans and me arrived at Keyhaven and met with the regulars and some new people. Seven … Continue reading
Building a wooden Minisail 