Boat profile: Nacra 6.0 Feng Shui (Bert Schilder)

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This elderly lady was a candidate for the 1992 Olympic selection but has enough poise for Bert Schilder.

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Wat kind of beast is the Feng Shui?

Feng Shui is a Nacra 6.0 cat originally designed in 1988 for the Worrell 1000 race.
It is 6m with a 9.80m mast which carries 25m2 sail upwind and a 23m2 spinnaker downwind.

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Do you use Feng Shui only for racing?

No, as the Nacra 6.0 was an Olympic candidate in 1990, Feng Shui is already an elderly lady and a bit out of tune with the latest developments.

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Where do you normally sail?

I sail a lot on the Lauwersmeer but also take her out to the Wadden Sea for longer trips, or daysailing trips to Ameland (island in the Wadden Sea) or Rondje 't Ailand (Schiermonnikoog) or the Round Texel catamaran race.

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Since you won the first Raid Extreme .. how suitable is a catamaran for this event?

If there is wind you can quickly reach most destinations. Sailing to Ezumazijl is only an option if the wind is right and if you are a good skipper. Cats are really fast on open water but in light airs there is a real competition with the fastest canoes.

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What is your advice for Raid Extreme hopefuls with a catamaran?

This year's event is easier for catamarans because most land-based tokens are replaced with virtual tokens. The only place where you need to land is Gin and Tonic Island (Rusteiland) where you can take a rest and have lunch.
So there is much less worry about the paintwork of your precious high-tech cat!

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Finally .. what is your top speed under sail?

Last year we hit 19 knots during the Raid Extreme but our personal record is 20.5kn.