In the summer of 2025, the Netherlands will participate in the prestigious Admiral’s Cup in Cowes, Great Britain. The Admiral’s Cup, also known as the unofficial offshore sailing world championship, will take place for the first time in 22 years. The new Dutch Offshore Sailing Team representing the Netherlands consists of the Rotterdam Offshore Sailing Team with their Ker 46 Van Uden and the Baraka GP Sailing Team with their Ker 43 Baraka G.P. The team will sail under the flag of the Royal Rowing & Sailing Club De Maas.
Admiral’s Cup
The Royal Ocean Racing Club organized the Admiral’s Cup every two years between 1975 and 1999, most recently in 2003. In 2025, when the RORC celebrates its centenary, the prestigious Cup will be held again for the first time in 22 years. The offshore Cup is sailed as a team; each team of two yachts represents a country or yacht club. The Admiral’s Cup consists of several short course races, a longer race and the Rolex Fastnet Race is the legendary final race. The results of both classes combined determine the final winner.
Netherlands in the Admiral’s Cup
The Netherlands has a great history in the Admiral’s Cup. The 1999 edition was won by the Dutch team with Roy Heiner, Bouwe Bekking, Wouter Verbraak and Peter van Niekerk as team members. Gerd-Jan Poortman, who now leads the Rotterdam Offshore Sailing Team as skipper, was also part of the winning Dutch selection of ’99. Poortman: “As skipper of the ROST team, I am very pleased with this beautiful point on the horizon. The team is showing tremendous potential and I believe that in two seasons we will be ready to compete in the highly competitive Admiral’s Cup field.”
Baraka GP Sailing Team also sees the participation as an opportunity to show what Dutch offshore sailors have to offer. The team has been sailing competitions on The Solent, the famous water near Cowes, for years. They have already started the Fastnet Race seven times Baraka G.P. Piet de Graaf: “The Admirals Cup is an important way to show that Dutch sailing is still alive and of a high level. The collaboration with ROST and De Maas is more than logical given the rich history of sailing in the Netherlands and the level of the teams.”
Also read: From completely new team to Dutch champion: young sailors from ROST look back on a successful season
Last modified: April 25, 2024
