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Skûtsjesilen is a Frisian
regatta Boat racing is a sport in which boats, or other types of watercraft, race on water. Boat racing powered by oars is recorded as having occurred in ancient Egypt, and it is likely that people have engaged in races involving boats and other wa ...
with
skûtsje A skûtsje (pronounced 'skootshuh') is a Frisian sailing boat of the type tjalk or Dutch barge, originally an ordinary cargo boat, but today a prized ship and one of the icons of Frisia. Skûtsjes were built from the 18th century until about 1930 ...
s, in particular, the races organised by the Sintrale Kommisje Skûtsjesilen (SKS) and the Iepen Fryske Kampioenskippen Skûtsjesilen (IFKS).


History

In the early nineteenth century, competitions were organized with skûtsjes for example in 1820 in
Sneek Sneek (; ) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city southwest of Leeuwarden and the seat of the former municipality of Sneek in the province of Friesland, Netherlands. As of 2011 it is the seat of the municipality of Súdw ...
. Regattas were held when farmers had no cargo. Sailors could sometimes earn a cash prize when innkeepers organized a competition during a fair. The prize ceremony would be held in the inn. In the second half of the nineteenth century, clubs were founded to organize skûtsje regattas. During this period, the amateur sport developed. Professional competitions became rarer: Professional skippers could not spare the time, and the number of participants began to decline. In the twentieth century, cargo ships became increasingly motorized and the number of skûtsjes began to decline. During the Second World War, there was a reduction in skûtsje use because of fuel shortages. Boats became available to amateurs. The Sintrale Kommisje Skûtsjesilen (SKS) was founded in 1945. While the number of race committees grew after the war, the number of skûtsjes fell; In the fifties, it was difficult for skippers to keep up the payments to own a skûtsje. Foundations were set up to buy a skûtsje to support participation. Thus, the current SKS championship arose with skûtsjes that come from a town or village. The only exception is the boat d 'Halve Maen, which was originally owned by
Philips Koninklijke Philips N.V. (), simply branded Philips, is a Dutch multinational health technology company that was founded in Eindhoven in 1891. Since 1997, its world headquarters have been situated in Amsterdam, though the Benelux headquarter ...
. Lodewijk Meeter was important for the continued existence of the sport during this period. In 1953, when the regatta would have been canceled due to low participation, Meeter arranged enough boats so the competition could continue. He was also the first skipper whose skûtsje was specially bought for competitions. In the seventies and eighties, it became possible for individuals to possess their own skûtsje. Because these skûtsjes did not fit into the rules of the SKS (skippers did not come from a family of skippers), these skippers set up an alternate organization. In 1981, the "Iepen Fryske Kampioenskippen Skûtsjesilen" (IFKS), (Open Frisian Championships Skûtsjesilen) was formed. There are currently two Skûtsjesilen championships in Friesland. The SKS regatta has long been attended by a fixed number of 14 skûtsjes. Although there are skipper or crew changes, often the ships are the same. The IFKS regatta has grown also over the years: There are currently about sixty skûtsjes in four classes. On 22, 23 and May 24, 2014, competitions took place on the Kralingen in
Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , ; ; ) is the second-largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city in the Netherlands after the national capital of Amsterdam. It is in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, part of the North S ...
under the name Skûtsjesilen Holland. On July 20, 2014 the SKS competition will start.


External links


Website about Skutsjesilen
ref>Rienk Wegener Sleeswijk, Eelke Lok, Gosse Blom, SKS skûtsjesilen. .


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Skutsjesilen Sailing competitions in the Netherlands Articles containing video clips