Round Texel
Encyclopedia
Round Texel is the biggest catamaran race in the world with an annual average of 600 participants.
The Ronde om Texel (Round Texel) is a regatta
for catamaran
s around the island of Texel
in The Netherlands. Round Texel was first organized in 1978. In that year Sigi Lach (from Germany
) won in a Hobie 14
in a field of 84 participants. Since then the race grown into the biggest catamaran race in the world with an annual average of 600 cats participating. The race has its start and finish near Paal 17 on the North Sea
and is approximately 100 kilometers long. It is organized once a year on a Saturday in June. The race starts an hour before high tide to ensure that there is enough water to pass the high mud flats northeast of the island. This tidal prerequisite determines the date that is chosen each year for the event.
Strong tidal currents and variable winds around the island make Round Texel a highly tactical race that has been won alternately by professional sportsmen and skilled outsiders. Notable winners have been Reginald White
, the first multihull
Olympic champion, who won Round Texel in 1994 at the age of 59. In 2003 the trophy went to Darren Bundock
, world champion in several multihull classes in 2003, 2004 and 2005. The 30th anniversary race on June 23, 2007 was won by Darren Bundock and Glenn Ashby
from Australia in a F18 Hobie Tiger
. Line honours were won in 2007 and 2008 by Xander Pols and Tjiddo Veenstra. In 2009 they took a second place in the line honours ranking.
The Ronde om Texel (Round Texel) is a regatta
Regatta
A regatta is a series of boat races. The term typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas...
for catamaran
Catamaran
A catamaran is a type of multihulled boat or ship consisting of two hulls, or vakas, joined by some structure, the most basic being a frame, formed of akas...
s around the island of Texel
Texel
Texel is a municipality and an island in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is the biggest and most populated of the Frisian Islands in the Wadden Sea, and also the westernmost of this archipelago, which extends to Denmark...
in The Netherlands. Round Texel was first organized in 1978. In that year Sigi Lach (from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
) won in a Hobie 14
Hobie cat
A Hobie Cat is a small sailing catamaran manufactured by the Hobie Cat Company. Begun as a manufacturer of surf boards in the late 1950s, Hobie began manufacturing catamaran sailboats in the late 1960s and has become the largest manufacturer of small catamarans in the world...
in a field of 84 participants. Since then the race grown into the biggest catamaran race in the world with an annual average of 600 cats participating. The race has its start and finish near Paal 17 on the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
and is approximately 100 kilometers long. It is organized once a year on a Saturday in June. The race starts an hour before high tide to ensure that there is enough water to pass the high mud flats northeast of the island. This tidal prerequisite determines the date that is chosen each year for the event.
Strong tidal currents and variable winds around the island make Round Texel a highly tactical race that has been won alternately by professional sportsmen and skilled outsiders. Notable winners have been Reginald White
Reginald White
Reginald James White, usually Reg White , was a British boat builder, sailor, Olympic champion and world champion...
, the first multihull
Multihull
A multihull is a ship, vessel, craft or boat with more than one hull.-Description:Multihulls include: Proas, which have two differently shaped or sized hulls with lateral symmetry; catamarans, which have two hulls with longitudinal symmetry; and trimarans, which have a main hull in the center and...
Olympic champion, who won Round Texel in 1994 at the age of 59. In 2003 the trophy went to Darren Bundock
Darren Bundock
Darren Bundock is an Australian sailor from Gosford, New South Wales. He won a silver medal in the Tornado class at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. Bundock and current crewmate Glenn Ashby are the 2007 world champions in the Tornado class and ranked number one in the event going into the 2008...
, world champion in several multihull classes in 2003, 2004 and 2005. The 30th anniversary race on June 23, 2007 was won by Darren Bundock and Glenn Ashby
Glenn Ashby
Glenn Ashby is an Australian sailor from Bendigo, Victoria. He and skipper Darren Bundock are the 2007 world champions in the Tornado class and ranked number one in the event going into the 2008 Summer Olympics. However, they were beaten by the Spanish team and won silver. He has also won 8...
from Australia in a F18 Hobie Tiger
Hobie cat
A Hobie Cat is a small sailing catamaran manufactured by the Hobie Cat Company. Begun as a manufacturer of surf boards in the late 1950s, Hobie began manufacturing catamaran sailboats in the late 1960s and has become the largest manufacturer of small catamarans in the world...
. Line honours were won in 2007 and 2008 by Xander Pols and Tjiddo Veenstra. In 2009 they took a second place in the line honours ranking.