One week ago I participate on my first regatta, the Pieperrace 2010, with the Broedertrouw. The Pieperrace is a regatta that will be raced with traditional flat bottomed boats. It is a two day spectacle for skippers, sailors and tourists.The Pieperrace takes place in Volendam since 1985. This year the organizers hold their 26th Pieperrace. In complete 52 ships participate on the race this year.
The ships that participate on the Pieperrace are divided in the following groups:
- Grote Klippers (Big Clippers)
- Kleine Klippers (Small Clippers)
- Grote Tjalken(Big Tjalkens)
- Kleine Tjalken(Big Tjalkens)
- Aken
- Skûtsjes
- Visserijschepen (Fisher Boats)
- Vrije Klasse (Free Class)
The Broedertrouw belongs to the big clippers class. Within that class 12 boats participate. Thereby the Broedertrouw, the ship I sailed with, gained the fourth place. Not that bad, for my first regatta, I guess. But let me look back to the regatta in short.
Friday
Friday evening I arrived on the Broedertrouw. After meeting the other sailors we had a couple of fresh tapped Grolsch.
Saturday
Saturday morning starts with a huge breakfast. After the breakfast we discussed the best route to sail. Then we prepare the ship as well as we prepared us (because even if the sun is shining and it’s warm on land, as soon as you’re on the water I can be very windy and therefore also very cold). After we had sailed the half track our skipper told us that we’re not that good in time than he expected that. But we’re not at the finish line at that time. Because if we reached the finish line he was very surprised. Instead of being one of the last ships that entered the harbor of Volendam we were the fourth ship. Saturday afternoon we had a big meal together. After the meal we celebrate the first racing day with another round of Grolsh. Later on the day … well, I have to say night … I went with some sailors to the a nice, little, narrow bar in Volendam. There we had one beer … and another … and another … and so on. The most funny thing was the fact that I celebrate with two Dutch guys. They expected me to drink very much beer because I’m a German. But they were totally wrong. They drank that fast that it was difficult for me to hold the line with them. They told me: “If you want to become a real Dutch guy you have to drink like a real Dutch guy.” Well, if that’s so …. I rather stay a German for the rest of my life. ^^ Nevertheless we arrived on the Broedertrouw very late. After a quick late night cooking session we took a short rest.
Sunday
Sunday morning also starts with a breakfast. Because I was just a bit crashed of the night before, Saskia, the main sailor of the Broedertrouw, woke me up with a cup of coffee. I’m not sure when I was waked up from a beautiful girl with a coffee the last time. After clearing my coffee I participate on a discussion about the route for Sunday. With the knowledge of the route to sail like the day before we prepared the ship for the race. Then we start sailing. The wind was stronger than Saturday. But that was a welcomed gift, because I had a small headache. But wit all the wind in my face my headache was gone very fast. And fast was also our ship. Like the day before we also passed the finish line on Sunday as fourth. In complete our sail time was 6:39:07 hours.
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