Holland Beker 2023: Dutch development finals!

This year at the Saturday of the Holland Beker the decisive races of the Development Classification will take place and the crews topping their classification event will be awarded a prize at the end of the day. So, what is this Development Classification exactly, and which events are a must-watch on Saturday afternoon?

The Development Classification is a special event for crews made up of intermediate level athletes*. The final classification is made up over 6 regattas during the Dutch 2k-season (April-July). At each development event during a regatta a crew can score points based on the result they achieve in the race. There are seven categories (M4-, LM4-, W4-, M2x, LM2x, and LW2x) in which the different crews can compete. Points are awarded to the crews based on their result at the regatta. The crew which comes first is awarded 10 points, the second crew 8 points, etc., until the 9th crew who gets the final 1 point. In the end, the crew with the highest total score, wins the overall classification**. The interim standings of the Development Classification can be found here.

As mentioned above, the Holland Beker is the final regatta for this classification and we expect some tight and fierce races. Keen to watch these events at the Holland Beker? Look out for the ‘Dev’ category in the events listed on time-team.com! For example: the event Ddev4- is the event for the Development W4-, and LHDev2x is the event for the Development LM2x. Cannot wait? We have got you covered with a preview of what to expect below.

Preview M4- (Hdev4-)
In this event it is the crew from Orca 1 which has a solid lead of six points over the crew from Skadi. With Orca 1 having won 4/6 races, and Skadi just one, it seems that Orca 1 has the best chances to take home the big prize after the Holland Beker and is certain to walk away with a top-3 finish! However, the gap to that top step of the podium can still be bridged… Maybe more exciting in this event is the fight for the final podium spot with just 1 point separating the crews Njord 1 and Triton. Triton will have to go all out in order to make up for an expensive 0 point result last weekend, but can still bump Njord off that third podium spot. With the top-three of each category being awarded a prize during the prize ceremony on Saturday afternoon, this is definitely still worth the fight!

Preview W4- (Ddev4-)
Just two weeks ago it was an ex aeqo between the crews of Orca 1 and Laga. Both crews have won multiple races and came in second (or third) in the other races. With 3/6 wins for Orca 1 it is this crew from Utrecht that is currently in first place overall. However, Laga will for sure be keen on getting back at that top spot and getting their bowball in front of the ‘ Utrechters’ at the Holland Beker. If they do, it might be a complete ex aeqo. Normally, the crew with most race wins will then be appointed as the overall winner, but if Laga wins, both crews will have won 3/6 races! We are definitely excited for this one! As it stands, Phocas has the best chance of grabbing that final and third podium spot, but do not rule out the crew from Groningen, Gyas, just yet!

Preview LM4- (LHdev4-)
In this event, technically, all top-four crews could walk away with the big prize after the Holland Beker. However, it is the crews from Theta and Laga that have the best chances of actually doing so. Where two weeks ago it looked like Laga was the best contender, tables have turned and it is Theta leading the overall classification. However, with both crews on 2/6 wins, the Holland Beker for sure will be the decisive race. The third place is currently in hands of Triton, but the boys from Skøll can still claim their spot if they put down a solid race just like last weekend during the Northwave Regatta.

Preview LW2x
This is the only event where the first spot has already been firmly decided. Only if this crew scores 0 points at the Holland Beker, and if Aegir wins the regatta can Triton still lose out on the overall win. However, having won every race so far, we expect this crew to row to victory one more time and take the big prize back home to Utrecht. Aegir has a 7 point lead over the Skøll 1 crew, which makes Aegir the best contender for that second place. The girls from Skøll 1 will have to give it their all, in order to keep the third place. As it stands, the crew Asopos de Vliet 1 is only 2 points behind them. Based on past results, these two crews seem tightly matched, with Skøll 1 having the slight advantage of outperforming the girls from Leiden 3/5 races.

Preview W2x
This event is definitely the closest fight with only 1 point separating the top-2! With the combined crew from Okeanos/Skøll having won 2 races, we are not ruling them out from taking over the overall win on the Holland Beker Saturday afternoon. The third place is currently in hands of the crew from Saurus. This crew won the first race of the season, but has since struggled to find their pace. However, they find themselves solidly positioned in that third spot and could still take the second place! Definitely an underdog we will keep our eyes on.

Preview LM2x
With 4/6 race wins, the crew from Laga is (almost) certain to claim that big prize at the end of Saturday afternoon. Things will have to go topsy-turvy for Laga in order for the crew Argo 1 to bridge the seven-point gap to first place overall. Argo 1 also has to watch out for Okeanos 2. This latter crew being only 4 points behind can still take over second place overall. The crews from Triton and Nereus are currently tied at 24 points for that fourth place, and will have to row the race of their lives (much like Lennart van Lierop becoming the European Champion in the skiff) in order to claim a podium spot!

Preview M2x
In this event the current top three could be scrambled after the race on Saturday afternoon, and even the Skøll crew in fourth place could find themselves on the podium. The first place is currently in hands of Proteus-Eretes 1, but runner-up Njord is only three points behind. Following closely, just 2 points behind Njord, is the crew Laga 1. The crew from Triton, who won the first race of the season, will have to settle for a spot outside of the podium. Again, everything is still possible and the Holland Beker race will decide which crews end up on the podium and which spot they will take!

*Typically, rowers in the Development event are second- and third-year student-athletes. However, this is not necessarily the case. Crews competing in the development events have to meet the intermediate rower level criteria, so technically, also fourth- or fifth-year athletes can join these events, provided that they have few prestation points that determine their rowing level, or if they form a crew with athletes so that the total of prestation points of a crew does not exceed 10 points (for 4- events) or 5 points (for 2x events).

*Note that the worst result of each crew is deducted from the total of points scored.

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