Historyfrom a practice round on the Frisian Sea to 1,100 miles
A practice round without modern aids
The Driehoek Noordzee was first sailed in 1977. The initiative came from Reid de Jong (1934 – 2020).
Reid was a lighthouse keeper in Workum for many years. He was a fierce advocate of traditional sail and sailing cargo, of self-reliance at sea and of self-sufficiency in general. He had little time for 'modern developments'. Until his death he lived without gas or electricity and grew much of his own food.
To keep seamanship and sailing traditions alive, Reid laid the foundations for a number of events that still exist: the Strontrace, the Beurtveer, the Visserijdagen and the Singlehanded.
In his own words the Driehoek Noordzee was a “practice round on the Frisian Sea”, and that round was to be sailed without modern aids — modern as of 1977: without radio direction finders. That principle was dropped around 1987.
Reid de Jong (1934 – 2020), who started the Driehoek Noordzee.
Under the Kustzeilers flag
Around 1987 Ben Hoekendijk took over the organisation. He brought the Driehoek under the Kustzeilers umbrella and, together with Cor Termaat, developed it further: from a strict practice round into an accessible multi-day passage for offshore sailors who want to stretch their limits and see a few beautiful places along the way.
That double character is still there. The Driehoek is an achievement, but not a race. And it is an excellent starting point for a sailing holiday in Shetland, Orkney, Scotland or Norway.
More than the triangle alone
The Driehoek Noordzee does not stand alone. Reid de Jong saw seamanship as something you maintain by practising it, and that idea runs through every event he laid the foundations for: the Strontrace with cargo-carrying flat-bottomed craft, the Beurtveer along the old inland freight routes, the Visserijdagen and the Singlehanded for those who sail alone.
The Driehoek was the offshore version: not a race, but an achievement you only pull off when boat and crew are in order.
The Beurtveer, one of the events Reid de Jong laid the foundations for.
The triangle over the yearsalternating between Orkney and Shetland
- 1977
The first triangle
On Reid de Jong's initiative, without modern navigation aids.
- 1987
To the Kustzeilers
Ben Hoekendijk takes over and develops the event with Cor Termaat.
- 2023
Kirkwall and Farsund
Via Orkney to the southern coast of Norway.
- 2025
Lerwick and Flekkefjord
Via Shetland to Flekkefjord, starting from Harlingen.
- 2027
Kirkwall and Stavanger
The 24th edition. For the first time we continue from Orkney to Stavanger.
- 2029
Back to Lerwick
The 25th edition returns to Shetland.
Images from the past
Click a photo to view it full size.
Do you have photos or stories?
For many editions no proper photo record survives. Do you have photos, logbooks, press cuttings or stories from an earlier Driehoek? We would love to add them to this page. Send them to driehoeknoordzee@kustzeilers.nl.