| DEN BURG, TEXEL, THE NETHERLANDS-(13-6-2003) On Saturday June 21st 2003, the starting gun for the World’s Biggest Catrace, the Zwitserleven Round Texel, will be fired between 11:30 and 12:30 hours. About 550 catamarans, representing thirteen countries, will fight the elements in order to be the fastest boat that sails around the Frisian Island Texel. Among them two Olympic 470 teams from the Netherlands. They’ll try their luck in the world of beach cats. Also competitive sailor Piet van Nieuwenhuyzen, who won the America’s Cup earlier this year with his Swiss Alinghi Team, will sail around Texel. In the days before the actual race, he will make a serious record attempt with Hans Bouscholte. Like in previous years, fifty to sixty catamarans will be equipped with a a GPS / GSM receiver, which determines the exact location of the boats on the course areas. As a result, live tracking & tracing makes it possible to follow the race all over the world. Olympic sailors on the beach of Texel The 470 team Marcelien de Koning and Lobke Berkhout, winners of the Spa Regatta 2003, will try to win the Women Cup. Last year their competitors of the 470 ladies, Lisa Westerhof and Margriet Matthijsse, claimed the 1st price after a heavy race. De Koning: “In 2002 we visited Texel just to watch the race, but it tickled to sail along. Now we’ve decided to join the race, because the event is great. Just like Lisa and Margriet we’ll start in the Formula 18. We’ll see.” Sven and Kalle Coster of the 470 will start at Texel Also. Father and coach Dick Coster isn’t very pleased that his sons stop their training for Athens 2004 for a while, but they’ve decided to go for it. Sven Coster: “Like the others we’ll start in the Formula 18 class. We don’t have much time to train at the moment, but we’ll catch up in the week before the race.” Also the Yngling team mates Janneke Hin and Margriet Samama from the Netherlands will join the race. The Favourites The Olympic Tornado Team Sven Karsenbarg and Mischa Heemskerk will defend their title at the 21st of June. Last year they won in a convincing way. Their fellow Tornado sailors Mitch Booth and Herbert Dercksen made a nose dive and Booth got seriously injured so they had to give up. Now they’re eager to take revenge. Gunnar Larsen, overall winner at 1999, will sail with Xander Pols, who finished second last year. This team will round Texel on a new M20. During the long distance race Hoek van Holland-Scheveningen vv on Mai 31st , this super lightweight boat booked a glorious victory. The combat between both teams will undoubtedly be exciting. Also the World Champion Tornado, Darren Bundock from Australia, will join the contest. International Women Fleet At least ten all female teams will compete in the 26th Round Texel race, which is the biggest women fleet ever. The ladies are representing Ireland, Germany, France and the Netherlands. With two Olympic teams and several experienced catamaran teams, it is definitely going to be an exciting competition in the women fleet. The Round Texel week The hundred kilometre long Zwitserleven Round Texel race will be sailed on Saturday June 21st. As off Wednesday 18th till Friday 20th of June, participants can already measure their strength during the Texel Dutch Open. This event consists of short races. Many sailors consider the Texel Dutch Open as an exercise for ‘the Biggest Catrace’ on Saturday. The Royal Dutch Sailing Federation has officially recognized the event as an Open Dutch Championship. On Thursday afternoon sailors can traditionally sail the ‘Horstocht’. And if the wetter is fine, the team Bouscholte/Van Nieuwenhuyzen will make a record attempt. The record now belongs to Ron van Teylingen and Paul Manuel. They rounded the island in 1997 in 2.30.36 hours. Besides Zwitersleven the event will be sponsored by Amstel, Holkema Group, Komatsu, de Kolonist, MagicMinds Media, Nissan, TNG Swiss Watches, Teso, VVV Texel and the Mondriaan Onderwijsgroep.
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