Heerenveen wins skûtsje sailing title for the 12th time

HEERENVEEN – The annual sailing championship on the Frisian waterways and lakes has again settled in favour of the town of Heerenveen, its 12th win to date. The contest with the ‘turfschuiten’ (in Frisian called skûtsje) requires great skill and determination to stay within stringent guidelines and to overcome challenging obstacles. The annual spectacle with the heritage boats should keep today’s generation enthused with a sport that has its roots in centuries past, during which these barges took dried peat logs or bricks from the peat bogs to urban Dutch markets. The dried peat was the primary fuel used by the Dutch to keep their homes warm during bitter cold winter seasons. The arrival home of skûtsje Gerben van Manen attracted hundreds of onlookers, including Heerenveen’s mayor.