At Easter, "the fluffy little animal with long ears, whose name we cannot say" is ubiquitous. But the French sailors in particular fear the rabbit on board. The origin of this superstition lies in the 18th and 19th centuries. They were supposed to serve as living food, instead they gnawed at provisions and fastening ropes - the released cargo led to a strong list and allegedly even caused ships to sink.
But if you are not superstitious, you can look forward to this weekend: a long weekend where the last jobs can be done, ships can be transferred and the first regattas can be sailed. The Hamburg sailors in particular have something beautiful ahead of them: the traditional Easter bonfires on the Elbe beach in Blankenese can be viewed from a safe distance from their own boat. This tradition has existed for 600 years. The only concern at the moment: The fires have to stop when the wind is south, otherwise the risk of fire is too high.
Optimist fleet at the traditional season opening on Lake Garda
The number of registered optimists for the "Optimist Meeting" on Lake Garda is also high. A proud 1071 young Opti sailors want to take part in the eight races from April 13th to 16th. That is again more than in 2012, when the regattal's largest one-class regatta was awarded the "Guinness Book of Records".
There is also a lot going on in the Mediterranean. This weekend the European Laser 4.7 Youth Championships & Trophy starts in Murciin Spain. Around 240 young sailors will compete in the regatt from April 15 to 22. The CIM (Coupe Internationale de Méditerranée et de l’Amitié) of the 420s in France begins on Easter Monday
We wish all YACHT-online readers a Happy Easter!