Finally sailing round and flat on the Westeinderplassen: “More than a hundred years old”

It shows that he is a real enthusiast. Fred Schijvens has polished his flat bottom until it shines. The sailor has been participating in the competitions on the Westeinderplassen for more than 40 years. He worked on this boat for three years. In September, his ship will appear at the start of Rond en Plat. “Finally it’s allowed again and we’re looking forward to that,” says Fred with a big smile on his face.

Fred has a fairly new one, but boats from the last century also sail with it. Round and flat bottoms are historic ships that were crucial for trade in the Netherlands in the 18th century. “They all have one thing in common,” explains organizer Geert Bakker. “They sting very shallow [red. in het water]. That was and is necessary, because the Dutch inland waterways are very shallow.”

What is also special about the round and flat bottoms is that they are not kept straight in crosswinds by a keel, but by swords. There is one sword on each side that you can lower into the water.

Hundred years old

The first official competition with round and flat bottoms at Watersportvereniging de Nieuwe Meer took place in 1914, 108 years ago. Geert and Fred find it important to be able to continue the historical tradition. Geert hopes that corona has not ruined the success. “Enthusiasm for competitive sailing in general has been declining very slowly for years, but given the success of last edition Rond en Plat, we are seeing an increase here,” he recalls the last edition.

Fred is in any case really looking forward to going on the water with his gem on 17 and 18 September. “That you can finally use that ship in competition with all the possibilities on it,” he says dreamily.