To Do list of June: Winning Starts Before the Start Gun

My post content Last week, we had front-row seats to see just how true that is. The international sailing scene gathered for the first big offshore challenges in the build-up to the legendary RORC Rolex Fastnet Race 2025 — and let’s just say: some boats were ready to roll, and others… well, let’s call it “a work in progress”.

The Races:
Two proper offshore races:
✅ NSR Vuurschepen Race – The Hague -> Harwich [130NM]
✅ RORC North Sea Race – Harwich -> The Hague [180NM]

Both races covering the classic The Hague–Harwich route, with everything from glassy calms to howling breezes and tactical nightmares in between.

And guess what? The teams that nailed their preparation absolutely owned it.

Four teams we’ve been proudly working with over the past months climbed onto the podium — proof that when you put in the hours tweaking keels, adjusting rudders, re-checking certificates (yes, those pesky decimals matter), updating sail wardrobes and, most importantly, training as a team, it pays off.

The Secret Sauce?
Well, it’s not so secret. It’s the stuff you know you should do but never get around to — until your mast track explodes at 3 a.m. mid-Channel and you wish you had.

Here’s what our winning teams had sorted before the start gun:
⚙️ Optimised IRC/ORC certificates
⚙️ New or refined keels and rudders (because size matters, and so does shape)
⚙️ Smart sail selection strategies (because no one wants to be stuck with the wrong canvas when the breeze turns)
⚙️ Crew training and decision-making drills (humans: still the weakest link and the biggest potential gain)
⚙️ TLC for the boats — because tired boats make for grumpy crews

And Then There Were Others…
Of course, after the races come the dock chats. You know the ones — “we would have won if our spinnaker halyard hadn’t jammed”, or “our rating is all wrong” or “we just need a new bottom job”.

Spoiler alert: it’s never just one thing. It’s preparation. All of it. From hull to hardware to headspace.

Looking Ahead
These early-season qualifiers aren’t just about trophies and bragging rights. They’re the crucial dress rehearsals for what’s shaping up to be an epic centennial Rolex Fastnet Race in 2025. And based on what we’ve seen so far — the prepared will prevail.

Proud? You bet.
To see four of our guided teams on the podium is not just a great result, it’s a big fat reminder that smart optimisation isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. And we love helping crews turn “good enough” into “holy crap, we just won that”. Congrats to the golden boys and girls of team JetPacK, team Ella, team Vesper and team Black Pearl!

So if you’re looking at your own campaign thinking “maybe we should do something about that rudder play” or “are our certs really up to scratch?”, you know where to find us.

Project Made in Holland. Let’s do Some Fun Stuff. At getting teams on podiums.