Around 1,100 milesacross the northern North Sea, in about two weeks
A passage, not a race
The Driehoek Noordzee Challenge is a three-leg voyage across the northern North Sea: from the Netherlands to the Scottish isles, from there to the southern coast of Norway and then home again.
There is no start and no finish. Departure times are suggestions; arrival times are expectations based on them. When you leave, which route you sail and when you arrive is up to you.
Every skipper and every boat sails their own voyage, under their own responsibility. That sounds formal, and it is: the organisation does not take responsibility for your boat and crew. What the organisation does do is make sure you are well prepared, that the harbours expect you, and that other boats are heading the same way.
Besides being a challenge, the Driehoek is an excellent start to a sailing holiday. After the last shared event everyone is free to go where they like — Shetland, Orkney, Scotland or further up the Norwegian coast. The remaining miles of the triangle are unavoidable anyway.
Driehoek Noordzee at a glance
Where the triangle takes yourugged islands, deep fjords and a great deal of water in between
Kirkwall
Orkney Islands
An archipelago full of stone circles, burial mounds and wrecks. Scapa Flow still holds the remains of the German fleet of 1919. Kirkwall itself is small, old and surprisingly lively.
Lerwick
Shetland Islands
Further north and rougher still: 60 degrees north, cliffs full of puffins and ponies in the fields. Lerwick is the destination of the 25th edition in 2029.
Stavanger, Flekkefjord, Farsund
Southern Norway
Bare rock, sheltered skerries and fjords that cut so far inland you hesitate to call it sea. In 2027 Stavanger is the second port of call.
Wild country, far from home
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From the Noorderhaven in Harlingen
For years the Driehoek started from Den Helder. Because of the increased readiness of the Royal Netherlands Navy and the security measures that come with it, the Royal Navy Yacht Club could no longer serve as the port of departure. We looked for an alternative and found it in Harlingen.
That works out well. The Noorderhaven is right in the middle of town, there is room for the fleet, and in the days before departure there are inspections, cockpit talks, a shared meal and a palaver. After that it is out past the Pollendam and through the Vliestroom into the North Sea.
Pontoon drinks on Vlieland
On the last Saturday of the voyage there are unofficial drinks on the pontoon at Vlieland, for anyone who wants one more stop after the crossing before the Wadden Sea swallows them. No obligation, no programme — just the best place to hear the stories of the passage home while they are still fresh.
Skerries, fjords and pontoon gatherings
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Is the Driehoek right for you?
There is no single answer. But we have set out a few starting points. If you recognise yourself here, you are in the right place:
- your boat is equipped in line with the current Kustzeilers safety list;
- skipper and crew know the boat well;
- skipper and co-skipper have the right knowledge, experience and qualifications;
- you have already made a few longer passages, of more than 24 hours;
- you are up for a challenge, and ‘a decent sail on the Frisian Sea’ appeals to you.
Unsure about one of these? Come to the information meeting and ask us. Better to ask once too often than to find out halfway across the North Sea that you have missed something.
The Kleine Driehoek Noordzee
In even years we sail a smaller version: varying destinations in the United Kingdom and/or Belgium and France, over a total distance of around 500 miles. A good way to find out whether the full triangle suits you.
Ready for the 24th edition?
The 2027 edition sails from 5 to 20 June, from Harlingen via Kirkwall to Stavanger.