Plenty of excitement, fair winds, and big smiles aboard High5 IY 9.98, as the Belgian crew led by Dirk Van Rompuy made a spectacular debut at the IRC European Championship, clinching a brilliant second place overall. An achievement that smells of pure success, especially considering it was their first regatta with a brand-new boat, the result of meticulous preparation, team spirit, and just the right dose of sailing madness that every great campaign requires.
A delighted Van Rompuy shared his thoughts: “Just two years ago, we were visiting the Italia Yachts shipyard in Italy, dreaming about moments like this. Today we are proud and extremely satisfied with how this project has developed. The support from Squadra Corse has been unique and crucial to our success. We’re already planning the next IRC season, after some training in Belgium, we’ll head mainly to the UK. It’s such a great feeling to see all our hard work pay off. Go High5!”
The excitement on board was palpable. And rightly so, as Paolo Bucciarelli, who oversaw the team’s preparation, explains:
“There’s so much positive in this result. The crew, although made up of excellent dinghy sailors, was racing together for the very first time, with a new boat, in the challenging world of IRC. And it wasn’t an easy event — the offshore race meant sailing around Corsica, 250 miles with a 2.5 coefficient, and a night of thunderstorms that kept changing the leaderboard. In the inshore races we quickly found a great feeling and many insights to fine-tune the boat during the winter, in view of the next season between Belgium and the UK.”
A debut to remember, for sure. High5 has already made its mark, and judging by the team’s energy, this is just the beginning. Next stop? Wind, waves, and new victories on the horizon, with a high five held high.
