The Dutch SB20 fleet rejoined the renowned North Sea Regatta this year to run its Nationals on the tricky waters of the North Sea. Scheveningen is famous for its demanding playground, where the SB20 fleet battled for the 2023 World Championships, a venue well-known for the powerful tide, which can completely rewrite a race within minutes.
Last weekend, however, the venue threw a curveball. Instead of the typical heavy Dutch breeze, 15 teams were welcomed by brilliant sunshine and a painfully light, fragile wind. When you pair a minimal breeze with a sweeping current, keeping the boat tracking requires immense concentration and constant micro-adjustments.
The regatta evolved over a tight six-race schedule, but the combination of eager fleets and a relentless tide pulling boats across the line tempted several teams into costly UFDs. Among the high-profile casualties right out of the gate in Race 1 was Team Xcellent, skippered by John Pollard, sailing with Rob Smith and Gonçalo Lopes. With an UFD pinned to their scorecard immediately, they knew there was absolutely zero room for error for the rest of the weekend. They had to sail a flawless regatta from that moment on.
And they did. John and his crew delivered a masterclass in light-air discipline, navigating the shifting pressure and heavy water to secure the most consistent scorecard of the fleet. The victory marked the second consecutive Dutch National title for Team Xcellent, and a remarkable hat-trick for their world-class bowman, Gonçalo Lopes, who secured his third straight Dutch Nationals win after lifting the trophy onboard Team Kesbeke in 2024.
Reflecting on the technical weekend, Bastiaan van Nunen, president of the SB20 Class in the Netherlands, noted:
“Consistency ultimately proved to be the deciding factor. John delivered a strong and steady performance across all six races, securing the best overall results of the weekend and once again taking home the championship title. We would also like to thank our Belgian participants for their presence and contribution to another enjoyable and competitive event weekend.”
This year Vliegensvlugge Vlieg, skippered by Ko Stroo alongside crew members Koen Verhaeghe de Naeyer and Ralph van Etten, proved to be the top Dutch team in these incredibly tricky conditions. Even though they stumbled into their own UFD trap in Race 3, they kept their composure and managed to finish three points higher than former National Champions Team MXTC (crewed by Marco van Driel, Joost Assmann, and Martijn Worseling) to proudly take home the Dutch title.
The Belgian surge and a missing scale
As Gonçalo Lopes pointed out after racing, the overall level of the fleet was surged, driven by a turnout of Belgian teams who crossed the border to compete. Among the international contenders was Tacktonic of Cédric de Bleye and Stefan Vanwynsberghe, who invited the Belgian Laser World Champion Simon de Gendt to take the helm finishing a stellar fourth overall.
Also on a special mission from Belgium was the newly formed, all-female crew of Black Swan, lead by Elina Cnudde with the ultimate ambition of racing at the upcoming Worlds in Hyères. Skipping across from their initial outings, Elina shared how eye-opening the weekend in Scheveningen was for her young crew:
“Our all-female crew consists of Virginie Huys, Sofie Lasure, Tessa Kemme, and myself. While the Stellendam Regatta earlier marked Black Swan’s very first race ever, the North Sea Regatta presented a completely different challenge altogether, lining us up against many experienced, professional teams. For a young crew still getting to know the boat and optimising our teamwork onboard, it was an incredibly intense experience.
The conditions made things even more challenging; with very little wind throughout the regatta made the boat’s sensitivity a crucial factor. Small trimming adjustments had an immediate impact on our speed and performance, so we spent much of the event searching for the right settings and balance to get the maximum performance out of the boat. With these first true racing experiences under our belts, Black Swan is already looking ahead to our next major milestone: the World Championship in Hyères.”
While the fleet welcomed fresh talent, it also saw a surprise appearance by the local legends – 3J’s, led by Jeroen van der Velden. 3J’s transitioned into the J70s some time ago, but seems like they can’t quite leave the SB20 community. There was just one problem that kept them off the official results – they didn’t quite factor in the scales:
“Yes, two-thirds of the 3Js were back in the SB20, but we were over the weight limit – extra 12kg, – laughed Jeroen. – The J70 Class has no weight limit, which was a very good reason to switch to it a while ago, but we like the SB20 very much, especially the people! So we took our chances in Scheveningen and are on a mega diet for Belgium now, while preparing for the worlds in Hyères. Losing those kilos in four months should be doable… so let’s hope we all do it.”
The long road to France
The light-wind battles in Scheveningen are only the curtain-raiser for what promises to be an unforgettable summer on the water. For the victorious crew of Xcellent, the campaign trail doesn’t pause. John Pollard mapped out their intense upcoming schedule as they build toward the autumn:
“It was a low wind technical Dutch championship. The fleet was very competitive with strong competition and it was great to see old and new teams with a surprise attendance of the 3J’s. For us it’s the Portuguese Nationals next, then, potentially, the Belgian Nationals. After that we need to defend the UK Nationals title, which promises to be big, and then we’ll stop in Enkhuizen for the Sportboat Cup on the way to Hyeres in September.”
To review how every team fared in the Scheveningen tide, you can view the full official results on Manage2Sail.
If you’d like to plan your own summer tour head over to the Events page or filter all the upcoming National events in a single view by selecting event “Type.”
Photo gallery © Sander van der Borch:
