The Battle of Pampus: Elite sailors brave heavy squalls in the shadow of the fortress Pampus

Sailing Grand Slam Almere - Day 3 Highlights

The Almere race course showed its most ruthless side today. With a howling wind of 20 to 25 knots and leaden-gray squalls tearing across the water, the racing day of the Sailing Grand Slam transformed into a fierce battle against the elements. The historic fortress island of Pampus, which has defied the elements for centuries, provided the perfect, heroic backdrop for a fleet that refused to capitulate.

Historically, heavily-laden Dutch East India Company (VOC) ships were forced to lie 'voor Pampus' (anchored before Pampus); they had to wait passively on the water for weeks until they could clear the shallows and finally receive permission to sail into the harbor of Amsterdam. Today, there was not a single moment of rest for the Olympic elite. The athletes had to give everything just to maintain control over their skiffs.

 

Wybrand de Vos actually thoroughly enjoyed himself on the turbulent water beneath Pampus: 'The location is great, being so close to the shore. The real game of sailing comes to the forefront because of it, as it can go any direction.'

The leaderboard leaders, the Austrian duo Jakob Flachberger and Keanu Prettner, proved today that properly reading the clouds makes all the difference in these conditions. With a rock-solid series (a first and two second-place finishes), they dominated the stormy day. 'This weather suits us well,' Flachberger explained. 'It is precisely from that heavy cloud cover that you can see the wind shifts coming. In the first race, we saw a beautiful cloud looming on the right side. We immediately split from the rest of the fleet and chose a completely independent course. The wind shifted perfectly in our favor, putting us straight into the top five. From that position, you can manage the race controlled from the front.'

Ontzettend lekker
While the approach of pitch-black cloud formations is a sign for most watersports enthusiasts to quickly seek the shelter of the cabin, the threatening skies were instead the ultimate tactical roadmap for the Olympic fleet to win this 'Battle of Pampus'. On the beach of Almere, pure Dutch level-headedness prevailed just before heading out. While her ILCA 6 is being rigged in the driving rain to hit the water, Feline van Ede sums up the situation perfectly with a broad smile: 'Ontzettend lekker! (Absolutely wonderful!) We have some rain now, but we always say: most of it falls wide anyway. And you get wet on the water regardless, so it doesn't matter. The wind is nice, and I think it will get quite shifty too, so we'll see. Top day!'

Text Credit: Dutch Water Week
Photo Credit: Sailing Energy / Dutch Water Week

 

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