Verslag van een nieuw Zeilpaslid

I first visited WSV Hoorn as a guest at the Dutch Laser Open in 2019. The picturesque setting with the old town of Hoorn as a backdrop to the harbour and the club is something really special. The friendly welcome in the restaurant “de Loods” and helpfulness of the “Havenmeester” Richard encouraged me to visit the club with my family again in 2020. Joining as a club member was uncomplicated and great value for money. Living close to Cologne in Germany, we knew that it would be a long-distance membership and we would only be able to sail on long weekends with our 2 children. But it is always worth a trip to Hoorn!

On one of my visits in May to spend a couple of days sailing my Laser I watched in the evening as club members scrubbed, sanded and polished the hull of a keel boat in the car park. Being curious, I spoke to one of the members, Jos, who was, after work, busy with other members preparing their newly acquired J22. The boat was almost ready to join its sister boat, also a J22, in the water. To offer the chance to everybody not only to learn to sail, but to use these two club owned boats was the reason that the WSV Hoorn had decided to invest in these two boats, christened “Jurk” and “Jackfish”. For a small yearly fee, members can now book online and take out two exciting sailboats; they are easy to rig, can accommodate 3-5 people and are fun to sail. The J22 to is a leisure boat, but can also be raced as a regatta boat. When pushed with the spinnaker flying it is sporty and dynamic. This year we joined the clubs “Zeilpas” membership for these two boats and had several summer trips out onto the Markermeer. The children had their first experience of sailing a larger boat and in between, we anchored and enjoyed a swim. This is the great advantage of the “Zeilpas”; everybody looks after the boat as if it were their own, but at a fraction of the cost. Nowadays it is all about the sharing economy. And this is an example that works perfectly. Club members are flexible with their bookings, making sure the boats are kept tidy and well organized for the next outing. And if you are new to sailing, contact the club and arrange for someone to take you sailing. It’s an unforgettable experience that you will want to repeat!

I have made so many new acquaintances with club members at WSV Hoorn; Jos, Rudi, Matthijs, Leendart, to name but a few. Thank you for such a warm welcome at your wonderful sailing club. We are looking forward to many more enjoyable sailing seasons on the Markermeer as new members of the WSV Hoorn.

Stay safe and happy sailing Andreas Döring & family