Round Texel 2012 Preview
By Diana Boogards Photo: Thom Touw. 2011 Winners Heemskerk-Tentij
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www.roundtexel.com On Saturday June 9, 2012 not only the Dutch soccer team comes into action, also hundreds of catamarans out of thirteen countries. Between 11 am and 12.30 pm the 35th edition and for years the worlds biggest catamaran race, the Zwitserleven Round Texel race, will start. The participating contestants are again a motley collection of international top sailors and amateurs. We invite you with pleasure to personally come and see this eye-pleasing spectacle from the water or the beach. After that you of course can see the soccer game against Danmark live on the beach at Paal 17.
Among the participants on Texel for instance is Darren Bundock (AUS). He is seven times Tornado world champion, multiple and reigning F18 world champion and winner of two Olympic medals. Bundock (partly living in Scheveningen, Holland) momentarily is helmsman of Team Oracle in the America’s Cup. Together with his crewmember Jeroen van Leeuwen he in 2011 became world champion in the competitive F18 class. This successful duo focuses on the final victory at Texel. Bundock already twice has won the Zwitserleven Round Texel Race (2003 and 2007).
The defending champions Mischa Heemskerk and Bastiaan Tentij obviously will oppose formidably. Heemskerk already triumphed three times on rating, twice as helmsman and once as a crewmember.
Mixed multihull
Mid-May the Nacra F17 was elected as mixed multihull for the 2016 Olympic Games. With that catamaran sailing returns to the Olympic program. Next week at the Round Texel week two Nacra F17 teams will already take a sneak peek. One sails under Australian flag and is crewed by Taylor and Jordi Booth, sons of former Olympian Mitch Booth. Taylor and his father took line honours in the Round Texel Race 2011. The other Nacra F17 sails under French flag with perhaps the best promise for 2016: Audrey Ogereau and Matthieu van Damme. In the mixed multihull ranking they will have a tough one in the experienced duo Carolijn Brouwer and Wouter Samama, who sail in the F18 C2. At the 2008 Olympics Brouwer represented Belgium as the only female in the Tornado field.
Championships
The days previous to the Round Texel Race just like other years are filled with exciting competitions. First from Wednesday June 6 to Friday June 8 there will be the battle for the Dutch title in catamaran sailing and the World Championships Nacra Infusion 2012. Recreational sailors will sail the traditional Horstocht and the Trip to the North. Photo: Thom Touw – Mitch and taylor Booth
We have press boats available. If you want to visit the Zwitserleven Round Texel Week, please contact Press Officers Diana Bogaards or Marjolein Brandt. We hope to welcome you at the Zwitserleven Sailing Week on Texel from June 6 – 9, 2012.
