Antwerp Snipe Cup

Antwerp, March 17-18, 2012. Antwerp Snipe Cup is one of the best organized events of the snipe sailing year!.. this year 22 snipes contested the trophy , enough to fill the Galgenweel lake.

Unusually for us we arrived first and were rigged before anyone else arrived ..mainly because I had driven all night after landing in Heathrow late on Friday night from a long week working in Germany.. To celebrate we had a quick sleep in the camper and managed to be last out to the start as usual.

7 races were scheduled; and with no discards unless the 7^th race takes place, consistency is required for this event.. a couple of disqualifications for boats over the line on the first race kept the fleet on best behaviour for the remainder of the event. Saturday provided an unsteady breeze with some big shifts and some light wind areas of the lake, nonetheless 3 races were completed with breaks for ‘free soup’ in between each to warm up cold bodies..

Saturday nights festivities were held at the magnificent VVW clubhouse overlooking the river Schelde.  We slept the night in the carkpark and discovered we shared it with an unexpected resident at 0600.. a large white cockerel who lived in the hedge just next to where we parked – his beautiful singing was just what I needed for my sleep defecit!

One noticeable feature of the racing was an unfamiliar Snipe 28990 sailing consistently near the front of the fleet.. Sam VanDoermael is the 19 year old son of a former Snipe National Champion who is currently taking a gap year to train with Belgian Olympic laser medal hopeful Evie Van Aker. His regatta schedule made my week seem sedentary…

Sundays weather provided more variety .. a lively breeze for 2 races, a gigantic cold rainstorm which sent everyone running for cover then a massive calm which  forced abandonment of race 6.  As we started packing our boat away to race for the ferry home the breeze filled in for the last race of the event in perfect conditions.. we watched Sam VanDoermael sail a maginificent third downwind leg to take 4 places and the lead at the final leeward mark.. just enough to win him the event from Robert Drontmann one point behind.

Thanks to the organizers.. Jan and Maxim sacrificed a weekend of snipe sailing to run the racing and all the team did a fantastic job!

Andy & Carol Gibson

GBR 29374

Photos

Antwerp_Snipe_Cup_2012.pdf