The action was truly spectacular yesterday on the final race of the Sailing World Championship – held at Aarhus in Denmark. Victron Energy sponsored Annemiek Bekkering, and her crew Annette Duetz, tore across the finish line as Sailing World Champions …for the 49erFX class!
A whole week of sailing was turned on its head in the final few minutes of the competition:
We were telling you in our last bulletin – half-way through the competition – that Annemiek and Annette were sailing high at second place – out of 60 competitors.
Competition for a place is fierce and by the end of the next days’ racing Annemiek and Annette had slipped to third position …they were still clinging onto third place on the final ‘medal’ race day.
Austrian rivals Frank and Abicht had built up such a lead during the competition that even a sixth-place in this final race would have been enough to secure them Gold for the whole event – but the excellent sailing tactics and experience of Annemiek Bekkering and her crew changed all that:
Annemiek spotted a squall of wind rolling down toward the course and in anticipation of the wind-shift it would bring she decided to leave the fleet to her port-side, and sail instead off to the right of the course. Becoming more confident of her choice she settled the boat onto a course which would upset the outcome of the whole competition…
Her decision paid huge dividends …the lead boat was caught completely off-guard by the size and strength of the wind-shift. The squall brought an increase in wind speed from near-calm of 6 knots to a fresh breeze of 18 knots; and that together with a sudden change in direction of 40 degrees was enough to capsize the Austrian boat! They recovered quickly enough – but had fallen from first to last place.
Not only had Annemiek correctly interpreted the increase in wind but her tactical sailing shortened her course to the next mark by about 250 metres – placing her in the lead.
It was a dramatic triumph executed amid the gusty unpredictable conditions so beloved of Bekkering and her crew who – having sailed together for five years – are able to exploit amazing choreography of movement to keep their vessel under control as it flies along at speeds of up to 25 knots!
Having said that even Annemiek and Annette capsized their boat – but fortunately not until after they had crossed the finish line in First Place!
They took Gold, becoming Sailing World Champions, the medal being handed to them by Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark – himself a keen sailor.
Glimpses of the action can be seen in the video of this Dutch report from Omroep Brabant.
Many, many congratulations to both of them!!
Victron Energy is proud to sponsor Annemiek Bekkering, and to foster young talent.
