During the Whitsun weekend, the Koninklijke Watersportvereniging Loosdrecht (KWVL) organized a Rainbow class sailing competition during the Whitsun weekend. The event, normally a spectacle of precision and tactics, took an unexpected turn as the platoon of 32 Rainbow-class sailboats crashed into the leeward buoy almost simultaneously.
The drama unfolded when rounding the downwind marks with a gate, a crucial point in the race where the sailors reconsider their position. Chaos ensued when all 32 boats arrived at the buoys almost simultaneously. Due to the limited space at the gate, a few boats touched each other and a real knot of sailing boats was created.
The result was a scene that looked more like a naval battle. Boats hooked together, crews shouted with priority rules as they tried to free themselves from the tangle.
It was extremely difficult for the jury to get the situation under control afterwards. It led to a flood of protests, both from sailors who felt their position had been unfairly compromised and that the rules had not been correctly applied when the course was being laid. It took the jury many hours to process all the protests and finally determine a final result. The jury used the drone video to make the correct assessments.
For the sailing fanatics, however, it was a true spectacle. The video of the incident has since gone viral on social media and sailing news websites. Some see it as a lesson in what can go wrong in a sailing competition, others see it as the ultimate proof that the race leader sometimes makes mistakes.
Nevertheless, chaos at the leeward buoy during the Pentecost weekend Rainbow class sailing competition will undoubtedly be remembered for a long time, both by the participants and by the spectators.
We thank Sailmon for making the video.
