Next season in sight!

It's been a year since we started the selection of ROST II. While last year (the pre-Corona era) seems centuries ago, this year has flown by again. The year has presented many challenges in sport and daily life. But as they say: 'you have to row with what you have', and we certainly did.

At the start of the ROST II route, a lot of work was done on the Van Uden Ker46 during the winter months. When the boat went into the water in February, the selection was not yet finalized, so the first training sessions were changed a lot to arrive at a basic team. Then everyone got the chance to try different positions in the boat. When the lockdown was announced on March 12 due to the first wave of Corona infections, a long time followed without sailing training. During this period, the thread was quickly picked up virtually by means of sports sessions and informative zoom lectures with ROST I. In June we were able to get back on the water and the selection process was completed. As soon as the selection was finalized and the ROST II team was in place, the long-term goal could be worked on: to perform as well as possible at the Rolex Fastnet race in 2021. Last summer, as much training as possible was done to make up for the missed training sessions in March, April and may catch up. At the end of August it was finally time and we gained our first offshore experiences as a team. In the end it was possible to test the progress during the Kielerwoche and the Bruinebank race. Although we look back with satisfaction on the results of these events, it has become clear that there is still a long way to go before the desired result can be achieved during the Fastnet.

The sailing season of 2020 has now ended (early). The boat was recently brought from Scheveningen to Hellevoetsluis, where it was taken out of the water by Yagra Jachtservice. The necessary winter maintenance will again be carried out here. Compared to last year, it is unfortunately not possible this year to do odd jobs with the team, so the job days are divided into groups of three. Again, the time we are not on the water is well used. Our boat captain Pieter, for example, has done his own heating system for the boat during his sail-less Sundays. The website and social media accounts are updated and zoom sessions are held to align with the team and set personal goals. We took the time to let the sails dry in an unusual place and sort them out. Since the catering industry is closed, the halls of the Delftsche Studenten Societeit 'Phoenix' and the student discotheque 'Lorre' in the heart of Delft could be used for this. The new Corona measures of October offer other opportunities in that regard.

Now that the second peak of Corona infections in the Netherlands is behind us, we can start looking at the coming year. With a view to the second season of ROST II, ​​preparations are in full swing so that as much as possible can be learned and we will appear with the best possible team at the start of the Fastnet in August. Offshore survival courses are planned, new data analysis software such as KND tested, the 2021 budget is drawn up and possible training events are sorted out. We cannot of course predict what the situation will look like in February, so it remains exciting which events can ultimately be sailed. For now we focus on the future and we try to prepare as best as possible within the restrictions of the virus. We are looking forward to getting back on the water and now we are pulling out all the stops to start next year at full steam!

From starting offshore sailers to online training experts

The first Corona measures are now slowly but surely being lifted. The first sailboats are going back on the water, so the countdown until we can train again as ROST II at the Ker46 VanUden. Important training months have been lost for many sailors, from young to older, in any Class. With ROST II we tried to learn as much as possible about the boat, sailing, about and from each other during this period when we couldn't sail. As a starting team, where we just got to know each other at the end of 2019, it was important to at least stay in touch. Several team members came up with creative and fun alternative ideas to keep improving our team:

“At the end of February, after a lot of work on the boat, it was finally time to go sailing. Quite early in the season, but deliberately planned so as to be able to train with the new team. The first matches were already planned in April. Before the Corona measures were in force, we were able to make a few more training days. Some of the team members had never sailed a really big boat before. That is why we changed positions on board a lot during these training sessions. Everyone has tried multiple tasks. We received clear explanations from Gerd-Jan and Jaap, but you also received tips and tricks from the people who had done your task before. That is why it was noticeable every training session that things were getting better and that the team was already getting attuned to each other. Doing odd jobs in the winter also contributed to this because there was a common goal, namely to get the boat perfectly in order to start sailing as quickly as possible. When we couldn't train because of a storm (which was quite common at the beginning of this year), we often decided to go to the boat and do the last few chores. The boat is now dry again, but is completely ready when we can sail again.” - Merle

“When it turned out that we could no longer sail on the boat for the time being, I asked the group to exercise online together twice a week. Since then I have made a program every Monday and Thursday with simple, sailing-specific sports exercises that everyone can do at home. Femke has now taken over the Thursday training with a cardio program. Occasionally we would come up with a physical challenge, such as balancing on your head for a minute or a handstand, which provided good entertainment for the team. These virtual sports sessions led to a large number of new initiatives, as a result of which ROST I and ROST II now come together every Wednesday in a zoom meeting to exchange knowledge and experience through Q&A sessions, competition analyzes and meteo lessons. In one of the first zoom sessions, we sailed a virtual sailing race, with ROST I taking us through what they had to do on their job during the different maneuvers of the race. This way we can still form a picture of how things are going on the Ker46 during a competition. All these initiatives come from a very clear credo: 'Standstill is regression'.”

- Bouwe

“For a while now, we have been scheduling cardio on Thursdays. It is important in this time not only to do strength training, but also to train cardio, especially now that everyone is at home a lot. The cardio exercises are a good alternative to running or cycling. The exercises are to Spanish Zumba music, and the training lasts an hour in total. Now and then Gerd-Jan's children also participate, who really enjoy "dancing". Because of this we will be fit enough when we are allowed to sail again. Let's hope that is allowed again soon, because that boat has to get off dry land!" - Femke

“On a Tuesday in May we were able to borrow a number of SUP boards. This allowed us to go on the water together 1,5 meters away from each other, despite the Corona. This was a fun and safe way to do a sporting activity together. Whether it was really sporty is doubtful, because at the end of the day everyone had a wet suit. For Pieter it was the first time on a SUP board, but luckily he was a very natural talent. Gerd-Jan showed that he is at home in many markets by using his many years of skateboarding experience to do an Ollie over a tree trunk with the SUP! It was a super fun and enjoyable afternoon with the team. Good for team building!” - Lars

“During the intelligent lockdown, it was decided to return the boat, which was actually just in the water after our winter maintenance, from Scheveningen to Hellevoetsluis. In Hellevoetsluis, the boat could be taken out of the water and stored on the side. In this way, the quality of the winter maintenance carried out is maintained longer and better. There were still a few small jobs open, such as sanding and applying antifouling under the stamps. After consultation with the yard, it was decided that we could work on the boat with a maximum of three people at the same time 1.5 meters away. We have gratefully made use of this. Many of the team regarded this as a nice day outside, after a long period of sitting inside. The end result of this is that the boat is now completely ready, and when the rules relax we can sail again. The boat is in top shape and ready to go.” - Pieter

To ensure that our sailing skills remain in order, a day of Laser sailing has been planned. The K.R.&Z.V. has a number of Lasers on the Kralingse Plas for Members, which can be rented for a small fee. We have used this as a team. Because everyone sails in their own Laser, 1.5 meters can be kept neatly. With this nice sailing weather it is of course great pleasure to float over the lake in a boat. But in the end, nothing beats sailing on the Ker46.

- Laurien

So it turns out that despite Corona, there are a lot of creative solutions to stay in touch with each other and water sports. Sailors keep busy with the wind, weather and water or in short with sails, even if the boat is standing still for a while. We hope everyone gets through this difficult time well, and keeps moving. Hopefully we'll see each other again soon on the water!

ROST II, ready for a new sailing year

The first months of the new year have only just passed, and the new ROST is ready to sail in the van Uden KER 46. After more than 25 new sailors signed up for a chance to win the ROST II, ​​the November to get the KER back in top shape. To get to know the new batch of sailors better, a kick-off was organized on December 7, after the butter letter. During this kick-off, match-race competitions were sailed in the two MaxFun 25 boats of our own association. The Elsa competed against the Sixties in several small competitions. The day was arranged in such a way that everyone would sail with as many different sailors as possible, so the teams changed all the time. Anyone who has ever sailed a match-race sailing competition knows that these are very competitive one-on-one competitions, with the sailors constantly challenging each other and sharp buoy curves and starts are disastrous. These situations require good boat handling, which can be tricky when a team is sailing together for the first time. Because there was a good wind of between 15 and 20 knots that day, this resulted in exciting situations and there was a hard battle for the win.

After the kick-off, attention was again focused on the winter maintenance of the KER 46. The winches were disassembled and cleaned and greased again, the mast stripped and resprayed, the bottom of the boat was sanded and put back in the antifouwling . With the help of Niek, the carbon specialist, it has been ensured that the carbon in and on the boat is in good condition. The engine has actually been serviced for 1000 hours and on a Friday part of the team spent a whole day in Belgium in a North Sails shed to get all the sails race-ready again. Fortunately, many hands make heavy work light, which meant that the KER could go back into the water in the week of February 7th. On February 15, the first training session was already planned with a view to the first game of the season, the Van Uden Reco on April 18 and 19. On to a good sailing year, the KER is ready, and so is the new ROST II.