European Hobie Island Rendezvous 2016

The week before the 2nd European Hobie Island Rendezvous we checked the weather report almost every hour. During the week, the only thing we saw was rain and temperatures we normally only see during autumn. But it turns out it helps if you check the weather report daily, on both days: wind 10-15 knots, sunny, and 25 degrees. We have seen a lot of big smiles on the sailors' faces.

On Friday afternoon the first sailors arrived at the event location and some of them headed out for a short ride to explore the water. At 18:00 we lit the barbecues for the official kick off, the Meet and Greet. Everybody had brought their own food and drinks and in no time everybody was sharing and chatting about their Island adventures! Although it was a bit cold and so foggy you almost could not see the end of the table, it was a perfect start to a weekend of sailing, fun and camaraderie.

On Saturday morning it looked like the fog would throw a spanner in the works. But the prediction for the rest of the day was promising so we went out for a big round around the island of Grevelingen. The first part of the trip we had to go downwind, where we enjoyed a great view of all the Islands in one long line on a almost empty lake. This course gave some of the sailors the opportunity to test out their spinnakers.

The moment we had to go higher on the wind… it died. They took a break, but this was not a problem for the Islands at all because they could use their MirageDrives! After a hour of workout and a little help from the motorboats the wind picked up again and the sun started to do his job! This gave all the sailors the opportunity to show their upwind skills. This was on the widest part of the lake so the sailors could make long tacks. Perfect for the members to push the boats, find the best sail position, and have some fast sailing fun.

After all the sailors had refreshed themselves it was time for the sunset barbecue. It was easy to pick out the sailors on the terrace because of their browned faces and big smiles. It was great to see all the sailors from three different countries mixed up. We had some nice talks.

On Sunday morning we had the best conditions you can wish for 15-20 knots of wind, sun and a nice temperature. The sailors went out for a small round around the Ossehoek. When rounding the island the boats and the sailors where really tested because of the choppy waves high on the wind. After this challenge they had time to recover with a nice and long downwind tack. The teams who were sailing with the spinnaker set new speed records. They where almost flying.

During the closing lunch we also handed out the longest distance award, which went to Robin who traveled 500km to join this meeting, quite an achievement if you ask me. The last thing we had to do was make a group picture. We would like to thank all of you who were there. You made this event such a success. We really enjoyed our time with you and we hope to see all of you next year!

Some reaction from the sailors: Sebastian Klärner (Germany) says: The conditions on Sunday morning were perfect! Wind, sun and a nice temperature, what do you need more?

Cathy Gaermunck (France) says: What a beautiful weekend made by the fabulous team of Hobie Kayak Europe. Thanks for this organization in the Netherlands

Event organizer Pieter Overwater: We were so lucky that the water did what was promised. On Saturday morning I was a bit scared we had to come up with our bad weather plan. Lucky enough visibility was good enough to go out and the sun did his job! The smile on the faces are more than enough to start with planning next year’s edition.