SIMPSON BAY--The 4th annual Dutch Coast Race World Series 2016 was held September 30 to October 2 in Castricum aan Zee, the Netherlands. This year more than 100 participants from 18 countries competed in the 19km Surfski paddle along the Dutch Coast. St. Maarten was represented by Stuart Knaggs who was sponsored by Budget Marine.
Knaggs came in third of 21 in the Masters2 category with Oscar Chalupsky coming in first and Rick Damar coming in second.
The day before the race athletes were treated to a variety of clinics given by well-known heavy weights in the sport. The first clinic was offered by Oscar Chalupsky, a 12 time World Surfski Champion from South Africa.
Friday afternoon it was possible to get out on the water with Jasper Mocke, also from South Africa, with World Surfski Series 2014 champion and World K2 marathon champion 2014.
The sea was a challenge with rather shore breakers making it heavy for the group.
Saturday was race day! In the morning the weather forecast looked perfect, no changing to headwind anymore but the whole day South wind direction, meaning straight from behind and blowing harder in the afternoon. Reaching the beach the North Sea was almost flat with wind from the East and blowing softly, not what was expected, but as the race was about to start the wind picked up and small white caps were in sight, giving the paddlers the downwind which belongs to this sport.
Half-way through the race the wind increased. The currents were from the opposite direction which brought the waves up and made the race a lot harder for the paddlers at the back of the field.
This year the Dutch Coast Race World Series 2016 was combined with the Dutch National Surfski Race, won for the first time by a lady, Angie Mouden.
