Image: Baraka GP and Van Uden ROST ©  H.B. De Graaf Altona

In the summer of 2025, the Baraka GP Sailing Team with their Ker 43 and the Rotterdam Offshore Sailing Team with the Ker 46 Van Uden, under the flag of the Royal Maas Yacht Club, will compete for the coveted Admiral's Cup. The two carbon yachts designed by Jason Ker will represent the Netherlands as the 'Dutch Offshore Sailing Team' in this prestigious offshore sailing competition in Cowes, Great Britain. It is considered a high-level competition within the category of offshore races.

For the Royal Maas Yacht Club, with a rich history in competitive sailing, including the two winning campaigns of Conny van Rietschoten in the Whitbread Round the World Race (now known as The Ocean Race), it is a logical step to support a campaign aimed at winning the Admiral's Cup.

The Netherlands has a rich history competing in the Admiral's Cup. The campaign in 1999, where the cup was contested in three classes, was won by the Dutch team with participants such as Roy Heiner, Bouwe Bekking, Wouter Verbraak, and Peter van Niekerk. Gerd-Jan Poortman, who now skippers the Rotterdam Offshore Sailing Team, was also part of this winning selection.

Poortman expresses his excitement about this opportunity, stating that:  “The team shows great potential and believes they will be ready to compete in the highly competitive Admiral's Cup field in two seasons.”

For the de Graaf family, the location is familiar; they have been racing on 'The Solent', the famous waters near Cowes, for years. They have started the 'Fastnet race' seven times on a Baraka GP.

Piet de Graaf, Captain, emphasises: “The importance of the Admiral's Cup in showcasing the ongoing vitality and high level of Dutch sailing”. The collaboration with ROST and 'De Maas' is seen as natural given the rich sailing history in the Netherlands and the level of experience of the teams involved.

The event, last organized in 2003, is sailed in teams. Each team, consisting of two yachts, represents a country or yacht club. The combined results of both classes determine the ultimate winner. The Admiral's Cup consists of multiple short-course races, a long-distance race, and concludes with the notorious and legendary Rolex Fastnet Race.