We catch up with Audrey Boerson of Black Sheep Racing in the Netherlands after her amazing competition at the 138th annual Holland Beker Regatta. She won silver in the OPEN WEIGHT women's single as a lightweight limited to 135lbs. She competed four times in one day and nearly won the lightweight single before she abruptly exited her boat. Next up? World Cup III in Poland UPDATE - Audrey goes straight to the final Saturday 6/15 after winning her heat! US Rowing does NOT support sculling athletes like Audrey and her teammates at Black Sheep Racing. Please make a donation to support her and her teamates international travel and competition: https://www.gofundme.com/f/2024-summer-racing?qid=c2e384a5e24be8e9e858f8cef6aae30d
Next Race - World Cup III in Poland:
https://worldrowing.com/event/2024-world-rowing-cup-iii/
The Holland Beker Regatta:
https://hollandbeker.nl/regatta/
On August 14, 1886, a group of sporting gentlemen gathered in the Amsterdam with the purpose of establishing the “Committee for the Championships of the Netherlands for gentlemen amateurs in single scull outriggers”. The word “amateur” differentiated men who were paid to row or steer the boat and gentlemen who rowed for pleasure. The Committee allowed those from the gentlemen amateur group to participate in the annual regatta in the men’s single scull.
On September 25, 1886, the first regatta took place. Until 1912 the regatta was known as the International Dutch Open Single Sculling Championships. The regatta maintained wide international renown. In 1931 the regatta was moved from the river Amstel to the temporary race course in Sloten, near Amsterdam, until it found its present site at the brand new Bosbaan in 1937.
During the eighties, the Holland Beker experienced competition from a growing number of international regattas, which made it difficult to attract the top international rowers. After some German victories, several Dutch victories were celebrated in the late eighties and early nineties.
There is a gap in the regatta’s history in the years 2001 and 2002. Only after the refurbishment of the Bosbaan race course in 2003 did the Holland Beker Regatta Association start anew. The organisation now includes the Royal Maas Yacht Club Rotterdam – replacing the Royal Netherlands Yacht Club as the organising group in 1994-, the Amsterdam Student Rowing Club Skøll and the Royal Dutch Rowing Association. In 2004 the name of the regatta changed back to the Koninklijke Holland Beker.
As Holland’s most renowned international regatta, the Koninklijke Holland Beker has hosted the World Rowing Cup III in 2019. Top rowers from countries around the world have travelled to Rotterdam to compete, which made the event a great success.
