Bram Adema wins tempestuous Open Dutch Sailing Championship with team

Last week, the Open Dutch Sailing Championship took place on the Gooimeer and Markermeer lakes. The rough weather caused a real domino effect, but after 11 races, CFP CEO Bram Adema and his team Njord emerged victorious in the J/80 boat class.

The weather created a sensation: “When things go wrong for someone, it’s like a domino effect”

The win didn’t come easy. “It was a ferocious Dutch Championship,” according to Bram. “Every day we had a lot of wind and on Friday there was heavy rain. The sun shone on Sunday, but it was really cold.” The strong winds in particular created quite a few challenges for the entire flotilla. The outcome was a man-overboard situation and damage to several boats. Adema: “Unfortunately, damage is part and parcel of this kind of weather. The entire flotilla is so close together and everyone is so motivated. When things go wrong for someone, it’s like a domino effect. The fact that we navigated the National Championship unscathed and with this result means I can only feel happy about it.”

Team Njord unexpectedly took first place during Open Dutch Sailing Championship

It came as a pleasant surprise that team Njord would walk away with the win this year. “Last year we finished in a disappointing eighth place, while we did expect to be in the top five. We certainly didn’t think we would become Dutch Champions,” says Bram Adema. Also, the Njord did not sail with the regular team. “We hadn’t yet sailed a race in this line-up, but we had trained. Not however with the weather conditions we faced at the Dutch Championship. But we proved to be a good combination.”

We congratulate team Njord with Renée Groeneveld, Mijke Lievens, Wouter Toornstra and Bram Adema on this great win!

If you would like to experience a sailing race with your colleagues or customers, sign up for the Green Buildings Regatta on 15 September and compete for the trophy!