“Nice to meet you, we’re the Dutch. And we are here to challenge everyone in the next Youth America’s Cup.
Two athletes at the top of the 49er(FX) class, a Laser Radial U19 World Champion, and a young man who at 21 won an Atlantic crossing race already. It was clear from the start that the Dutch were natural-born navigators, that they were determined, and that they wanted to challenge the world. The Kingdom Team Netherlands showed up in Gargnano after months of training in the Netherlands on “whatever sails on foil” – including Waszp, Wingfoiling and surfboard foiling – and an additional two weeks of training on the Persico 69F, because their goal is, bluntly stated, the Youth America’s Cup. The Persico 69F is the only boat in the world, at the moment, able to train a crew for that challenge and in similar conditions, especially in regattas against other monotypes.
The team is comprised of Odile van Aanholt, Bart Lambriex, Emma Savelon, Jorden van Rooijen. All born at the end of the last millennium, they are very focused and for them Gargnano is their “debut on the circuit”: the four sailors – two boys and two girls, as stipulated by the inclusive regulations of the Youth America’s Cup – show up in the formation in which they will participate in the challenge set in New Zealand. A recap for those not yet in the know: the Youth America’s Cup currently has 18 crews registered from 16 countries, and there is time until September to qualify; the foiling monotype regattas will be held in Auckland between February 18th and March 12th, 2021.
But back to our Dutch team, who have identified the Persico 69F as the best boat to train with, thus gaining a great competitive advantage over their opponents: for them the Grand Prix 1.2 of the Persico 69F CUP is like an “official debut”, a challenge launched towards the other participants of the YAC, a desire to show that they are ready and determined. They will once again board the Persico 69F in mid August, to train and participate in the FCL Foiling Clubs League 2020.
