Gaastra sponsors greatest transatlantic sailing race

“Two active and enterprising students have taken up a fantastic challenge in the sailing sport world.”

Of course, they will be sponsored by Gaastra!

Steven de Walle and Maarten Veeken will take part in the greatest transatlantic sailing race of all, the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC). On 19 November, they will set sail from Gran Canaria on a voyage of over 4300 km to reach their final destination, St. Lucia in the Caribbean.
The boat which De Walle and Veeken will be helping to sail is one of 220 boats taking part in this race. It's a German boat, and both students, from Erasmus University in Rotterdam, were awarded the honour of participating on the basis of their applications. Veeken: “Over 20 applicants wanted to help sail the boat, but we turned out to fit the required profile the best. Obviously, with a crew of four, mutual confidence is critical. It simply has to feel right, and the existing crew members apparently felt that way about us.”
Medical student De Walle and economics student Veeken are good friends who set themselves the goal of "making our first transatlantic voyage in a responsible and low-budget fashion." Some years ago, Veeken set out three goals for himself. "I wanted to complete my studies, run a marathon, and cross the ocean. I'm almost finished with my studies and have already run a marathon. That still leaves me one goal.”