Natural High: Combining racing and cruising into one

Based in the Netherlands, the story of ‘Natural High’, an Elvstrøm Sails-powered Arcona 435 Carbon owned by Fred van Beers is all about combining two opposites: Racing and cruising.

For Fred it was always the question of how to combine all-out racing with a boat that also handles the summer cruise with the family with ease.

This is exactly what Fred van Beers has achieved with his Arcona – but he sails in a different pattern and season than most, as the summer is for leisure and fun cruising, and the winter is for racing.

- It may sound a little strange, but for us racing is a winter sport, and when the summer comes, we switch to our touring sails and go cruising. Being based on the Grevelingenmeer, which is the biggest saltwater body in Western Europe, we both have the calmer weather and climate in the winter to sail. We usually do the Grevelingen Winter Cup which attracts some 120-150 boats, Fred van Beers says.

It is competitive, yet easygoing racing, he adds:

- One could probably say we are a little crazy to race in the middle of the winter, but it’s some great events. We are competing and racing to the edge, but it is always held without a lot of protests and discussions. We have clean and fun racing every time, and to me it is also a great compromise, as my sailing season gets to run all year long.

Harbouring right next to Elvstrøm Sails Benelux in Bruinisse, Fred chose to seek local expertise when fitting and setting up the Arcona. He bought it in 2020 and initially had a new set of sails made for touring – and afterwards, an extra set aimed at racing has been added to the inventory of ‘Natural High’.

Having the sailmaker in the marina itself was a strategic choice, Fred van Beers recalls:

- The service Maxim delivers – and having his sail loft close by – was what sealed the deal for me. Changing to Elvstrøm Sails was driven by another and relatively similar boat in the marina which made the switch, and they told us a lot about the products and the level of service. I also had Maxim to service a set of non-Elvstrøm Sails for me, and his level of enthusiasm was the same as had he sold me that particular set, Fred says and adds:

- We then got to chat about the prospect of having a completely new set made, and the rest is history, really. We found a fantastic compromise in the sails, so they have a wide window of operation, yet they trim very nicely, too.

The way into sailing began at a young age for Fred. Sailing was always the family sport, and it was a natural progression for Fred to take up the sport, too. The local rivers were a great starting point for dinghy racing – and it soon led Fred van Beers to more:

- My family has always loved sailing. My dad brought me into the sport. He always sailed for fun, whilst I began sailing dinghies – and we always raced on the rivers which was the source of many great weekends on the water. When I made the inevitable move from dinghies to something bigger.

The move into boats was the next step, and now the Arcona is the good compromise of racing and comfort:

- I then moved to quarter tonners and then into inshore and offshore racing. Prior to the 435, I had a J/122, which was an amazing boat to race, but it was also very focused on just that one job. We had lots of fun with it, but I felt we needed something that could double as a great racer and cruiser, he says and adds:

- There are so many good things to say about the J/122 and the whole philosophy around the spinnaker bow and the gennaker setup on them – but I must also say there are many upsides on the 435 as it is fast and very stable, yet it also performs well when you sail it for fun. It is the best of both worlds, and it is exactly what I wanted, van Beers ends.