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EUROSAF announce Team Racing Championships in September

by John Friend, EUROSAF
21-23 September 2012

Team Racing is one of the most under-rated disciplines within sailing; it requires an excellent knowledge of the Racing Rules of Sailing, outstanding boat-handling, quick reactions from the crew and, above all else, it provides an excellent and easy to follow spectator sport, for both sailors and non-sailors alike.

In a celebration of Team Racing, EUROSAF has arranged a weekend in September when two different versions of this sailing discipline will hold their European Championship. The weekend in question is Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd September, and the venues are in Great Britain and The Netherlands.

West Kirby Sailing Club, based on the Wirral, in Cheshire, host what might best be described as ‘traditional team racing', with three sailing dinghies in each team. This championship, the EUROSAF Team Racing, European Championship, is a bi-annual event, alternating with the ISAF World Team Racing Championship. West Kirby is the foremost team-racing club in England and host the Wilson Trophy, the largest team racing event in the world, attracting entries from across Europe, the United States and further afield. Up to forty international teams compete in this event.

The Match and Team Sailing Centre, Holland, located at Bataviahaven, Lelystad, The Netherlands, is to host the EUROSAF Team Racing, ‘2K' Keelboat European Championship. This form of team racing uses two keelboats in each team. ‘2K' keelboat team racing is a relatively new discipline within sailing and has proved particularly popular and successful in The Netherlands, but is now quite widely practised around Europe, with teams expected from The Netherlands, Great Britain, Italy, France and Spain, amongst others. Competitors in this version of team racing do not need to be quite so agile as those in the three boat dinghy version, but never-the-less it is equally exciting to watch.

The racing in both versions of the sport is close and very competitive, with on-water umpiring resulting in instant decisions concerning any infringement of the rules. In team racing it is usual to see men and women racing together, on an equal basis, which is another unusual and positive aspect of the sport. The opportunity for spectators at both venues is excellent: it will be possible to watch all the racing from the shore, and even for the non-sailor it is easy to follow the progress of the racing.

The Notice of Race for the EUROSAF Team Racing, ‘2K' Keelboat European Championship is published on the EUROSAF website and the Notice of Race for the EUROSAF Team Racing, European Championship will be published by the end of June at www.eurosaf.org

Additional information will be published in due course.

To find out more please contact

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