Variable conditions and intense competition.

The Dutch Formula 18 team, Gunnar Larsen and Xander Pols, won the 13th Aruba Heineken Catamaran Regatta. On Friday November 15th, they beat the British Tornado sailors Sunnucks/Self in the last race by four minutes on corrected time. After the light conditions, the wind and the smiles on the faces of the competitors was back.

Friday morning the promised of sea breeze at was there at breakfast. The race committee set an Olympic course, triangle, windward, leeward. The competitors were excited to go on the water with more wind. Several catamarans capsized under spinnaker and there was also a little damage to equipment but nobody complained. As it was on the first day of racing, the Tornado’s dominated the race.

Nevertheless, Gunnar Larsen and Xander Pols were helming their Nacra Formule 18 amongst the Olympic catamarans. They had to finish within five minutes after Sunnucks/Williams in order to beat them. The gap turned out to be only one minute, so victory was theirs. After the race Larsen said, “It was hard work to beat the Tornado’s, but fortunately we had more wind during the last race”. For Xander Pols it is the second time in row that he won this event. Last year, he sailed a Tornado into the first place. Pols compared the racing, “In 2002 we had a tough competition as well, but it was different. We had lots of troubles with the equipment and that was nerve breaking. This year, we had to deal with very good sailors. William is a fantastic competitor, so we are glad that we finally beat him.”

Richard Allen and Stuart Gummer finished third. Allen has sailed the event before and is determined to come back. “This was my seventh time racing in Aruba, but I still did not win the event. Last year, we were second and this year third. So, we are going backwards instead of forwards, therefore we need to come back. We have to win it one year.”

It is the first time the numbers one and two of the Aruba Regatta have earned an equal number of points. Larsen and Pols were the determined the winners as they had won more races. Sunnucks summed up the racing by saying, “We sailed as fast as we could. They were just to close to us. Anyway, it was a good race and competition.”

As soon as the race was over, all competitors began to pack the Hapag Lloyd containers for the transport to Europe, where they will be unloaded in the middle of the winter with perhaps snow-showers. Organiser Edwin Lodder looks back on a successful and fair sailing event. “Thanks to the support of all sponsors, this year’s edition was again a success. The conditions were lighter than last year, but we could complete all planned races and in a way it makes the competitions more fair. Although it was the first time with such a big group, the atmosphere was great. We will be back next year.”

Top five places after eight races and two discards:
1. Formule 18 / NED – Larsen and Pols, 10 points
2. Tornado / GBR – Sunnucks and Self, 10 points
3. Tornado / GBR – Allen and Gummer, 21 points
4. Formule 18 / NED – Graat and Koene, 30 points
5. Formule 20 / NED – Deutekom and De Vries, 33 points

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