Ben about his sailing
Sixties
My father had designed and built the interior of his friend’s 27 feet motor cruiser. As a reward my parents, brothers and I could use it for a couple of weeks during the summer holidays. Living on board at the age of one is an invaluable experience that still pays off.
Dad built a Spanker, a 20 feet vd Stadt designed sporty daysailer with spinnaker, trapeze and weighed centreboard. We spent all weekends and holidays on the water.
My father and my oldest brother participated with the Spanker in regattas, my mother helped out in the organisation of the events and my younger brother and I voluenteered on racing boats lacking crew.
We were very popular in light winds. I learned how to race many different dinghies and keelboats, won quite a lot but mostly remember how much fun we had!
Dad built a Spanker, a 20 feet vd Stadt designed sporty daysailer with spinnaker, trapeze and weighed centreboard. We spent all weekends and holidays on the water.
My father and my oldest brother participated with the Spanker in regattas, my mother helped out in the organisation of the events and my younger brother and I voluenteered on racing boats lacking crew.
We were very popular in light winds. I learned how to race many different dinghies and keelboats, won quite a lot but mostly remember how much fun we had!
Seventies
My parents bought a Compromis 720, a 24 feet sailing yacht, sadly without a spinnaker. We cruised inland and coastal waters in The Netherlands. I was very proud of the fact that my father let me skipper the boat without him.
Yachting was not enough for me and my brothers so we bought a Vaurien, a 4 meter centre board dinghy with spinnaker, and raced in regional competitions improving our dinghy racing skills.
Mum and dad changed to a Mirage, a 28 feet sailing yacht, with a genakker this time, and our cruising was extended to Germany, Belgium and England involving a couple of offshore passages every year.
The Vaurien was exchanged for a couple of sailing boards and I became a competent windsurfer.
Yachting was not enough for me and my brothers so we bought a Vaurien, a 4 meter centre board dinghy with spinnaker, and raced in regional competitions improving our dinghy racing skills.
Mum and dad changed to a Mirage, a 28 feet sailing yacht, with a genakker this time, and our cruising was extended to Germany, Belgium and England involving a couple of offshore passages every year.
The Vaurien was exchanged for a couple of sailing boards and I became a competent windsurfer.
Eighties
I extended my skipper experience during the eighties by renting, borrowing and sharing a wide range of sailing boards, dinghies, keelboats and yachts with friends and occasionally crewed on a Hobie 16 catamaran to satisfy the need for speed.
Nineties
Got my first own yacht, a brand new Dehler 28, and sailed her single handed for two weeks to get to know her and to find out how she and I would get along. We had another 8 happy years together.
I installed all instruments and some running rigging myself and sailed her double handed to Stockholm since I was moving to Sweden for work reasons.
The following years I invited friends and family for sailing weekends and sailing holidays in the Stockholm Archipelago and on the Baltic Sea.
And since fast is fun, I raced as navigator/tactician on a friend’s X99.
I installed all instruments and some running rigging myself and sailed her double handed to Stockholm since I was moving to Sweden for work reasons.
The following years I invited friends and family for sailing weekends and sailing holidays in the Stockholm Archipelago and on the Baltic Sea.
And since fast is fun, I raced as navigator/tactician on a friend’s X99.
2000
I exchanged the 28 for the new Dehler 39 J/V. Sailed the 28 double handed to The Netherlands and the 39 to Sweden.
More boat, miles, passages and fun on The Baltic Sea with experienced crew, people who had never been on a boat and single handed. I did all basic boat maintenance myself and lived full time on board my boat for a total of 12 months.
Also raced on a J24 (headsail trim), a Dehler 29 (pitman/piano) and a Dehler 39 (headsail trim) during a variety of races.
Helmed a 100 feet Ron Holland designed racer a number of times.
Followed professional training to become a qualified Yachtmaster, to test myself being offshore with strangers and to experience a great adventure and 2000 fantastic miles along the Australian East Coast.
More boat, miles, passages and fun on The Baltic Sea with experienced crew, people who had never been on a boat and single handed. I did all basic boat maintenance myself and lived full time on board my boat for a total of 12 months.
Also raced on a J24 (headsail trim), a Dehler 29 (pitman/piano) and a Dehler 39 (headsail trim) during a variety of races.
Helmed a 100 feet Ron Holland designed racer a number of times.
Followed professional training to become a qualified Yachtmaster, to test myself being offshore with strangers and to experience a great adventure and 2000 fantastic miles along the Australian East Coast.
From 2002 onwards, most of my sailing has been professional:
When I'm not working I can still be found on the water a lot of the time. I currently own a Sailhorse (a sporty six metre keelboat) and can also be found on board Algarve Ocean's J/120 Storm or the GS56 Pozzetto d'Oro (First mate, Gotland Runt Regatta 2011)
About Ben's Education
About Ben's Work Experience
- Tailor made training on 50+ footers
- Skippering cruiser/racers around the cans
- Teaching RYA Start Yachting/Yachtmaster courses on small cruisers
- Chief Instructor at RYA recognised training centres
- Corporate Racing on a VO60 on the Atlantic
- Deliveries
When I'm not working I can still be found on the water a lot of the time. I currently own a Sailhorse (a sporty six metre keelboat) and can also be found on board Algarve Ocean's J/120 Storm or the GS56 Pozzetto d'Oro (First mate, Gotland Runt Regatta 2011)
About Ben's Education
About Ben's Work Experience